Collegiate School history

In 1870 Miss Buss decided to transform her flourishing private venture into a public grammar school for girls by transferring it to a trust which would carry on the work when she was no longer able to do so.

In 1871, Miss Buss also founded Camden School for Girls for families with more modest incomes.

The new school was opened in 1879 by the Prince and Princess of Wales.

1883 Collegiate School celebrates its 250th Anniversary at the Marble Collegiate Church.

He writes the first history of the school and is principal until 1887.

1889 The School moves to 242 West 74th Street, which has the first school gym.

Kilburn, in North West London, is where the Community of the Sisters of the Church was founded by Mother Emily and it was from there that the pioneer Sisters, including Collegiate’s founding Sisters Hannah and Phyllis, left for Australia in 1892.

The name ‘The Collegiate School’ was adopted on 30 July 1893.

Nine headmistresses were present; Miss Buss was elected as President of the Association and held the office until her death in 1894.

Officially opened on 27 July 1895, students included six boarders, with boys classrooms behind the hall and separate recess time allocated. ‘Collegiate School’ was painted on the stone outside Stephenville.

She became a pupil teacher and in 1896 brought honour to the school as the first student to succeed in public examinations, obtaining credits in English, History, Geography and drawing.

The Collegiate Girls’ Club was formed in March 1897 to forge a link between past & present pupils.

The Collegiate School Magazine began in March 1906.

1908 The Alumni Association is formed.

1912 The first Head Boy award is presented by the Alumni Association.

Louisville Collegiate School opened its doors on September 2, 1915 in a house on West Ormsby Avenue in Old Louisville, becoming the first school in Kentucky committed specifically to prepare young women for college.

The Collegiate community celebrated its first graduation in 1916, the same year that the school’s official crest was first printed.

In 1917 Lady Barron gave a board, carved by Nora Payne, on which the winners’ names were, and still are, annually inscribed.

Originally appointed by Dr Sophie Bryant as a Science Mistress at NLCS, Miss Drummond subsequently became Headmistress of Camden School and in 1918 succeeded Mrs Bryant as Headmistress of NLCS.

Built as the Novitiate, in memory of Mother Emily Ayckbowm, the Sisters’ House was opened in June 1920.

Previous sports were Boarders vs Daygirls (where the sturdy boarders took pride in winning the tug of war!) The 1926 results were Monty – 178 points, School – 98, Dundas – 50.

Needing more land to accommodate growing enrollment, Collegiate moved in 1927 to its current home on Glenmary Avenue in the historic Cherokee Triangle, just east of downtown Louisville.

17) In 1929, with the assistance of the Middlesex County Council, the school acquired 'Canons', (fn.

On September 19 1931, after a chapel service and a procession led by cross, banner and choir, the foundation stone of the new building was laid by Bishop Hay.

On 28 May 1932 the Bishop officially opened the new wing that had been designed by Sister Jean.

Only intramural sports were offered at the school, with an occasional contest against local schools, until 1933 when, in an act of defiance, a group of spirited Collegiate girls formed an independent interscholastic team to compete in the wider community.

1935 A coeducational kindergarten (then called “pre-primary”) is started.

Eventually it was decided to move the whole school to Canons, and the foundation-stone of a new building extending behind the house was laid in May 1939.

19) After a period of evacuation at Luton it was possible in June 1940 to open a united school within the bare walls of the new building. (fn.

In 1941 the Sandall Road building was severely damaged in an air-raid. (fn.

The Old Girls gave the font in 1943 to mark 25 years of the Sisters’ work.

1944 Collegiate’s coeducational Nursery School begins.

NLCS became a Direct Grant grammar school in 1945, and shortly afterwards was one of the first schools in the post-war era to establish an exchange with a German school.

In 1946, the numbers had grown to over 60 so Hutchins opened its own Prep and the Collegiate Sisters took over the School.

What is now Fewtrell Lodge was built in 1949 as a new staff room in honour of Sister Phyllis.

The centenary was celebrated in 1950 and the Drawing School and an outdoor swimming pool were among the new buildings opened under Dr Anderson’s guidance.

1954 The School, after exploring plans to move to Riverdale or the Upper East Side, purchases a brownstone on West 78th Street in order to solve space problems.

Head Prefect Charlotte Bethune is pictured ready to lead the girls’ procession to the opening of the new Hall, (now named Linmor Hall), 1959.

In 1961 the library was moved from Tremayne to the hall.

Yatalunga in Angelsea Street was purchased in 1962.

Collegiate now had its own sports grounds. It was closely followed in 1963 by the purchase of surrounding property.

By 1964 there were 860 girls in the school, of whom 228 were in the Sixth forms and 109 in the preparatory department.

She left Collegiate in 1965 with the advice that girls should become bricks, “forming a strong wall within the School, standing for what is right and honourable.”

Cananore was purchased in 1966 and converted into a music block.

1968 The new building, later named Platten Hall, is dedicated.

1969 Jamaa, Collegiate’s affinity group for students of color, is founded.

One of the final contributions of the Sisters was the completion of a new library and matriculation centre built on the site of the old Junior School on 27 May 1972.

On August 20 1973, in the Matric Common room, Collegiate’s newly formed Board of Management met for the first time.

Jerusalem was acquired in 1975 and converted for staff use.

As well as guiding the school in 1976 to become an independent school with charitable status, she fostered personal relationships and encouraged the development of music and drama.

1977 The West End Plaza Hotel on the corner of West End Avenue and 78th Street is purchased by the School.

And, when male student-athletes began representing the school in interscholastic competitions during the 1980’s, Collegiate again turned to its classical roots, adopting the Titan name for its male athletic teams.

In July 1983 what had been the Sisters’ Community House opened as the Primary School.

In 1984 Speech and Drama studios were built in an area under the Emily building, new Chemistry labs were constructed under Chambers and an activities room was developed on the ground floor of Gladwyn.

In 1985 Gibson Hall was opened for Kindergarten and Transition.

In 1986 Broughton was purchased and converted to English classrooms.

In 1987 the Coach House behind Broughton was purchased and converted for pottery.

It became Founder’s Hall and initially provided classrooms for Years 4, 5 and 6. It was officially opened on 29 September 1989.

1990 Platten Hall is expanded to 11 stories.

1997 The Infill building is built, enlarging the campus and linking Platten Hall and West End Plaza.

Collegiate’s Performing Arts Centre (PAC) was opened on March 21 1998 by Alison Whyte, Old Girl and actress, and Bishop Philip.

1999 saw the removal of gloves and winter hats from the uniform.

As part of the school’s master plan, Collegiate launched the 2001 Leap Without Bounds campaign in order to further expand its Upper School program.

In 2006, the school established Kentucky’s only Chinese language program for grades 6-12 on a single campus by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the schools of Jiujiang, China to establish annual student exchanges.

She had a passion for art and literature, and was responsible for building the Performing Arts Centre in 2007, which now hosts over 50 productions and concerts each year, and enables every girl to participate in performances.

July 2008 marked the completion of Founder’s Hall for the Middle School.

On Founder’s Day 2009, the PAC was renamed the McNeill Performing Arts Centre in honour of Principal Mr DW McNeill.

Extensive building works resulted in The Emily Centre being opened in 2010.

On February 5, 2013, the Collegiate School board announced relocation plans for the institution.

Mrs Judith Tudball commenced as Principal in January 2015.

In 2016, Collegiate staff visited Sister Dorothea at Ham Common in England.

In August 2017, Collegiate dedicated its Second Century Campus, with expanded facilities to meet the evolving needs of our faculty and students.

On January 12, 2018, Collegiate officially opened its new location at 301 Freedom Place South.