Fresh from our visit to the Caroline Wheels of Time Museum, we took a slight detour on our way home to visit Shilo School.

Depending on which source you believe, the school was built in either 1909 or 1910.  The year on the school itself is 1909 but the sign at the entrance to the property says 1910.  According to the Alberta Register of Historic Places, the Shilo School District No. 2188 borrowed $800 in 1910 for the construction and furnishing of the school.  Based on that information, I’m more inclined to believe it was built in 1910.

The building functioned as a school until 1952 when students began to be transported to nearby Caroline for classes.  As with many of these former schools, the building saw new life as a hub for community events.  Even today, the building sits adjacent to a well-maintained baseball diamond and the wheelchair ramp leading to the front door demonstrates it is not wanting for activity.

The door was locked so we couldn’t gain access to the inside, but peering in the windows reveals much of the interior detail remains and there is no mistaking that this was a school.

Outside, in addition to the aforementioned ball diamond, there is a solid-looking outhouse around the back and the water well, which the Shilo School District had to borrow an extra $400 for in 1911, remains near the front entrance.  The site is well protected by trees and the grounds are maintained.

I took the opportunity to put the drone up in the air and capture some footage of the school.

Sources:

Shilo School. (n.d.). Retrieved August 30, 2017, from https://hermis.alberta.ca/ARHP/Details.aspx?DeptID=1&ObjectID=4665-0754

Date of Visit:  August 26, 2017