This building at 165 Elmwood Avenue East, known as the London Normal School, occupies one whole city block bounded by Elmwood Avenue East, Wortley Road, Marley Place, and Duchess Avenue in the Municipality of London. The three-story brick building was designed in the High Victorian style by architect Francis Heakes and was constructed in 1898-1899. The building is situated in a residential area in Wortley Village in the historic community of Old South London.
The London Normal School was the third teacher training facility to be opened in the province after Toronto (1847) and Ottawa (1875). A precursor to teachers' colleges, Normal Schools provided academic, practical, and professional training. Students at the Normal School learned about educational history and philosophy, teaching methods, as well as classroom organization and management techniques. It provided teacher training until 1956 when a new teachers' college affiliated with the University of Western Ontario was opened.
The building operated as a junior high school until 1963 when it was converted to the London Board of Education's headquarters. The building was sold to the Ministry of Government Services, and then to the London District Catholic School Board. This building has had a continuous association with the development of education in Ontario. The London Normal School is the second oldest surviving Normal School in the province; the Ottawa Normal is the oldest Normal School in Ontario.
In 2005, after the Catholic School board left, the Normal School fell into vacancy and disuse. It remained empty until May 2007, when a plan for $5 million repairs was announced. These repairs exceeded $11 million, but they assured that the Normal School could guarantee its spot in London’s bright future instead of falling into further disuse.
In Feb. 2014, efforts by Old South Community Organization and others succeeded, and the City of London bought the building for $1.7 million. In Jun. 2016, the landmark was converted into a space for YMCA child care, learning programs, and administrative spaces. The Normal School building continues to be an integral part of the Old South community, as the YMCA is home to a state-of-the-art child care center, as well as the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC).
This is a very high muggle area at all times of the year.
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