History

HISTORY

DISCOVER CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS HIGH SCHOOL

AN ACADEMIC, SPIRITUAL AND HISTORICAL TREASURE

By Dr. Maria A. Cardullo

Columbus was the first Central Catholic High School in the Archdiocese of Boston. Located on the Freedom Trail, overlooking the Old North Church and on an historical site occupied by one of the first public schools in the United States, Christopher Columbus Central Catholic High School is a wonderful place to educate young people from all parts of metropolitan Boston in the true meaning of responsibility and concern for others based on the courageous, loving and peaceful ideals of our patron, St. Francis. Columbus is a coeducational, college preparatory high school that stresses academic quality, spiritual values and the development of the whole person.

Building was One of First Public Schools Built in the United States

No other high school in this city, or in fact in this nation, has a tradition as special as ours because, while we opened our doors as a central Catholic High School on October 12, 1945, the history of our Columbus building links us to one of the first public schools built in the United States.

One of the first public schools in the United States was the original Eliot School, which was built in 1713 and stood on land that is now the Columbus parking lot. Columbus was built in 1903 and was connected by a large closed-in bridge to the Eliot School. The principal’s office was located in the bridge and he oversaw both the Eliot School and the Columbus School. All third grade students attended Columbus. Grades 4,5,6,7 and 8 had classes in both schools and a typical student of the times attended some grades at the Eliot School and some grades at Columbus. All students graduating from the eighth grade of both schools received an Eliot School diploma. The Eliot School was torn down sometime after 1918, leaving only Columbus on this historical site.

Columbus was a public grammar school for the city of Boston from 1903 to 1943. In 1943 it was closed and was used to house American Army troops and Italian and German prisoners of war from World War II. With the end of the War in August of 1945, Columbus was sold to the Archdiocese of Boston for one dollar and it took on another role as a Catholic high school.

Columbus Opened October 12, 1945

On October 12, 1945, Christopher Columbus Central Catholic High School was opened as a coed building, with boys in the West wing and girls in the East wing. The opening of this first Central Catholic High School in the Archdiocese marked a turning point in Catholic education away from the local parish school and toward the education of students from various parts of the city in a central location. While the building was coed, the classes were not. Swinging doors were in the middle of each floor and students were not allowed to go into the opposite wing. The only exception was the biology lab, which was on the girls’ side of the building and was shared by both girls and boys at alternate times. However, the boys entered the biology lab through the chemistry lab onto their side of the building but were never allowed to go through the swinging doors. The boys’ high school was under the direction of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate Conception Province while the girls’ high school was under the direction of the Sisters of Notre Dame. In 1949, the girls’ school broke away under the name of Julie Billiart High School.

Columbus was the first Franciscan staffed high school of the Immaculate Conception Province and it began with a tuition of $35 per year. Academics were divided into a college program with a classical or a scientific track and a terminal program with a business or a general track. All programs contained core courses of English, History, Math, Science, physical education, coral practice and electives but the classical track stressed languages. The scientific track stressed science and math. The terminal track stressed business courses and the general track stressed electives.

North End Branch of Boston Public Library Donated to Columbus

Through the years, two more buildings were added to the original Columbus building that had been built tin 1903. In 1968, the original North end Branch of the Boston Public Library was given to the Archdiocese for one dollar. The Archdiocese gave this building to Columbus and it became the Annex, housing the Columbus library, audio-visual room and classrooms. The Columbus boys had to leave the North Bennett Street exit and walk outside when classes were in the Annex, since the buildings were physically separate. The Columbus Center or gym was built by the Friars and completed in 1953. It was located on Prince Street Across a large public playground from the original Columbus building and was given to Columbus by the Archdiocese in 1980.

Columbus Became Co-Educational High School Fall 1981

In the fall of 1981, under the direction of Fr. Gilbert Silverio, OFM, Columbus became a truly coeducational high school. Julie Billiart High School was closed, the swinging doors that had divided each floor came down and the Julie Billiart girls joined the Columbus family. The Archdiocesan newspaper, The Pilot, published a picture of the first 9th grade female student to enroll at Columbus as a member of the class of 1985. The walls between the Annex and the original Columbus building were opened on the first floor of the East wing and Columbus encompassed more than a city block.

In the fall of 1987, the urban campus was beautified when St. Francis Garden was constructed on the Tileston Street side of the building. Proposed and designed by the science teachers and approved by the first lay principal, St. Francis Garden was formally dedicated and blessed by the Franciscan Friars in May of 1988, during the annual Peace Festival celebration.

The number of lay teachers has increased steadily over the years. In the first 20 years, Columbus High School was staffed almost entirely by Franciscans, in 1956, the teaching staff consisted of 22 Friars and one male lay person, who taught accounting and typing. In 1966, there were 7 laymen teaching at Columbus and in 1971, the first lay vice-principal was appointed. A female librarian and the first women lay teachers joined the Columbus community in the 1970’s. The first laywomen was appointed principal in September of 1989.

Academic quality and spiritual commitment are hallmarks of Columbus High School because of the excellent teachers, both religious and lay, who have dedicated their lives to these ideals. Columbus teachers have met the challenges of each generation in preparing their student for a rapidly changing world. As we look toward the 21st century, this academic quality has been demonstrated in countless ways. It is evident in a computer lab and training program that rivals any in the country. It is clearly visible in the recognition given to a Columbus lay teacher for creating an innovative program in bio-ethics that has become an educational model for schools across this nation and in the selection of this teacher by the National Catholic Educational Association in 1984 as the outstanding Catholic laywomen high school educator in the United States.

Franciscan Spirituality

Columbus has always been committed to academic quality, spiritual development and student involvement. The student council has existed from the founding of the high school. In the early years, the student council members issued detention slips for misbehavior and helped to maintain school discipline.

During the early 1950’s approximately 25 students per year form a school population of about 550 students entered the Franciscan Seminary. While only a small percentage remained, Columbus was a place where some young men found permanent vocations to the Franciscan religious life. One such young man, who graduated form Columbus in 1956, was His Excellency, Rev. Maurus Muldoon OFM who is now Bishop of Honduras. In the last 45 years, approximately 30 young men from Christopher Columbus Central Catholic High School have remained in religious life as Diocesan, Dominican and Franciscan priests and brothers.

Franciscan spirituality is still strong at Columbus in the motto of the school in which each student is encouraged to be “Christbearer”, a person of kind and courageous service to others and in the supportive family atmosphere of the school that teaches peace as a way of life in practical terms to students who will be the decision makers of the 20th and 21st centuries.

“Christbearers” and “Peacemakers for Life”

The history of Christopher Columbus Central Catholic High School can be written in eloquent words that celebrate our unique place in American History and Catholic education but more importantly, our history is being written in the special lives of our students who have entered all walks of life. These “Christbearers” and “Peacemakers for Life” will continue to make a difference in our city, in our country and in our world. Because their influence will be felt far into the future, our history is just beginning and the best is yet to be!

The author would like to thank all those whose conversations and writings have contributed to this history.

Oral Tradition Contributors:
Fr. Bonaventure Bionda, OFM
Anthony O. Cardullo, MD
Robert A. Finneran

References:
Fr. Leonard Bacigalupo, OFM:
“The Origins, Aims and Evolution of Christopher Columbus High School”. Master’s Thesis, Boston College, 1949

Fr. William Berry, OFM:
Christopher Columbus Central Catholic High School –
Fortieth Anniversary History 1985.

Addendum from Arthur A. Lauretano, Class of 1957

Columbus High School graduated its last class in 1990.

The Archdiocese of Boston sold the building to a developer and it is presently a high end condominium complex.