Rosetta Primary School

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Relatively large brick built primary school, built in 3 stages, the original single storey Freestyle gabled section to the west dating from 1896, with a larger, plainer 'institutional Queen Anne' style two-storey hip-roofed portion of 1926 to the east, and a plain single-storey flat-roofed Modernist extension to the south of c.1965. The school is set on the south side of Knockbreda Road, a leafy surburban street with a cluster of substantial late Victorian/Edwardian residences to the north and west sides, one of which, to the immediate west, originally served as the residence for the Headmaster.

ORIGINAL SCHOOL BUILDING TO WEST SIDE
The original portion of the school is a double-height single storey hall like building. It is roughly rectangular in plan, with gables to the front, east and west and a short, tower-like, entrance porch, with a shallow pyramidal roof, to the northwest corner. Much of the east and all of the original south sides of the building are now submerged underneath the large 1926 addition.

The front (north-facing) elevation of the building is made up of a large gable with the entrance porch to the right (west). The entrance consists of a tall panelled timber double door is reached via a short flight of splayed concrete steps. Above the door is a large semicircular cement-rendered panel (which may have taken the place of a fanlight), with the whole ensemble set within a moulded brick reveal with decorative sandstone 'keystone' and moulded black dripstone. This entrance is no longer in use.

The large 'shaped' gable has a slight Flemish feel. To its centre there is a pair of tall semicircular-headed windows with replacement PVC frames. The windows are set with a large shallow bay which is flanked by decorative red sandstone panels with floral moulding. The bay itself is topped with a full-width panel containing another decorative pair of sub-panel mouldings flanked by equally decorative moulded date stones. Above this panel is a small roundel opening with louvered in-fill, above which to the apex of the gable is a semicircular pediment surmounted by a ball finial. Across both thr gable and the entrance porchare various moulded string courses, intersected by similar vertically arranged mouldings.

Only a small portion of the east elevation of the original building is still visible. This portion is largely plain with no hint of decoration. To the left (south) is a large gable with four unevenly spaced flat-arched window openings, with c.1970s-80s timber frames with a similar window to the far right (beyond the gable).Close to the apex of the gable there is a small roundel opening, in? that to the front. Patching to the brickwork suggests all of these openings, bar the roudel, are not original, and that the gable originally possessed a pair of tall semi-circular headed windows, as front.

The west elevation consists of the porch to the left (north) with two gabled bays to right of this, with that to the far right larger and projecting further. The porch contains a single, relatively small window with replacement timber frame. The window is set within a tall semicircular-headed recess with moulded reveal and keystone etc., similar to the sentrance. Patching to the brickwork suggests this window originally filled the whole recess. The gable to the immediate right of this contains three unevenly-spaced windows of differing size, all with c.1970's-80s timber frames. None of these window openings appears to be original. The larger gable to the far right is a virtual copy of the gable to the east elevation; again none of these openings appear to be original.

The partly gabled partly hip-roof is slated and has clay ridge tiles. These are large dormer like roof lights to east, west and south of the main section of the roof, all filled with timber frames (which may be original). The front gable has sandstone coping and the hip-roof of the porch is topped with a ball finial.

THE 1926 ADDITION.
In terms of plan form this addition is an irregular U-shape, with the main entrance wing to the north, a wing to the south (which completely covers what was the rear elevation of the original building), both linked by a diagonally set wing to the east. All of these wings are two-storey, with that to the east somewhat shorter, and, taken with the original section of the school, they enclose a small, roughly triangular yard. The walls are roughly brick built, the over sailing roofs hipped and slated, and the windows flat-arched with timber or PVC replacement frames.

The front elevation of the north wing is symmetrical with a large full-height gabled bay to the centre. To the ground floor of this bay is the main entrance, which consists of a large flat-arched open porch with a mainly glazed door screen set within. The present appearance of the entrance suggests it was altered in the 1960's, the raised lettering above the entrance (which spells out the school's name), suggests this also. The entrance is reached via concrete steps (which now incorporate a disabled access ramp).

The entrance is flanked by two large windows with four similar windows on the first floor of the bay. The two central windows to the first floor are set within semicircular-headed recesses, the original openings may have filled the whole of both recesses. Above these windows is a large (?stone) panel with the name of the school inscribed theron. The gable is topped with a semicircular pediment with a red sandstone date stone. To either side of the bay there are three windows (as before) to each floor.

The south (enclosed yard facing) elevation of the north wing consists almost wholly of a two storey flat-roofed projection. The ground floor level of this projection is taken up with a large full-width glazed screen. This level was probably originally completely open to the yard. To the first floor there are four windows. Set above and beyond the projection, (on the main section of the wing as it were), there is a row of squat 'clerestory' windows.

To the east end of the north wing thes is a tall plain brick chimneystack.

To the east facing elevation of the east wing there are six windows to the ground floor, with a louvered opening to far right. To the first floor there are seven much larger windows. To the far right (northeast) end the facade is bevelled. Here, to the ground floor, is what was originally the girls entrance. This entrance is now filled with a timber and glazed replacement double door, but retains what appears to be its original multi-paned fanlight, with recessed panel, (inscribed 'GIRLS') above. To the upper level there is a large window. To the south end of the wing, (at the intersectionwith the south wing), there is a small single storey flat roofed boiler room. The west, (enclosed yard facing), eleation is as that to the north wing, but longer, (five windows to the first floor and more clerestory windows).

The south wing has a large full height projecting hip-roofed bay to the left (west) side. To the ground floor of the bay there is a pair of very large windows seperated only by a very narrow pier. To the right of the bay there are three more pairs to each floor. The short west elevation of this wing contains two windows to the ground floor with the former boys entrance to the left, (this is similar to the former girls entrance described above). To the first floor ther are three windows of vastly differing size. Only a small section of the north (enclosed yard-facing) elevation of this wing is fully exposed. It resembles the other yard-facing elevations, but with only one window to the first floor.

1960s + additions.
Attached to the very south western corner of the south wing is a large single-storey flat roofed Modern style section, added c1965. This is also brick built. The east elevation of this section has three very large full height windows, with another tothe left on the south elevation. Attached to the west side there is another smaller, (but still relatively large), Modern style addition, which may have been added c.1970. This is built in concrete brick with a flat roof and has rows of very large windows to the south. This section houses a nursery school. There is a freestanding building of a similar design further to the west of this.

The school grounds are enclosed from the Knockbreda Road by means of simple 1920s wrought iron railings set on a low brick road. The original more decorative railings formerly in front of the original section of the school have been removed, but a section still survives, dividing the school grounds from the garden of the former Headmaster's house to the west. There is a pedestrian gateway to the west side of the main front railings, (in front of the original building), which retains what may be the original 1890's brick piers but has a 1920s wrought iron gate. There is a vehicle entrance to the east end which was widened in 2003 and new gates added. Due south of the building there is a large school yard.

FORMER HEADMASTERS HOUSE (19 KNOCKBREDA ROAD)
The former Headmasters house is set to the west of the school. It is a relatively large detached two and a half storey red brick residence with asymmetrical elevations with full height gables to the north, south and west, single storey canted bays to north and west, and a large c1990s single storey L-shaped extension to the rear (south). The overhanging roof is slated and has plain bargebards and a tall centrally located brick chimneystack. The windows are (largely) flat-arched with most retaining their original timber sash frames, whilst the entrance is to the east and retains its panelled door. Originally the house was connected to the school grounds via a doorway to the east, but this has been replaced by a small window. The original railings to the front of the house have been replaced apart from a section to the east side.

Historical information

the following is based on the information supplied by the present Principal of Rosetta Primary School

Rosetta began as a Sunday School in a room in St John's (Newtownbreda) Presbyterian Church about 1844. A school was opened in St John's in 1867.

A new church was built in 1892 and a new school, Rosetta Academy, (the original section of the present building), in 1896. Mrs W.J.Pirrie, the Lady Mayoress, performed the opening ceremony on 16th November of that year. A house was built next door for the headmaster. A conjectural drawing of the school dating from the 1890s shows that the architect appears to have intended that the porch be topped with a cupola.

The school was handed over to the state in 1901 and became Rosetta National School. The building was massively extended in 1926 and in 1930 it became Rosetta Public Elementary School, and, after the 1947 Education Act, Rosetta Primary School. The building was extended again in c.1965, with the addition of the large single-storey section to the rear. The smaller concrete brick built single storey addition to the west appears to have been added a few years later.

In 1978, the headmaster's house was sold and became a private residence. Shortly afterwards a doorway to the eastern side of the house, leading from the latter to the school grounds, was blocked up.

There are two theories as to why the school was named 'Rosetta'. One theory asserts that the name is derived from the piece of land on which the school was built. This land, acquired from a Mr Kennedy, ( the first manager of the school), is said to have been known locally as the 'Rosetta field', called so, it is believed, after Mr Kennedys wife. A house named Rosetta House, (possibly the Kennedy home), was noted in the area in 1862. The other theory states that the school was named after the famous Rosetta Stone, a plaster cast of which, (one of only four known to have been made), is believed to have been set into a wall within the original section of the building. This may have been acquired by a Mr Workman, Minister of Newtownbreda and manager of the school in 1896 who travelled widely. A former pupil, Mr Lionel Ervin, has stated that he remembers the stone and exactly where in the school it was displayed. According to him the stone 'disappeared' in 1926 when the extension was being built. In an interesting postscript to the latter theory, the present principal of the school states that a plaster cast of the Stone was installed in a bar with an Egyptian theme on nearby Rosetta Road in the 1970s!

It is possible of course, that there is an element of truth to both stories; the name Rosetta stemming from the Kennedy family connections, with Dr Workman later acquiring the plaster cast as a fitting addition to his school of the same name.

References
1 (?) Architects drawing of c.1895 showing the intended Rosetta Academy (Copy in possession of Rosetta Primary School)

Secondary sources
1 Information supplied by the Principal of Rosetta Primary School (September 2003, April 2004)

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Relatively large brick built primary school, built in three stages, the original single-storey Freestyle gabled section to the west dating from 1896, with larger plainer 'institutional Queen Anne' style two-storey hip-roofed portion of 1926 to the east, and a plain single-storey flat roofed Modernist extension to the south of c.1965. The original 1896 section of this complex is an example of a 19th century schoolhouse, however its impact has been negated somewhat by the presence of the large, plainer, 1920s extension.