The history of Virgil Public School traces back to 1829, when the school’s first teacher, Mr. Dorland, established a day school at the Crossroads, marking the humble beginnings of education in the region. By 1839, land was acquired from Mr. Lawrence’s farm, and the school, initially located a short distance from the 1872 one-room schoolhouse, was designated School Section No. 8. During this period, Niagara Township was subdivided into ten school sections, each independently managed. Families contributed twenty-five cents per month to compensate the teacher and fund the school. In 1970, the municipality began collecting taxes, shifting the responsibility of funding the school to a board of trustees.
In 1872, recognizing the need for a more permanent structure, the current stone one-room building was constructed at 1665 Four Mile Creek Road. Despite subsequent modifications, the original classroom remained in use until the school’s closure in 2011. As the community expanded, so did Virgil Public School. In 1922, a second room was added, leading to the acquisition of additional land. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, the building underwent several expansions, including the addition of classrooms, washrooms, modern plumbing, and a kitchen
1936: An additional classroom and a washroom were built.
1937: Another additional classroom was added.
1938: Modern plumbing, including the installation of flush toilets, was implemented.
1939: The school saw further expansion with the addition of an extra classroom, a teacher’s room, and a kitchen.
In 1943 and 1944, construction included adding another classroom and expanding classroom space into the basement. In 1947, a six-classroom addition provided extra classroom space and accommodated home economics, industrial arts, and the lower-level auditorium (which later became the school’s library in the 1980s). Subsequently, in 1967, the school saw the addition of its kindergarten space, and in 1983, it underwent its final expansion. During this last phase, a partnership between the Lincoln County Board of Education, the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, and donations from the Virgil Businessmen’s Association led to the construction of a new double gymnasium, lobby, and kitchen.
In 2011, both Virgil Public School and Colonel John Butler Public School closed, and the District School Board of Niagara declared both properties surplus. The students now attend Crossroads Public School. Crossroads Public School, located at the intersection of Highway 55 and Line 2 in Virgil, accommodates students from the former schools and provides a state-of-the-art facility with bright classrooms, a double gymnasium, and a Learning Commons (Library & Tech Lab).
The building once known as Virgil Public School is now privately owned. The gymnasium space is rented out as are several of the former classrooms.
