The Seventeen Hundreds
If the age of the school is determined by the length of time it has been in operation, with a continuous flow of teachers and students, with the change of subjects taught by the trends of the times, Fredericton High School is the oldest English High School in Canada. When Fredericton was laid out in 1758 the newly created New Brunswick government set aside 6000 acres of land which surrounded the immediate town plot in a horseshoe, from riverbank to riverbank, to be used for an "Academy or College to be erected and supported at Fredericton the education of youth in the various branches of preceptors or teachers appointed thereto..." (From the Fredericton Town Book). The school was one of the first buildings erected. It was originally a boarding school and was patterned after the boys' public schools of England. (A public school in England is what we call private here. It is supported by individuals. Tuition fees are charged.)
The Eighteen Hundreds
In 1800, the school was incorporated under the name of "The College of New Brunswick". In 1882, the Rev. James Somerville, LL.D. was President of the College. On January 1, 1829, the college opened on the hill as King's College, while the school on Brunswick Street became the "Collegiate Grammar School", affiliated, supported by, and under the management of King's College. In 1864, the school consisted of two departments. In the Classical and Mathematical department were taught Latin, Greek, History, Biography, Algebra, and Geography. In the English and Commercial Department were taught English, Grammar, History, Geography, Trigonometry, Mensuration, Arithmetic, Bookkeeping, Reading and Writing. Six hours daily were spent in the school room, except on Wednesdays and Saturdays, which, after the English fashion, were half holidays. There were five weeks of vacation, from June 21st to July 28th, and three weeks at Christmas. The tuition was $24 a year in the Classical and Mathematical Department, and $16 for the English and Commercial Department. French was $4 a year. A board of visitors appointed by the University visited the school once a month. In 1871 the Free School Act came into force and the Collegiate Grammar School became the Collegiate High School. It was a preparatory school for U.N.B. and partly supported by the University. With the Free School Act, the first woman teacher, Miss L.J. Gregory was appointed as girls were now admitted. Girls had attended before, but only for French lessons. It is also interesting to note that in 1883 Bliss Carman was an assistant teacher at the school. Eighteen ninety-three saw a new school built on the site of old Baptist Seminary at the corner of York and George Streets and the name of the school was changed to Fredericton High School. The graduating class of that year chose black and yellow as their school colours.
The Nineteen Hundreds
In 1917, night school classes were instituted and three courses were offered. The cornerstone for the high school located on the corner of Regent and George Streets was laid November 7, 1924, and the new school was opened for classes in 1925 with an enrollment of 425 students In 1931 an annex of five classrooms and a garage was added to accommodate the increasing number of students. After World War II the high school continued to expand, continuing to offer academic, commercial and vocational courses. The graduation class of 1952 was the first from the new twelve year programme. A gymnasium was added in 1953-54 since overcrowding had necessitated the conversion of the former gymnasium and auditorium areas into classroom space. The last year in which grade nine students were included in the enrollment of Fredericton High School was 1956-57. In September 1961 an annex consisting of twelve classrooms and two staff rooms was opened. The phenomenal growth of the high school required the moving of the grade tens (academic and commercial) in September of 1964 to the former Teacher's College Building located on Queen Street. It became necessary in September 1976 to return the Business Education department (formerly the Commercial Department) to the former York Street School. Nineteen sixty-nine saw the opening of the Business Education Wing of the Fredericton High School Complex on Prospect Street, leaving the York Street School available for use by the trades preparatory students from the Industrial and Home Economics departments. The industrial wing of the new Prospect Street Complex was opened in September 1970. At that time the total enrollment of Fredericton High School was approximately 2000 for the three locations. All F.H.S. students moved to the Complex upon the completion of the Academic win gin December 1971. At the time the enrollment reached approximately 2400. In the late fall of 1972 the Complex was completed with the addition of facilities for the cafeteria, administrative offices, guidance suite, music and dramatic arts and gymnasiums. In 1985, F.H.S. celebrated its Bicentennial. It was more that a remembrance of the past - it is our statement of our faith in the future. In 1996, F.H.S. had a student enrollment of 2815 and a faculty of 154. In 1999, the new Northside high school, Leo Hayes High School, was opened. The FHS student body now numbers approximately 1800 with a faculty of 100 teachers.
F.H.S. welcomes you to its third century with the conviction that it rests on a firm foundation of proven excellence and with the assurance that this tradition is no less honored today.
Web-site by James Park
Last update: October.20/06
