Rideau Street School/King's Town School - History

In 1866, the Board of Trustees of Common Schools in Kingston decided a new school was required, after renting space and determining that schools in use on Princess and Charles Streets were insufficient. The original three-room limestone Italianate-style Rideau Street School school [a.k.a. Cataraqui School] was designed by City Architect John Power. The cost of the lot, purchased from Francis Tracey, was $850 and construction in 1868 cost $1,700. Craftsmen: carpenter Andrew Davidson, mason Richard Tossell, painter Thomas McMahon. Construction was hammer dressed limestone. First classes began on November 16, 1868. Almost flush with the roadway, the lot was 118 feet wide and 132 feet deep. With compulsory school attendance and growth of Cataraqui Ward's population, a two-storey rear extension was added in 1877 for $1,600, resulting in a T-shaped building of four classrooms. Craftsmen: mason William MacCarthy, carpenter B. Asselstein and painter W.H.G. Savage. Plumber Neil McNeil connected the building to the city water supply. Also on the site: a school bell in a central tower, fenced lot, stable and privies. (Top undated image from Kingston, the Limestone City by Jennifer McKendry.) By June of 1880 there were 367 students with 109 senior students taught by one teacher in one large classroom!

Eventually superceded by Robert Meek School in 1920, the schoolhouse was sold to Coca-Cola for $6,500 in 1922. The interior gutted for a bottling plant, a rear garage was added and upper floor subdivided into offices (above - 1938 Whig ad). Cola production began on September 18, 1922. A one-storey concrete block addition was added to the north side between 1947 and 1963. Coca-Cola opened its modern bottling plant, built by contractor T.A. Andre, on Railway Street in 1958, their Rideau Street building was sold for $23,000 to Donald and Thomas Lemmon for their plumbing supply business on the ground floor with apartments upstairs.

Although Warren Supply had operated in Kingston as far back as the 1930's, at 180 Sydenham Street, it seems they reorganized in 1964 around the time of relocation from 65 Brock Street - in May, 1965 its 4,000 square feet of office and warehouse space there was vacant.  

ca. 1967 - Parks Canada photo

Warren Supply (Lemmon family) operated the building from 1965 until at least 1977 (above -1979 Whig ad). The Lemmon family was prominent in the local plumbing and contracting scene since Thomas L. Lemmon (1894-1957, and a World War I veteran) went into business in 1940, later operating from Earl Street and 79 North Street. 

There was some renumbering of street numbers on Rideau over the years.  In 1999, Andy Soper and John Clark operated their sail-making business in the long, open buildings associated with the former school. King's Town School returned the building to its original use in 2004.

1977 Whig clipping