St. Francis Xavier Church
Carlsruhe, Ontario, Canada

Carlsruhe Separate School

In 1894, half the ratepayers were Protestant and half were Catholic.
There was a Catholic teacher and two Catholic trustees.

A meeting was held and in 1897;
A Roman Catholic Separate School was organized in the Public School Section No. 4, Carrick.
Mr. Matthias J. Mindorff was hired as teacher for $275.00 per year, paid quarterly.

In 1898 a two-story brick building was erected
across the road from the church and beside the cemetery.

The school was 30 feet by 40 feet while the schoolyard was 141 feet by 176 feet.
The first floor was equipped as a schoolroom and the upper floor was a meeting hall and for socials.

The first board of trustees elected consisted of:
Messrs. David Schwan, chairman: John Wandt: Albert Goetz with Father P.P. Lehman, Secretary.

School seats were purchased from the Canadian Office and School Furniture Co. Ltd. of Preston.
Double seats were used at the first
but these were replaced in October 1931 by new chair seats at the cost of $179.15.

In the next few years a new slate blackboard was purchased
as well as a nature study chart.

When the first Agriculture Grant of $157.00 was received in 1915, Agriculture was taught
and a school garden maintained.

In 1920, Household Science equipment was purchased
and then hot lunches were served.

In 1954, the classroom was remodeled, complete with a stainless steel sink.

In 1963, a new two-classroom school was built for $47,000.00 beside the old one, which was razed.

In 1969 it was decided to move the students to Hanover.

[first school 1898 - 1963 and second 1963 - 1969 !!! ]

The school then became the headquarters of the Bruce Grey Roman Catholic Separate School Board;
later the School Board move its headquarters to Hanover

and the former school is now a Creative Learning and Conference Centre.

[After several sales, it was by 2006 the home of the Mercy Hill Gospel Fellowship. The sale of this property by the board has blocked legal driving access to the church cemetery which owns the land behind the school/church.]

Some of the ex-pupils who continued their education were:

clergymen 
Frank Zettler, Alphons Montag, Wilfred Helwig;

Sisters 
Francis Hoffarth, Lizzie Wand,

and physician
Dr. Wehenkel.

Also there were teachers: 
Mrs. Diebold, Mrs. McArthur, Mr. John Seeber.