Lunenburg School Shoot

The Lunenburg Academy is a historic school building located in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Constructed in 1895 to replace a building that had been destroyed by fire, the academy operated as a school from 1895 until 2012, when the Town of Lunenburg took over the property. It was designated a National Historic Site in 1983 for its distinctive Second Empire architectural features and its illustration of Nova Scotia’s education system in the 19th century. As of 2019, the building houses a library and music school, and restoration efforts are ongoing.

History

The old academy, which was destroyed in 1893
After the county academy was destroyed by fire in 1893, the town of Lunenburg set out to create a new building which would be “an ornament to the town and a credit to the Province”.[1] As the old academy, which housed only 200 students, had reached its capacity, the new building was planned to be much larger.[2]: 11  Construction of the Lunenburg Academy, directed by architect Harry H. Mott, began in the fall of 1894 and was completed in 1895. The school opened on November 7, 1895, admitting more than 650 students.[3] The academy served as a primary and secondary school for students in Lunenburg County until 1966, when it became strictly a school for grades primary to nine. It continued to operate as a school until March 2012, when concerns over maintenance costs led the school board to cede operations to the town.[2]: 13–4  The Lunenburg Academy was designated a National Historic Site in 1983, owing to its architectural heritage and its illustration of the 19th century academy system in Nova Scotia.[4]

A large-scale restoration project is ongoing as of August 2019.[5] The project aims to convert the building into a mixed-use structure with community and office spaces.[3] The building currently hosts the Lunenburg Library, which opened in 2018,[6] and the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance.[5] Some of the former classrooms are rented to businesses and organizations.[6]