In the shadow of the Suncor Energy Centre and The Bow, two of Calgary's most iconic building complexes, lies a bittersweet reminder of the city's past. Calgary has always looked ahead to the future, but the incessant push for progress has steamrolled over countless historically and architecturally significant buildings. The preserved Baroque cupola that proudly anchors the northwest corner of Centre Street and Fifth Avenue is all that remains of the James Short School, which was demolished in July 1969.

A postcard image dated 1916 shows the Central Public School, image via University of Alberta Libraries

The centre of this city block was once home to the 1887-built Central Public School, a quaint four-room brick structure. By 1905, the school's increased enrolment made it clear that a larger facility was required. The architectural plans for the new ten-room building were sent from Winnipeg and adapted by Calgary architect William Dodd, who also designed City Hall. With the old structure demolished in 1914, the $75,000 three-storey sandstone replacement became the new face of the school. Central Public School was renamed in honour of former principal, lawyer, Crown prosecutor, and school board trustee James Short in 1938. Three decades later, the school bell fell silent. An unremarkable Greyhound bus terminal succeeded the facility, but thankfully, the domed cupola was salvaged and safely stored until 1973, when it was moved to Prince's Island Park.

The cupola is salvaged shortly after demolition, image via Calgary Public Library

In 1991, James Short Park and parkade opened at the site of the former school, equipping the core with warranted green space. The refurbished cupola then returned to its rightful location, this time bearing an old clock salvaged from the Burns Building that had stood at the southwest corner of Centre Street and 8th Avenue. The painstaking restoration involved 1,000 hours of volunteer labour by The Calgary, Alberta Clock and Watch Club. While certainly not an ideal outcome for heritage preservationists, the cupola continues to serve as a marker in an ever-densifying section of the city.

The preserved cupola at James Short Park, image by Flickr user rdrunner via Creative Commons

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