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Built between 1910 and 1922, the Baril, Hochelaga and Saint-Nom-de-Jésus schools, respectively located at 3603, 3349 and 4131 Rue Adam, form a remarkable collection that reflects the urban, social and institutional development of Montreal. At the time, a rural exodus and growing population due to industrialization led to the creation of working-class neighbourhoods such as Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, and a vast heritage of schools. Their carefully crafted architecture, characterized by a classical esthetic, as well as their location make the school buildings important landmarks along Rue Adam. They also bear the memory of community action and of prominent figures in local, Montreal and national history.
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Published on : October 06 2015
Last modified on : May 03 2016
Alert submitted by: Heritage Montreal
Currently closed for health reasons, the Rue Adam schools represent a collective heritage under threat of demolition. As of 2015, one of the three, Baril School, has already been demolished. A significant lack of maintenance has led to the growth of harmful mould, which despite significant investment by the Commission scolaire de Montréal (CSDM) is apparently persistent, according to the Director of Public Health for the Montreal region. Pressed to act by exasperated parents, CSDM authorities chose to demolish Baril school and rebuild it with funding from the Quebec government. The cases of Hochelaga and Saint-Nom-de-Jésus schools remain unresolved. The lack of maintenance and absence of preventive hygiene standards dangerously threaten these heritage schools and many other public buildings in the city, despite the statements and policies of our school boards and public institutions on sustainable development.
Heritage Montreal has begun discussions with the CSDM administration to prevent the disappearance of another emblem of our educational heritage.
École Saint-Nom-de-Jésus
Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
Urban landscape
Civic Heritage
Public
Vacant
Demolition
Irénée Vautrin, Architect
Commission scolaire de Montréal
Civic
1922
How do you see this Montreal site? What legacy has it left us? What future can we create for it? Where to start to get there? Who wants to participate in the project?
You have questions? Want to do more, but lack the information? Consult our toolkit to learn more about the heritage of the Montreal metropolitan area, the preservation mechanisms in place and possible actions.
