The large two-storey brick building was built in 1859 The construction of the school was a result of
The Great Swap, the first and largest surrender of a portion of the military reserve around
Fort Mississauga since its boundaries were created in 1796. It has also been described as being on the military grounds, and historic photos show cadets or other soldiers lined up outside. The school house served elementary grades and had four classrooms, two on each floor. In 1882, the school began serving both
Roman Catholic and
Protestant students. The school was used until 1948, after which it was converted into a four unit apartment building. In 2002 a long renovation began, and in 2005 it was converted into a
bed and breakfast named the
Allison House Inn, renamed
BranCliff Inn in 2012, and
School House Bed and Breakfast in 2020. The National Historic Site designation of the historic district, in 2003, includes buildings built from 1815 to 1859 in a 25 block area having "location close to the
Niagara River on Front Street and extending approximately four blocks north to Castlereagh Street". The school is on the southeast corner of a block that is wholly included in the district; adjacent blocks across Platoff and Davy Streets from the school are not included in the district. ==References==