Since the history of our area goes back to and beyond 1776, it is interesting to note that the history of the Parrsboro Schools was very nearly the beginning of the history of the Canadian Schooling System. The fact that one of the first concerns of the earliest settlers at Partridge Island was that of constructing a school, is an important aspect of our heritage. The determination of the settlers of the district to give their children an education may be explained in part by the fact that the general complexion of the community was that of an aristocracy. These early settlers were wealthy merchants and retired service personnel, who had the benefits of the education of that day and were determined to pass it on to their children.
As the years passed and with them the gradual movement of people from the original settlement of Partridge Island to the present site at Parrsboro, so the interest in education was passed with them. Thus, about the year 1850, the first school was built by the Church of England on what is now known as Victoria Street. Later, this building was moved to Church Street and still exists as part of the present St. George's Hall. While it was located on Victoria Street the school was operated for girls only; and about the same time a school for boys was opened in the Old Town Hall Building on Spring Street, sometimes referred to as the Old Jail Building, and is presently the Parrsboro Plumbing and Heating Shop. After the Victoria Street Building was moved to Church Street, the two schools were combined in the Spring Street Town Hall Building. This would be between the years of 1880 and 1890. It may be interesting to point out that at this time only one teacher was required to teach all pupils and all subjects. Navigation was a popular subject and classes included many young men studying for life at sea.
Eventually the school grew beyond capacity and a new school was built on the site of the present buildings. This building was one and a half stories high with a pitched roof, and served for a number of years until the town?fs growing population again forced expansion, for a new building. So, during the year of 1895, the present Elementary School building was erected, and the old building sold and moved across to the land now occupied by the home of Capt. J. A. Urquhart. Incidentally, while waiting to take occupancy of the new building, it was necessary for many students to put in several months of the 1895-96 school term in a building which existed until recently as a warehouse, next to the present home of Mr. Rene O'Laney on Lower Main Street. Two years after this first building was constructed, a second was erected to the right of this and was used as the High School until the present Regional High School was opened in 1959. The construction of the Regional High School, however, did not complete the service of the old High School Building. This building, along with the original Elementary School, continue at the present time to function together as the Parrsboro Elementary School with classes from Primary to Grade Six and an enrollment of 362.
It is interesting to note that both the Old Town Hall building on Spring Street and the Victoria Street School (now part of St. George's Hall) are still in existence and serving a useful purpose, though both are now well over 100 years old. |
