From The Border Cities Star, October 1, 1927:
Here is an architect’s sketch by Cameron & Ralston, of what the new Mayfair school in school section No. 5 will look like when it is completed in a month’s time. Construction of the new school building is now under way, and establishes a record in this area for district building programs. Mayfair is the third school building to be erected this year by district No. 5. It will consist of two rooms, and will cost $23,680. The building is to be of semi-fireproof construction and will be modern in every way.
I looked through the city directories, and I couldn’t find a listing for this one. Anyone out there know anything about it? Where was Mayfair school?
Seems to me it was between WalkerRoad and Pillette north of the tracks.
some people who lived in the Walker Farms area went there. I was surprised that they didnt go to Walker Road School, as it seemed to me a long way to go to school.
Mayfair was part of the Sandwich east school system and participated in the track and field day at the Kennedy track. It was the only school that didnt beat us terribly at the events. Gilmore school in Reamington park always won the track and field day.
It probably semi-burned down because it was only semi-fireproof!
on a very quick glance it almost looks like a first floor version of Kennedy High School.
Mayfair Park is the residential neighborhood around Somme and St. Julien streets immediately east of Chrysler Centre, according to a Windsor Real Estate map. And students used to walk from Walker Farms to “Mayfair High near Chrysler”, says this article about Walker Farms on the Walkerville Times site http://www.walkervilletimes.com/walkerfarm.htm The Farms were south of Third Concession (now E. C. Row) and east of Walker Road.
I have found a reference that lists the school as being at the corner of Chandler & Ypres…
Mayfair school was located on Alexis road just north of Grand Marais. I had a friend who went their. It’s a park now.
If it was indeed at the corner of Chandler and Ypres it couldn’t have been around for more than thirty years (as I recall the houses on those corners are circa 1960 if not earlier).
There is that old abandoned Catholic school by the corner of Somme and Central. Perhaps Mayfair transfered hands and was demolished for its construction?
Also, the school may be visible somewhere in the upper left corner of: http://internationalmetropolis.com/images/2009/405.jpg
My first guess was the larger structure under the letters “tern”, but I’m not sure if thats far enough south to place it at the Alexis park. There appears to be some building clutter under “tropolis.com”. Might be good to check the original.
I attended Mayfair School in early 50’s. It was located between Chandler and Alexis in the middle of the 2500 block, facing Chandler. I had gone from the largest public school west of Winnipeg, in Regina , 3 classes of each grade,1200 students, to this tiny school. What a surprise. There were more then 2 classrooms by then. It was closed down after Sandwich East’s amalgamation with Windsor, as was Walker School on Walker Road. Mayfair was torn down and a parkette was made. When I drive by, I wonder how that school fit in there with a playground.
It is in the picture at the top left and looks U-shaped
Wow….I went to Mayfair School when I lived on Chandler Road. It was just south of Ypres fronting on Chandler. It was a small school there was an extension put on that doesn’t appear in the picture it was up to grade 6 by the time I went there in the 60’s It was a great little school and I spent a wonderful childhood there. Great teachers. We all went to Gordon McGregor when we left grade 6. They tore it down and made a park out of it in the 70’s. I miss my neighbourhood school there is something to be said for those.
I went to Mayfair School (1958-1962), grades 1-4. There was no kindergarten. My first teachers’ name was Mrs. Hoy.
Anyone remember?
The Walkerville Times article referenced in an earlier comment states: “For school, she walked one mile to the Walker Road School, which had four rooms and went up to Grade 8. The high school, which she also walked to, was Mayfair High near Chrysler.”
However… Mayfair seems to be remembered as an elementary school by its alumni commenting here. Or were there two Mayfairs at one point?
There’s a neighbourhood conveniece store on Alexis (at Somme, maybe) call Mayfair Convenience. Maybe a namesake…
When I attended Mayfair 1949-52 ( Grades 4-6)there was grade 8 offered then as my older sister was in Grade 8 . If it ever was a high school , it would have had to have been before the 40’s . I later attended Walker School (6-8) and in those days, we took the city bus to attend city high schools.
The poor girl who walked from Walker Farms to Mayfair would have had to go either to Pillette or Walker Roads to get there as there was no road in between. Not like now with Central crossing.
i didn’t atend Mayfair but had tons of friends who did it was located on the 2500 block of chandler road all thats left is the lot which is now a park
shirley the poor girl you mentioned who lived at walker farms and attended mayfair would have had a long walk the most diect route waold have been down the pere marquette tracks to grand maria then over to chandler road tothe east but in inclimat weather it would have been a bitch
I attended Mayfair from Sept. 1966 (Kindergarten) till Dec. 1969 when my family moved to the county. It was indeed located in the 2500 block of Chandler on the west side of the street, south of Somme and north of St.Julien, and the rear of the schoolyard could be entered on foot from Alexis. I recall the parking lot in the N.E. corner of the lot which is still there, and the sandpits along the north fence, as well as the backstop in the S.E. corner. I have some great memories from that school and neighbourhood, and never felt comfortable in my new school despite having gone there from Jan. 1970 till Jun. 1975. I always considered Mayfair my “real school” and never really got over leaving there until I ended up at Essex High School. I presently work at Chrysler Windsor Assembly and frequently drive through the neighbourhood. The variety store was called Mayfair Confectionery at the time, although it was not bricked then as it is now. Great days. Glad I stumbled across this.
I lived on Chandler st.2254 went to the school[Mayfair] loved it… grade one to grade three/four ..live in B.C since my dad passed away there .. miss Ontario..have all the old school pics anyone out her there I may know…Pam ,Diane Chene,Ronnie Brain the large Mallatt[Carole and family] who lived across from us…. Ann Bratek
I attended Mayfair School from 1946 to 1952 or 1953 Mr.Schultz was the Janitor.
@ Chris re : Catholic School at Somme and Central. This was Most Precious Blood Elementary School (Kindergarten to Gr.6, after which we attended St. Bernard for Gr. 7 & 8), before standing empty for many years and eventually being converted to CAW Local Offices. If I am correct, it was built before Mayfair closed and the two are not connected in any way.
Angie is correct. Most Precious Blood and Mayfair were both in operation simultaneously. Some of my friends attended MPB, and we would walk past it on our way to McDonald Park. Anybody remember the outdoor rink at McDonald Park?
The outdoor rink must have been before my time, John. I remember the shelter and all the playground equipment as well as the ball diamonds but no rink. Where was it exactly ?
If you entered the gates off of Somme and walked due North (I can’t recall how far, but maybe a couple hundred feet at the most) you would be in the general area. Definitely in the SW area of the park. I seem to recall grey plywood boards around the rink, but not the kind of boards in a rink for hockey. It was a rectangular natural ice rink (no refridgeration system) running lengthwise north to south and I believe the rink was gone by the time we moved from the area. (late 1969) I remember thinking at the time that the boards seemed to be about 12 feet high, but in reality were probably only 4 feet high. The rink itself also seemed enormous to me at the time, (mid to late 60’s) but I was pretty young (born in 1961) so the pespective is a bit skewed.
there is a rock in park Chandler near Julian street says (mayfair school)
I attended Mayfair school from Kindergarten to Grade 3 in the late 60’s. Wonderful little place. We were bussed off twice a week to a school with a gymnasium during the winter months, since Mayfair had none. Most of the families nearby, like mine, had fathers who worked at the Chrysler plants to the west. The very small school library was in the Kindergarten room.
Also… the comment above about the skating rink. A family very near to Mayfair school had a very large dual rink (hockey and general use area) ever winter. They even had lights for when it got dim in the early evening. Perhaps you are remembering that? That family had the last name “Fase”.
MRD, I remember being bussed to John Ross school for gym, and then another school later (MacWilliam?) I seem to recall John Ross being somewhere east of Mayfair, perhaps in the George or Tourangeau and Grand Marais area, but not too sure. I also recall in addition to the rink at McDonald Park, there was that family owned rink you mention. I remember a rink on the west side of Alexis, or maybe Cadillac, 2500 or 2600 block perhaps. I believe our grade 2 class (Miss Shearer) went for a skating field trip there, and as a class, composed a thank you letter to the family on a big sheet of paper. I also remember the library in the kindergarten room in the SE corner of the school. Wondering if you were in my class. I was in kindergarten in 1966-67 with Miss Kyzymka (spelling almost certainley wrong) Grade 1 in 67-68 with Mrs. Mitchell, Grade 2 in 68-69 with Miss Shearer, and grade 3 in 69-70 with Miss Parent, although my family moved to the county in December of ’69. I still have my class pictures from those years, and can still put names to many, if not most of the faces. If you were in those classes, let me know and I’ll let you know who I am in the pictures, if you have them too.
John Ross was at the end of Bernard.
I attended Mayfair school from grade 4-8, when I lived on Meighen.1953-1957.
I remember Shultz the janitor. Mrs Flexen was principal then and |I has Mrs Morris for grades 5,6,7,. then Flexen for gr 8. By Gr 7 there was no getting away with anything with Mrs Morris.
My brother had Shearer and Fletcher for teachers. No gym so yep we were bussed.
When my father’s family arrived in Sandwich East Twp. in 1943 from Northern Ontario, they ended up building the home at 2578 Alexis Rd. (just south of the school yard). My father attended Mayfair School until his graduation ca. 1947. By 1948, his mother and step-father had also constructed both the home at 2503 Alexis Rd. and the fronting Mayfair Confectionery. They owned/operated the confectionery from the late 40’s until the very early 60’s.
I came into possession of my grandmother’s family photos this past summer and many of them depict Mayfair School and the surrounding nieghbourhood in the background from that mid-40’s to early 60s era. There were also many photos of the confectionery both outside and inside.
My father’s step-father built several of the homes in that 2500 block of Alexis and Chandler. He would put up the basics of the foundation/walls/roof/utilities and then sell it and leave it up to the purchaser to finish the exterior and interior to suit their taste. Among the photos is one of their 2503 Alexis Rd. home (SW corner of Alexis and Somme) under construction and it is shocking to see how undeveloped the surroundings were in 1948.
Not sure when it happened, but Mayfair Confectionery has now closed.
I remember Mayfair. Dated one of the Campbell girls who lived a few doors away.
Most memorable years of my life back then in that neighbourhood.