List of the oldest public high schools in the United States explained

The following are the oldest public high schools in the United States that are still in operation. While some of these schools have operated as private schools in the past, all are currently public schools. The list does not include schools that have closed or consolidated with another school to form a new institution. The list is ordered by date of creation, and currently includes schools formed before 1870.

  1. Boston Latin School (1635), Boston, Massachusetts[1] [2]
  2. Hartford Public High School (1638), Hartford, Connecticut[3]
  3. Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (1648), Cambridge, Massachusetts[4]
  4. Hopkins Academy (1664), Hadley, Massachusetts[5]
  5. Academy of Richmond County (1773), Augusta, Georgia[6]
  6. Glynn Academy (1788), Brunswick, Georgia[7]
  7. Canandaigua Academy (1791), Canandaigua, New York[8]
  8. Westford Academy (1792), Westford, Massachusetts[9]
  9. Oxford Academy and Central Schools (1794), Oxford, New York[10]
  10. Newburgh Free Academy (1796), Newburgh, New York[11]
  11. Woodstock Academy (1801), Woodstock, Connecticut[12] ("a quasi-private, independent school"[13])
  12. Monmouth Academy (1803), Monmouth, Maine
  13. Bacon Academy (1803), Colchester, Connecticut[14]
  14. Hampden Academy (1803), Hampden, Maine[15]
  15. Pinkerton Academy (1814), Derry, New Hampshire (not strictly public, yet not private)
  16. Columbia High School (1814), Maplewood, New Jersey[16]
  17. Cony High School (1815), Augusta, Maine[17]
  18. Bel Air High School (1816), Bel Air, Maryland[18]
  19. Pembroke Academy (1818), Pembroke, New Hampshire[19]
  20. Delaware Academy (1819), Delhi, New York[20]
  21. English High School of Boston (1821), Boston, Massachusetts[2]
  22. Portland High School (1821), Portland, Maine[21]
  23. Kentucky School for the Deaf (1823), Danville, Kentucky[22]
  24. Prattsburgh Central School (1823), Prattsburgh, New York[23]
  25. New Bedford High School (1827), New Bedford, Massachusetts[24]
  26. Norcross High School (1827), Norcross, Georgia
  27. Keene High School (1828), Keene, New Hampshire[25]
  28. Elyria High School (1830), Elyria, Ohio[26]
  29. Lahainaluna High School (1831), Maui, Hawaii[27]
  30. Leon High School (1831), Tallahassee, Florida[28]
  31. Lowell High School (1831), Lowell, Massachusetts[29]
  32. Newburyport High School (1831), Newburyport, Massachusetts[30]
  33. Woodward High School (1831), Cincinnati, Ohio[31]
  34. Cambridge High School (1834), Cambridge, Illinois[32]
  35. Medford High School (1835), Medford, Massachusetts[29]
  36. Bellevue High School (1836), Bellevue, Michigan[33]
  37. Central High School (1836), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania[34]
  38. Auburn High School (1837), Auburn, Alabama[35]
  39. Windsor High School (1837), Windsor, New York[36]
  40. Barringer High School (1838), Newark, New Jersey[37]
  41. Cohasset High School (1838), Cohasset, Massachusetts[2]
  42. Nantucket High School (1838), Nantucket, Massachusetts[38]
  43. Taunton High School (1838), Taunton, Massachusetts[39]
  44. Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind (1838), Staunton, Virginia[40]
  45. Baltimore City College (1839), Baltimore, Maryland[41]
  46. Gloucester High School (1839), Gloucester, Massachusetts
  47. Middletown High School (1840), Middletown, Connecticut[42]
  48. Brighton High School (1841), Boston, Massachusetts[43]
  49. Haverhill High School (1841), Haverhill, Massachusetts[44]
  50. Warren Easton Charter High School, formerly known as Boys High School (1843), New Orleans, Louisiana
  51. Brookline High School (1843), Brookline, Massachusetts[2]
  52. Classical High School (1843), Providence, Rhode Island[45]
  53. Drury High School (1843), North Adams, Massachusetts[46]
  54. Tennessee School for the Deaf (1844), Knoxville, Tennessee[47]
  55. Western High School (1844), Baltimore, Maryland[48]
  56. Charlestown High School (1845), Boston, Massachusetts
  57. Lyons High School (1845), Lyons, New York[49]
  58. Mary D. Bradford High School (1845), Kenosha, Wisconsin[50]
  59. New Braunfels High School (1845), New Braunfels, Texas[51]
  60. Windsor High School (1845), Windsor, Vermont[52]
  61. Chelsea High School (1846), Chelsea, Massachusetts[2]
  62. Concord High School (1846), Concord, New Hampshire[53]
  63. Georgia School for the Deaf (1846), Cave Spring, Georgia[54]
  64. Manchester Central High School (1846), Manchester, New Hampshire[55]
  65. Pine Tree High School (1847), Longview, Texas[56]
  66. Biddeford High School (1848), Biddeford, Maine[57]
  67. Lockport High School (1848), Lockport, New York
  68. Philadelphia High School for Girls (1848), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania[58]
  69. B.M.C. Durfee High School (1849), Fall River, Massachusetts
  70. Charlotte High School (1849), Charlotte, Michigan[59]
  71. Fitchburg High School (1849), Fitchburg, Massachusetts
  72. Lawrence High School (1849), Lawrence, Massachusetts
  73. Rockport High School (1849), Rockport, Massachusetts
  74. Waltham High School (1849), Waltham, Massachusetts
  75. Ypsilanti High School (1849), Ypsilanti, Michigan[60]
  76. Somerville High School (1852), Somerville, Massachusetts[61]
  77. Central High School (Commonly called Central VPA High School) (1853), St. Louis, Missouri
  78. Pottsville Area High School (1853), Pottsville, Pennsylvania
  79. Holmes Junior/Senior High School (1853),Covington, Kentucky[62]
  80. New Albany High School (1853), New Albany, Indiana[63]
  81. Arundel High School (1854), Gambrills, Maryland[64]
  82. Norwich Free Academy (1854), Norwich, Connecticut[65] (a "quasi-private school,"[66] "privately governed, independent secondary school"[67])
  83. Weymouth High School (1854) [68]
  84. Andover High School (1856), Andover, Massachusetts[69]
  85. Louisville Male High School (1856), Louisville, Kentucky[70]
  86. Lowell High School (1856), San Francisco, California[71]
  87. Pioneer High School (1856), Ann Arbor, Michigan[72]
  88. Peoria High School (1856), Peoria, Illinois[73]
  89. Texas School for the Deaf (1856), Austin, Texas[74]
  90. University High School (1857), Normal, Illinois
  91. Braintree High School (1858), Braintree, Massachusetts
  92. Ravenna High School (1858), Ravenna, Ohio[75]
  93. Hillhouse High School (1859), New Haven, Connecticut[76]
  94. San Jose High School (1863), San Jose, California[77] [78]
  95. Shortridge High School (1864), Indianapolis, Indiana[79]
  96. Loyola High School (1865), Los Angeles, California
  97. Saint Paul Central High School (1866), Saint Paul, Minnesota
  98. Hastings Senior High School (1866), Hastings, Minnesota
  99. Wilson High School (1866), Florence, South Carolina
  100. Parkersburg High School (1867), Parkersburg, West Virginia
  101. Round Rock High School (1867), Round Rock, Texas
  102. Greely High School (1868), Cumberland, ME[80]
  103. Theodore Roosevelt High School (1868), Kent, Ohio[81]
  104. Morristown High School (1869), Morristown, New Jersey[82]
  105. Lincoln High School (1869), Portland, Oregon
  106. Hunter College High School (1869), New York City, New York
  107. Elgin High School (1869); Elgin, Illinois
  108. Oakland High School, (1869), Oakland, California
  109. Little Rock Central Highschool (1869), Little Rock, Arkansas

See also

Notes and References

  1. Encyclopedia: Boston Latin School. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
  2. Annual reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. Report of the Commissioner of Education. Volume 2., Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 1761.
  3. R.J. Luke Williams, Hartford Public High School: A Historic School , Retrieved February 14, 2008.
  4. The Harvard Crimson, "Fifteen Minutes: Trouble in the House", Retrieved December 12, 2008.
  5. Hopkins Academy Alumni Association, "http://www.hopkinsalumni.org/history.htm", Retrieved January 9, 2010.
  6. 'https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/augusta/academyrc.html', Retrieved December 11, 2023.
  7. 'Glynn Academy > Campus History, Retrieved June 25, 2008.
  8. "Canandaigua Academy, "http://www.canandaiguaschools.org/academy.cfm?subpage=22 ", Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  9. News: History of Westford Academy . Simmons . Carrie . 2007-09-07 . Westford Eagle . 2008-08-22 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110520013124/http://www.wickedlocal.com/westford/archive/x2136193253 . 2011-05-20 .
  10. Fred Lanfear, Oxford, Charleston, S.C., Arcadia Publishing, 2011, p. 71.
  11. Annual reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. Report of the Commissioner of Education. Volume 2., Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 1810.
  12. Web site: History of WA / History of WA. woodstockacademy.org. 2016-04-25.
  13. Web site: Is Private School Right for You?. Solutions. Hartford Courant Content. courant.com. 19 July 2015 . 2016-04-25.
  14. Annual reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. Report of the Commissioner of Education. Volume 2., Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 1705.
  15. http://www.ha.sad22.us, History of Hampden Academy, Retrieved February 14, 2008.
  16. J. Fanning, Columbia High School History Overview, Retrieved February 14, 2008.
  17. Web site: New Page 2 . kennebechistorical.org. 2016-05-20.
  18. Web site: Bel Air High School celebrating 200 years of history through the end of 2016 . 7 October 2016 .
  19. Web site: Photos: Pembroke Academy celebrates 200 years. Concord Monitor. April 14, 2018. September 5, 2022.
  20. Delhi Central School District, History of Delaware Academy, Retrieved February 14, 2008.
  21. Portland High School, School History: The Heritage of Portland High School , Retrieved February 13, 2008.
  22. National Park Service, Jacobs Hall, Kentucky School for the Deaf, Retrieved February 14, 2008.
  23. Annual reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. Report of the Commissioner of Education. Volume 2., Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 1812.
  24. Annual reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. Report of the Commissioner of Education. Volume 2., Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 1764.
  25. Simon Goodell Griffin;, et al., A history of the town of Keene from 1732, when the township was granted by Massachusetts, to 1874, when it became a city., Keene, N.H., Sentinel Print. Co., 1904, p. 404.
  26. Web site: Elyria High School / Homepage . Elyriaschools.org . 2016-03-20.
  27. Hawaii Department of Education, Web site: School information . 2008-12-13 . dead . https://archive.today/20120726145013/http://165.248.6.166/data/school.asp?schoolcode=414 . 2012-07-26 . , Retrieved December 12, 2008.
  28. Leon High School Alumni Association, Leon High School History, Retrieved February 14, 2008.
  29. Annual reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. Report of the Commissioner of Education. Volume 2., Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 1763.
  30. Newburyport High School, The Clipper's Compass: A Student Handbook, 65th ed.
  31. http://www.cpsboe.k12.oh.us/general/History/History.html The Early History of Cincinnati Public Schools
  32. Annual reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. Report of the Commissioner of Education. Volume 2., Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 1714.
  33. Annual reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. Report of the Commissioner of Education. Volume 2., Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 1767.
  34. Amy B. Werbel, "For "Our Age and Country:" Nineteenth-Century Art Education at Central High School ", Central High School Alumni Exhibition, Philadelphia, Pa.: Woodmere Art Museum, 2002, pp. 6-12.
  35. Mollie Hollifield, Auburn: Lovliest Village of the Plain (S.l.: s.n., 1955), 72; "Auburn Town Lots for Sale", Columbus Enquirer, December 22, 1836; "To the Public.", Columbus Enquirer, February 22, 1838.
  36. Annual reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. Report of the Commissioner of Education. Volume 2., Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 1815.
  37. Barringer High School, Home of the Blue Bears: Barringer High School History , Retrieved February 13, 2008.
  38. Inglis, Alexander James (1911). The Rise of the High School in Massachusetts, Columbia University, p. 97. PPA97,M1
  39. Annual reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. Report of the Commissioner of Education. Volume 2., Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 1765.
  40. Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind, Retrieved February 14, 2008.
  41. Annual reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. Report of the Commissioner of Education. Volume 2., Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 1758.
  42. Web site: History of Middletown, Connecticut (CT) History Middlesex County (CT) Historical Society. www.middlesexhistory.org. 2016-04-25.
  43. Annual reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. Report of the Commissioner of Education. Volume 2., Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 1760.
  44. Annual reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. Report of the Commissioner of Education. Volume 2., Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 1762.
  45. Annual reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. Report of the Commissioner of Education. Volume 2., Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 1851.
  46. http://www.rootsweb.com/~maberksh/towns/nadams/1898drury.htm 1898 Drury High School
  47. http://knoxcotn.org/old_site/schools/tsd/schoolhistory_chapt1.htm A History of the School
  48. Annual reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. Report of the Commissioner of Education. Volume 2., Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 1759.
  49. Annual reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. Report of the Commissioner of Education. Volume 2., Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 1809.
  50. http://bradford.kusd.edu/about/documents/The_First_Free_High_School.pdf A History of Kenosha Central Senior High School
  51. Dabney, Edgar Robert, The Settlement of New Braunfels and the History of Its Earlier Schools, University of Texas, 1927.
  52. Annual reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. Report of the Commissioner of Education. Volume 2., Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 1868.
  53. https://archive.today/20120630212417/http://home.comcast.net/~roycefamily5/chs/alumnihistory1842-1861.html Concord High School Alumni History 1842-1861
  54. http://www.epeachynews.org/gadeafhistory.htm Georgia Deaf History
  55. http://www.manchesternh.gov/website/Departments/PublicSchools/Administration/Schools/High/Central/OurSchool/PrincipalsPage/tabid/2563/Default.aspx Principal's Message
  56. Web site: Pine Tree Independent School District . www.ptisd.org . October 11, 2014.
  57. Annual reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. Report of the Commissioner of Education. Volume 2., Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 1755.
  58. http://www.phillyhistory.org/blog/index.php/2011/02/public-education-in-philadelphia-philadelphia-high-school-for-girls/ Public Education in Philadelphia: Philadelphia High School for Girls
  59. Annual reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. Report of the Commissioner of Education. Volume 2., Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 1768.
  60. Annual reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1902. Report of the Commissioner of Education. Volume 2., Washington, D.C., U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 1775.
  61. Web site: History of Somerville High School | Somerville Public Schools .
  62. Web site: 1853/#:~:text=Covington%20High%20School%20was%20established,students%20in%20this%20inaugural%20year..
  63. Web site: History. New Albany High School. 13 May 2014.
  64. Web site: Some History . Arundelclassof1963.com . 2016-03-20.
  65. Web site: Norwich Free Academy: History. nfaschool.org. 2016-04-25.
  66. Web site: Windham severs ties with NFA. Bulletin. Francesca Kefalas For The. The Bulletin. 2016-04-25.
  67. News: THE VIEW/From Norwich; Class Act: Calling On Alumni to Back a Cause. Braccidiferro. Gail. 2003-09-07. The New York Times. 0362-4331. 2016-04-25.
  68. Book: History of Weymouth, Massachusetts Volume 2 . 1923 . 651 . Wright & Potter printing Company . 9780598431110 . 15 May 2022.
  69. http://andoverma.gov/about/history.php/ History of Andover
  70. Book: Kleber . John E. . The Encyclopedia of Louisville . University Press of Kentucky . 2001 . 585 . 978-0813128900 . 2019-06-12 .
  71. Book: Lucey, Paul. Lowell High School, San Francisco: A history of the oldest public high school in California. 1989. Lowell Alumni Association.
  72. Web site: Ann Arbor Pioneer High School: History . 2015-07-03 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235352/http://pioneer2.aaps.k12.mi.us/admin/history.html . 2016-03-03 ., retrieved August 11, 2012.
  73. Web site: Peoria High School: A History . www.wtvp.org . September 7, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120716194354/http://www.wtvp.org/phs/index.asp . 2012-07-16 . dead.
  74. http://www.tsd.state.tx.us
  75. Book: History of Ravenna High School . The Transcript . Sapp, Alva . Ravenna High School Class of 1929 . 1929 . 91.
  76. Web site: Hillhouse High School Sesquicentennial All-Class Reunion Banquet . New Haven Independent. 21 April 2009 . en-US. 2016-04-25.
  77. Web site: About San Jose High School. San Jose High School. San José Unified School District. 21 January 2015.
  78. News: Pizarro. Sal. San Jose High continues 150th anniversary celebration with parade this month. 21 January 2015. San Jose Mercury News. September 5, 2013.
  79. Web site: Shortridge High School. www.digitalindy.org. 2017-08-26.
  80. Web site: Greely High School (Formerly Greely Institute) | Cumberland ME.
  81. Book: Grismer, Karl H. . History of Kent . 1932 . 2001 . Record Publishing (1932), Kent Historical Society (2001) . Kent, Ohio, USA . 37–40, 192.
  82. Web site: Morristown High School Profile 2013-2014 . www.morristownhighschool.org . June 14, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140727044436/http://www.morristownhighschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/MHS-Profile-2013-14-Final.pdf . 2014-07-27 . dead.