St. Patrick's High School (St. Pat's) was a non-denominational school centrally located on Quinpool Road in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Historically a Roman Catholic public school, St. Pat's opened in 1954 less than one block from its rival non-denominational public school, Queen Elizabeth High (QEH). St. Patrick's closed in 2007, merging with QEH to form Citadel High School. The school building was demolished in 2015.
History
Origins
The Roman Catholics of St. Patrick's Parish petitioned the government in 1846 for aid in educating their children, since most parents could not afford to pay school fees. However, free education did not come to Nova Scotia until the 1865 passage of the Nova Scotia Education Act. Classes for Catholics were subsequently established in the basement of St. Patrick's Church.
Conditions in the basement were poor and a dedicated Saint Patrick's School opened on Lockman Street (now part of Barrington Street) in 1872. It contained ten classrooms supporting about 786 pupils. The high school was opened in the same overcrowded building in 1884, in response to an amendment of the Education Act that provided for high school education. The high school was moved to the Worrall Building, at the corner of Barrington Street and Proctor's Lane, in 1886.
The Saint Patrick's Girls' School opened in 1888 nearby on Brunswick Street to help relieve overcrowding. It was a two-storey brick building with eleven classrooms, and had the highest enrolment in the province, at 1,033 students. The Lockman Street school suffered a serious fire in 1898. The girls' school was dangerously overcrowded, and a new Saint Patrick's Girls' High School opened on Brunswick Street in 1907.
The Saint Patrick's Boys' School on Lockman Street was condemned by the fire marshall in 1916. Land was obtained to build a new school, but construction was delayed by the outbreak of World War I. The Halifax Explosion of December 1917 heavily damaged all three Saint Patrick's Schools. The buildings were subsequently repaired at a cost of $44,641. A new fireproof Boys' School opened in 1921 on Brunswick Street, and the original Saint Patrick's School was turned into a spice factory. Enrolment rose steadily during the early 20th century and various building extensions and annex buildings were used to accommodate the student population.
Founding and operating years
In 1944, the "Post War Planning Committee" of the school board placed a high priority on building a Roman Catholic high school in the city. The board moved to obtain the property of the old Saint Mary's College at Quinpool Road and Windsor Street, after Saint Mary's moved to Robie Street. The high school students moved to the former Saint Mary's buildings while the new high school building was constructed on the former football field next door. Graduation ceremonies were temporarily held in the auditorium of nearby Queen Elizabeth High School.
The new Saint Patrick's High School opened in September 1954 and a foundation stone was unveiled by Premier Harold Connolly. At the time of opening, it was hailed in the Halifax Mail-Star as a "model high school" and in a national magazine as one of "the most modern and best-equipped schools" in the country, and was the largest school in the country. The boys' and girls' high schools moved from their outdated premises, on Windsor Street and Brunswick Street respectively, into the modern new school. The library collection remained temporarily in the old Saint Mary's College building, and the new library did not open until 1955.
The school building was designed by Downie, Baker and Ahern Architects-Engineers in a modernist style. The school auditorium had a full stage and seating for 1,060. The school was a strict Catholic institution in the early years, with boys and girls segregated and directed by separate principals. On 29 February 1968 the city purchased the former Saint Mary's College building, which was being rented out by the Maritime Conservatory of Music, for expansion of Saint Patrick's. The Saint Mary's building was demolished and Saint Patrick's was expanded to the rear with an addition that opened in 1969.