Prince of Wales Public School is being recognized for more than a century of architectural and community history in Peterborough.
City council has approved a recommendation from the Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee to designate the school at 1211 Monaghan Rd. under the Ontario Heritage Act.
Completed in 1919, Prince of Wales is considered a strong example of Beaux-Arts civic architecture, with its formal design, landscaped setting and architectural detailing reflecting the City Beautiful movement of the period.
The building also represented advances in school design during the early 20th century and has continuously served the surrounding community since opening.
Its history is connected to several notable local figures, including first principal Keith Wightman, who later became a superintendent of schools, and Kate Morris, the first woman elected to Peterborough’s board of education and its first female chair.
The school was designed by prominent Peterborough architect Walter R.L. Blackwell of Blackwell & Blackwell and constructed by regional builder R. Sheehy and Sons.
The heritage evaluation also identifies Prince of Wales as an important landmark in Peterborough’s southwest end. Its location along Monaghan Road and connections with nearby institutions, including Queen Mary Public School, contribute to the historical character of the surrounding neighbourhood.
Prince of Wales is also recognized as one of Peterborough’s early 20th-century schools carrying a royal name.
