Description of Historic Place
The Rose Horsman Building is a rectangular two-storey Georgian Revival former school building with a hipped roof located on Fredericton Road in Salisbury.
Heritage Value
The Rose Horsman Building was designated a local historic place for its architecture, for association with the educational history of Salisbury and for its use for community activities.
The Rose Horsman Building is recognized for its architecture. This rectangular building with a hipped roof and hipped dormers was built in 1905 for about $5,000 by contractor Lou Wright after the former school on the same site burned in 1904. The new Graded School or Salisbury Superior School was built using a popular school architecture style of the time. Georgian Revival with Queen Anne revival elements was a style used for many larger wooden schools in southern New Brunswick at the turn of the 20th century, including the Riverside Consolidated School in Alma which opened the same year. Although the original windows and doors have been replaced and a vinyl exterior siding has been installed, the building still maintains the massing and roof shape indicative of this style.
The Rose Horsman Building is also recognized for its association with Rose Horsman and her influence on the educational development of Salisbury. Rose Horsman passed away on December 13, 2008 at the age of 75. She was a Salisbury education advocate who served as a school trustee for 18 years, serving as Chair. Rose Horsman also served on numerous other educational groups and community groups such as the NB School Trustee Executive Committee, the Home and School, Association Block Parents, Women’s Institute and the NB Progressive Conservative Party. The building was renamed in her honour.
The Rose Horsman Building is also recognized for its community use. The building has been in use for community activities since the building stopped being used for school functions in the 1980’s. Today, the Rose Horsman Building houses the Salisbury Boys and Girls Club.
Source: Salisbury Village Office, Local Historic Places file #3
Character-Defining Elements
The character-defining elements relating to the Rose Horsman Building include:
- rectangular form of the building;
- hipped roof;
- hipped dormers;
- original location of doors and windows.