S.S. #14 Sombra (Bradshaw)

[Steve]

Here's some photos sent to me by Bill57. I posted them for him, along with his text.





These pictures were taken in 1987. This is S.S. #14 in Bradshaw (south of Brigden) built in 1886. I knew an man, a family friend who lived next door to us for many years, his name was Earl M. Carter. He was born in Bradshaw in 1898 and he may well have attended this school. Earl spent much of his adult life out in western Canada and returned to Sarnia in his later years. He passed away in 1979.

The school house is gone, torn down I believe some time in the 1990's. The reason for its demolition, I was told, was that its walls were crumbling. With the loss of the school house there isn't much left of Bradshaw now.

I invite your comments...

Bill57

[restoman]

Beautiful little school. The simple design features of old buildings really make them stand out, like the lighter coloured brick work.
The walls look ok in the pics, I wonder if the black teepee-looking things against the sides were some kind of brace?

Mike

[Steve]

I know this school well from my crop touring days... Also, my cousin and her family now own the property. They purchased it from a community group that used it for card games, etc. and they ended up living in it for a time until they moved another house onto the property. They had to tear the school down because the brick facade was peeling away from the frame. Hence, the diagonal metal braces.

They saved a number of artifacts from the school and I'm just waiting for my cousin to send me some photos to post here...

[ilmason]

Although the school is gone, the wood shed is (as of Mar. 2013) still in place.