SPOTLIGHT ON BUILDINGS (1)
THE OLD NATIONAL SCHOOL

THE OLD NATIONAL SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHED IN 1915 WHEN IN USE AS THE PARISH HALL

It was situated on the corner of High Street and Chapel Road, where today stands In-Excess and Netto's. Built in 1838 as Westend's first National School it became the village Parish Hall when vacated by St. James' School in 1903-4. The photograph of the building when seen above in 1915 still had the original fence enclosing the children's playground. Seen on the right hand side is the two story original schoolmasters house with separate porch. On the left of the picture to left of the porch is the later added additional classroom. It was eventually deemed too small, old and costly to continue serving as the Parish Hall and  was demolished around 1977-78 to make way for the present commercial buildings. More details and photographs of this nice old building can be viewed in our archives held at the Museum.