An inside look at the historic Jockvale Schoolhouse

Last week, I had the opportunity to visit the Jockvale Schoolhouse and explore every nook and cranny of the historic place – a unique experience at a unique Barrhaven landmark.

First opened in 1906, the Jockvale School, SS No. 10 Nepean, served generations of students until its closure in 1965. Fast forward to 2025, and the City of Ottawa has listed the historic building for sale for about $1 million, which City Councillor David Hill says is in order “to effectively revitalize the site.” The building is designated as a heritage site, which means that the exterior is protected and must remain in its original appearance, but the interior can be modified.

After learning about the potential sale of this building, I reached out to Councillor Hill’s office to arrange a visit to the site as I am in the midst of conducting historical research for my upcoming book and docuseries about the history of Barrhaven. Graciously, Councillor Hill’s wonderful staff helped arrange a visit for me, and what en excellent opportunity that was. While visiting, I met another Barrhaven history researcher, Brian Woodard, who was there doing some of his own historical documentation, also sharing his in-depth knowledge of this place with me.

Historic image from http://www.oneroomschoolhouses.ca/nepean-township.html
Current day image from Brian Woodard, 2025

On my visit, I had the opportunity to explore the building inside and out, and realized what a gem this place truly is to our community. This building predates the busy suburb of Barrhaven as we know it by well over half a century, yet the building echoes of the long history behind our community.

As strange as it may sound, I made my most interesting discoveries of the history of this place by looking at the walls. As the old saying goes, and as Brian reminded me, “if walls could talk,” was relevant and true in my visit. Most of the wood panelling on the walls, although painted over many times, is original, and through many of the knots and crevices, the original features are present.

When opened on a sunny day, the windows all around the building provide beautiful sunlight into the room, brighter than any artificial light can provide. Take a look at the vintage wood panelling below the windows.

A shot from the attic above the drop ceiling installed overtop of the boys’ washroom (originally the boys’ cloakroom) shows a mustard yellow coloured wall and dark grey moulding.

In exploring the original classrooms, finding some vintage features like the chalkboards, or something even as small as the detailing on the electrical outlet covers shows the craftsmanship of generations past.

One of the outlets in the northwest room – especially visible is the detail on the cover. Also notable, are the other paint layers, teal-blue, and brown as well.

A part of the original centre chimney, now in the mini storage attic above the kitchenette. Also in the storage space – vintage 1960s Christmas decorations!

A painted-over furnace damper in the northeast room. This is typical of buildings from the early 1900s. The company that produced this one was from Brockville.

Besides the main area of the schoolhouse, which includes the classrooms and the kitchenette, there are a few other areas of the schoolhouse to explore. One is the vestibule, which features a few steps up from the front entrance. It features access to both classrooms, as well as the boys’ and girls’ washrooms, which were the respective cloakrooms in the past. Still present in the girls washroom are two wall hooks from its time as a cloakroom.

In the small kitchenette, some of the original wood panelling can be seen behind the cabinets when opened up. It is also visible above the chalkboard on the right side of this image

One of the hooks on the wall of the girls’ washroom from its days as the girls’ cloakroom.

A corkboard hidden in the cabinet housing the electrical panel in the girls’ washroom.

The boys’ washroom, and the drop ceiling as can be seen from the height of the window.

The other main area of the schoolhouse is the basement, which has been upgraded over the years. The main area is quite bare of any historical elements, but there is a story that lies within the utility rooms. In the room beneath the vestibule, some of the stone foundation is present, as well as a hole for what was once a large window. A similar sight lies in the furnace room, with more exposed foundation, and more covered windows. There is also an exit to the outside with a small staircase, which was an addition at a later date.

A view of the basement with one of three storage/utility rooms near the top right of the photo.

This is the room under the vestibule – notice the full sized window.

Another boarded-up window in the furnace room – not the full size.

The outdoor exit door, as well as original exterior bricks on the right.

By exploring just a few of the images of this historic site in our community, the historical value of this building is more prevalent than ever. In an ever-growing community like Barrhaven, very few fixtures of what originally stood in this place remain, yet the hidden gems like the Jockvale Schoolhouse remind us of the stories of generations past. The story of SS No. 10 is far more vast and holds deeper meaning than can be written in a simple article, and I am working towards bringing the full story to life soon in the upcoming Building Barrhaven docuseries and book.

Finally, a special thanks to all who have reached out in the past week to share their stories or their families’ stories about the Jockvale Schoolhouse, and more broadly about the history of Barrhaven. As always if you have any stories to share about the history of Barrhaven, or if you have any questions or comments about the project, feel free to send me an email anytime to vincenzo@vincenzocalla.com, I would love to speak with you.