St. Charles College, Pietermaritzburg 4.31

St Charles College, founded in 1875, is a Christian, independent boys college situated in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, catering for day boys from Grade 000 to Matric, with boarders from Grade 4 upwards.HistorySt Charles Grammar School for Boys was established on 26 July 1875 by Bishop Charles Jolivet of the Order of Mary Immaculate (OMI), in Loop Street, Pietermaritzburg. The School was later sold to the Marist Brothers in 1912 who renamed it St Charles College. Growth was so substantial that 14 years later it was necessary to move the College out of its cramped buildings in the city to the suburb of Scottsville, also in Pietermaritzburg. Undergoing rapid expansion, particularly in the 1950s, the future of St Charles was seemingly assured until, with declining interest in vocations in the Catholic Church, the College almost closed its doors in 1978. It was saved by the eleventh-hour intervention of a small group of Old Boys who worked to re-establish the College, resulting in a non-denominational school with a secular Headmaster.Significant dates 1875 – 26 July – St Charles Grammar School for Boys founded by Bishop Charles Constant Jolivet, Catholic Bishop of Natal, at Allard House, Loop Street 1877 – SCGS moves across Loop Street to Bishop Jolivet's Episcopal Palace 1883 – SCGS moves to St Mary's Parish Hall, Longmarket Street 1901 – SCGS moves next door to St Charles School buildings, Longmarket Street 1913 – St Charles School bought by the Marist Brothers – buildings re-vamped and enlarged for the whole of 1913 – no teaching takes place 1914 – January – St Charles School, renamed St Charles College, re-opens for classes 1925 – January – St Charles College moves to new buildings in Harwin Road, Scottsville. Old school buildings become the Ansonia Hotel 1973 – 18 September – Board of Governors formed to assist Marist Brothers in the management of the School 1979 – 1 January – first non-Brother Headmaster, Mr Wynne Bowden. St Charles now non-denominational, Christian school. From Class 1 to Matric, 136 boys form St Charles College 1991 – O'Meara House disbanded 2012 – 800 boys in the school, of which 190 are boarders. 2012 – O'Meara House reinstated