Our History (1897-1966)

In 1897 when the new public school was built, a continuation school was added in one room upstairs and consisted of grades 9 and 10. All subjects were taught for those grades.

In 1920 attendance at the continuation school necessitated expansion and an addition was completed in 1922 at the back of the school for two rooms and entrances. This addition was built for $15,000.

A basement room was opened, 1929-1930, but proved unsatisfactory after three years and was abandoned. A two-room annex was erected at the south side of the school and land was bought to extend the playground area.

In 1936 a second fram annex was built south of the first and the staff increased.

The newly formed High School Board in 1941, enlarged the teaching staff to six and the High School students occupied two basement rooms in the main building. Relief came when the High School students and teachers moved in the new High School in January 1942.

The increasing population, and the desire for and stress on further education had brought about the formation of a High School District in 1940 with a High School Board headed by Howard Hoover as Chairman.

On July 25, 1941, the corner stone was laid for a new High School by the Hon. Eric Cross, M.P.P. Assisting were Reeve, Ross Williams; Principal Mr. N.A. Taylor and Mr. Howard Hoover, Chairman of the Board. Documentary records from various organizations were put a box near the corner stone.

The school consisted of five regular classrooms to accomodate 220 pupils, a typing room, science room, home economic room, industrial shop, principal’s office, lady teacher’s room and men teacher’s room.

168 pupils occupied the new school in January 1942. In 1947 Windham, Middleton and South Norwich Districts were added, and 1952 Port Rowan and North and South Walsingham. Now 12 teachers were engaged. In 1953, three rooms over the gymnasium were built to accomadate 310 pupils.

Ten rooms and a double gymnasium were built in 1957. The official opening of this wing took place in January 1958.

A request by the Delhi District High School Board to proceed with plans for an addition to the school was approved by the Department of Education in March 1961. The addition was to include the following facilities:  six classrooms, including a Library classroom, three commercial classrooms, including typing rooms and a business machine room, two science laboratories, seven shops, including drafting, auto, carpentry, electricity, machine, boy’s occupations and girl’s occupations, one cafeteria.

The following changes in the existing school were also approved:  one exsisting commercial room to become a classroom, one existing cafeteria to become a gymnasium, one existing library to become a classroom.  Total approved cost of this addition to be – $1,064,659.

This new wing comprising 18 rooms was officially opened on May 1, 1963. Much of the planning was done under the leadership of Mr. Gordon Allison, Principal. This School is known as Delhi District Secondary School.

In 1966 there were 54 teachers on the staff of Delhi District Secondary School with three secretaries.

The mural on the North side by Stephen Spender: "I Think Continually of Those Who Were Truly Great" from a poem by the same title. Artist John S. Hall, O.S.A. said this prompts periods of reflection on the importance of the human spirit.