Add this great old building to the list of neglected properties owned by the University of Windsor. The building has slowly deteriorated under the University’s ownership.
The school was closed due to shrinking attendance, and sold as surplus land by the school board in the early 1990’s.
Since being acquired by the University, it has been surrounded with a sea of parking lots, as the neighborhood that once housed the families that supplied the students have been plowed under.
The building that is now only used as storage shows heavy signs of vandalism, as well as several piss-poor attempts to secure the building from the elements.
They sure don’t build them like they used to. It’s a shame that an institution like the University of Windsor cannot (won’t?) see the cultural value in the heritage structures they own.
I agree with you Andrew they just don’t see the cultural value! I heard Benson school will be gone soon as well. Windsor doesn’t keep anything historical anymore, all they think about is wow we can turn this into something else,lets tare it down! whatever! anyways i drive by it every morning and i remember when it was opened, what a nice school building. Now they built shitty looking schools with cheaper building shit. And up so fast, back then they took there time and things like old buildings last so much longer! thanks for the postings bye bye!
I don’t understand why they don’t just convert these old schools to apartment buildings. More housing is one thing Windsor could always use and it guarantee’s the future of the building. It’s either that or the wreckers ball to make way for some stupid parking lot. I’ve noticed that developers today don’t give a shit about historical buildings as long as their pockets are lined with money.
Any idea what the future holds for the old high school W.D. Lowe @ Giles & Parent ? That’s another historical building that is just sitting there and getting weather beaten.
Rich, the old Lowe building is being used as temporary quarters by the school board. When they demolished and rebuilt Begley, that is where the students went to school in the interim. With Benson and John Campbell scheduled for replacement, the school board plans to use Lowe for those two schools as well.
PofW was a beautiful school. My daughter attended kindergarten there but by that time it was doomed. It was nice inside as well with many original features and woodwork. For years it pained me to drive by and I still do on an almost daily basis.
Not only is the demise of the school (and the blatant disreguard for heritage) so upsetting, but it also has been the indicator of a neighbourhood in transition – and not a very nice transition! Student ghetto, absentee landlords, on and on.
I know neighbourhoods change and this is inevitable but it still is so incredibly sad. This building would have been wonderful for adaptive re-use, so instead of nice craftman style bungalows being gutted and retro-fitted with six bedrooms, the school would have been great loft style apartments and would have attracted people who might want to stay.
Just my opinion, though. (I live in the neighbourhood and will probably stay, despite the problems)
Wow, so sad to see.
I started kindergarten ai PoW in 1963 and remember taking a “Crosstown” SW&A bus from the John B. loop with my grandmother to attend my first day of class. My family was about to move into a house on Patricia Ave. (one of Andrew’s past posts), but I was initially communiting to school from my grandparents’ home in Sandwich.
I remember the boys washrrom had no doors on the tiolet stalls. It was quite a shock to see the old man, teacher Carruthers, sitting on the pot when you had some busines to do.
I thought one of the older elementary schools in Central Windsor was turned into apt.’s….they kept the exterior pretty much the same and I thought it was a great use…. old schools have a lot of options…. office space, community events and organizations, all kinds and it keeps a bit of history in the neighbourhoods…. people forget how important history is on all levels including the neighbourhoods…… it’s sad to see that school rotting away like that….
Rich, developers will develop historical buildings. Take a look at that distillery warehouse in Walkerville that’s being converted to lofts. They do it all over Ontario. The problem lies with City Council and the University of Windsor. City Council should have a new law on the books. If a building is vacant for more than half a year, it automatically goes up on a forced Public Auction held by the city and the bidders have to sign an agreement that they will not tear down the building and will do something with it within six months if they get a winning bid, with bidding starting at $1. The University of Windsor doesn’t even pay property taxes on any of their properties, so what motivation is there for UW to do anything with it? If there are any vacant historical buildings rotting away in the city, City Council is to blame 100%. It’s their responsibilty. Complain to your councillor and the mayor on a daily basis to change the by-laws or nothing will happen!
Sammy, you might be thinking of St. Genevieve’s on the near east side. Well done adaptive reuse project preserving the original exterior while converting the interior to loft condos.
Sammy, Edith Cavel (near Pilette) was turned into condos about 3 years ago, and the exterior remained the same. It was used as a piggyback school in the mid 90s. I went there for Grades 3 and 4 while they demolished and rebuilt King Edward.
i went to w.d lowe from 1982 to 1986. if i’m not mistaken, it had over 1500 students and the best basketball team in town. only kennedy collegiate and assumption had a bigger student population. then the board of education went on a building blitz out in the county and w.d lowe and prince of wales were history. do have to destroy every beautiful bulding in windsor just to keep the labour hackks who want to keep their members in the demolition business happy?
John, yup thats the one Iwas thinking of thanks for the memoery boost! I thought it was well done and better than looking at another empty lot.
westerntragedy, I didn’t even know about Edith Cavell…where was that at again, when I get back to town I’d like to swing by and take a look at it.
Sammy,
Edith Cavell is on Ontario Street, on the east side, just west I believe of Jefferson.
You’d think that from a marketing perspective the University of Windsor would see some value in using PoW school.
After all, for years, every piece of University of Windsor advertising was focused on a photo of the ivy-covered Dillon Hall, yet it’s the only building of that style on campus. If that’s the look they think will attract interest, Prince of Wales has it.
Windsor is a dump…it always has been and it always will be. Proof of this is contempt for any building with any architectual signifigance or beauty. I and my family left Windsor
in 1973 and never looked back. The only fond memories I had of Windsor took place in this magnificent building. What a waste…I’m surprised Walkerville has survived as well as it has. As for the U.of W. shame on you. I’m glad I was part of McMaster U. in Hamilton.
Remember…you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. Good bye and good riddens.
Is there anyone who actually attended PoW Public School between ’65 and ’66? Are there any groups that get together? I live in Australia now and have just found an old class photo and am wondering if anyone can recognize themselves…