One of the largest public schools in the City can be found on the edge of the ford test track on Alexis Road…
The School was expanded after only two years to accommodate the influx of students, to Ford City during the boom years in the mid 1920’s
The first part of Gordon McGregor Public School was built in 1924, and designed the year before by the local architectural firm of David Nichols & Hugh Sheppard. According to my files there was an addition designed by Nichols, Sheppard & Masson in 1926.
The original 1924 section features some nice architectural sculpture.
This was the part that was added in the 1926 addition (I think the point where the addition was tied in can be seen behind the closest tree…) In 1934 there were over 1,200 students attending classes at Gordon McGregor. Amazing to think an intercity school in Windsor could have that kind of attendance today…
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that’s a huge school! why don’t they build schools to look like this anymore? i wonder how nice it looked before the foundry dumped fallout on it for 80 years! do you have any idea what attendance is like now?
thanks Andrew!
It is huge, but isn’t especially elegant, is it? I took home ec there back when the earth was cooling (1969 ish). Area Grade 8 students were bussed over – the boys had shop and we dainty girls had home ec. I remember learning to make Spanish Rice, sew a jumper and knit slippers.
The school was named for the Auto tycoon, of course http://www.cmhof.ca/McGregor.shtml, who is buried in Windsor Grove Cemetery.
A very nice school building indeed.
Schools used to be known as institutions and therefore had the command of presence on the street. Much like banks used to as well. They were “pillars” in the community landscape.
Today however, have you ever noticed how most schools look like institutions of incarceration? Are we setting these kids up to end up in the adult versions of the former?
I agree with you Andrew. Hardly any innner city kids anymore. But I can’t help but think the school board(s) has had/has it’s part to blame with all of those school closures.
How does one turn around a neighbourhood without the ability of children to go to school?
South end of this school is now a day care centre. I also went to this school for a half day for what was called Industrial arts. We went there a half day once a week & did wood work, sheet metal ashtrays & I remember making a plastic pie server. As a kid in grade eight I really thought I made something wonderful, but my brothers followed me later & made equally nice if not better things. Also we had to walk from David Maxwell about a mile walk from my house to get there.
Yes a built addition. today portables would be used !!
I agree with ME, all public institutions ‘should’ command presence on the street. libraries, firehalls, town halls… Look around Essex county and the only acheivable design we see is not much more than pole-barns or flat-roof-boxes.
My mother attended this school in the mid-1930’s – not sure there was anything BUT inner city students in those days – there were no ‘burbs at that time. Very interesting architectural details on the facade.
This was my grade school, I graduated from it in ’97. At that time I believe the school had 600-700 students. The best part of the school was a separate auditorium located above the gym on the north side of the school, near the main entrance. The worst part was the gym below the auditorium. It was small and felt cramped with a short ceiling. The playground was huge and in gym class we use to have track and field events in the Test Track. The school’s 86 years old but was in pretty good shape when I went there. I’d have to imagine it’ll be replaced in the next decade or so and they could probably build a new school without having to tear this one down first.
hey Randolph i think i know you because i went to that school and graduated the same year as you, are you African by any chance?
hey Randolph i think i know you because i went to that school and graduated the same year as you, are you African by any chance?
hi, i have purchased cookie dough from one of your students for the last few years. i was quite disappointed to learn that the sale of peanut butter and white macadamia nut cookie dough has stopped. i noticed that the students’ sales have plummeted due to this, and i am sure that the overall income from the sales has done so as well. hopefully next year these products will return and more income can be made for the school.
i remember how big the school was i was there from grade 1 to 8 graduated in 2001 great school cool teachers had a blast good times
i used to go to that school and i loved it
I attended Gordon McGregor from Sept ’58 to June ’67. When I started there were four half time kindergarden classes and when left in 67 there were just under 1000 students. When my youngest sister graduated from the place there were about 275 sutdents in ’75.
i wonder what would happen if this school closed witch is what is up on the scool boad agenda it is vary old and the only one in our comunity i just bought a house here i love the area and this school please help save it…..
Many, many years ago (I’m in my 50s), I attended kindergarted at McGregor and then moved across Tecumseh Road and attended Mayfair (which was on Chandler, if I recall correctly) until it closed and went to McGregor for part of grade seven, moving shortly after the horrible unsolved murder of six-year-old Ljubica Topic, who was taken from her backyard, sexually assaulted and beaten to death in 1971.
Unfortunately, with the failure of the municipal government to change the city’s image to attract new business, the days of these mega-scools are coming to an end. It would seem much more viable to have the children attend Maxwell and then move on to Herman. Their transition would seem much easier.
Chalk up the future closure of Gordon McGregor to the exodus of educated persons from this area. Windsor is fact becoming a complete inner city area, where only the poor remain. Much like Detroit in the 1980’s.
And try as you might, you can’t change fact. Windsor is dead.
I wounder where you get your imformatiom about “educated people” leaveing the area as the cause of school closing. Both the public, and seperate boards are losing students across their systems, their are many reasons, such as smaller families, lower birthrates, and an ageing population.
Windsor has had an image of a lunch bucket, union town, that was almost totaley dependent on the auto industry, with it many ups and downs.
Many people in Windsor would disagree with your assesment of our future. Drive around the city not around the Casino, but the rest of Windsor I think you will find that compared to other Canadian cities we look just as good.
The image of the city is reflected by the action of the resadents, so cheer up and look at the brightside of life.
I went to this school ( 1941 to 1947 At that time there was a lot of kids at that time I’m not sure but i think about 1,000 more or less
I went to Gordon McGregor from S.K to Gr.8. I graduated in 90. It was great because i had the same friends all the way through school. It was a great time. It would be sad to see it close and become something else.
I went to that school from 1981 to 1990. I went back in July 2009 to tour it with my daughter. The memories flooded back. It’s a shame that they are closing it. I attended L.D. Lowe and that closed too.
I miss gordon mcgregor it is a great school I whent there from j.k till gr.6 I had such a grate time there I wish I was still there
I loved Gordon MacGregor. It was a beautiful school. My Dad and his brothers and sister went there in the 1930 and 1940 era They lived across the field on central ave. There used to be a trellus they would climb up to get to class quicker if they were late.
I went in the 70’s for grade 6 because Coronation was being renovated. Would have rather stayed at Gordon MacGregor. We had lockers and spacious classrooms. We ended up in a big pod room back at Cornation it sucked. We got out early at GM because we were bussed. Loved that school.