Rockwood Academy (Ontario)
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Rockwood Academy was a private school located at 477 Main Street South, Rockwood, Ontario. Founded in 1850 by William Wetherald, a Quaker, it operated until 1883. Competition with the provincial government's collegiate institutes founded in the 1870s had lessened demand for such private education. Its three-storey stone building, constructed in 1853, still stands in the town.
Wetherald had previously taught pupils privately in the evenings, and the number of these had grown to such an extent that he decided to open an academy school for older boys and young men. The original curriculum was reasonably standard, consisting of English, mathematics, and Latin, but was thorough. Tuition cost C$21 for three months, including room and board. This was not a large amount for the time; it enabled young men from modest backgrounds to attend, in addition to those whose families were wealthier.
Rockwood Academy soon acquired a reputation of being superior and having higher academic standards than the grammar schools of Canada West. In 1864 Wetherald sold the school to Donald McCaig and Alexander McMillan and accepted a position as superintendent of Haverford College near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
In 1871 McCaig left to become principal of Central School in Berlin, Ontario. McMillan continued at the academy until it closed in 1883. In the 1870s the Ontario government had created collegiate institutes in the 1870s to provide secondary education. These institutions were of sufficient quality to reduce demand for private schools in the area.
The original building was made of logs. In 1853 a three-storey stone building with a 2+1⁄2-storey annex was built to replace it. This building still stands. The campus also had a 2-acre (8,100 m2) playground.
Alumni of the school include:
- James J. Hill, member of the Canadian Pacific Railway Syndicate and builder of the Great Northern Railway, who ascribed his success in large part due to his education at Rockwood,
- Arthur Sturgis Hardy, former Premier of Ontario,
- Sir Adam Beck, hydroelectric pioneer,
- Isaac Erb Bowman, Member of Provincial Parliament for Waterloo North,
- Henry Corby Jr., Member of Parliament for Hastings West, and Senator representing Belleville,
and several others.
After the closure of the Academy
After the academy closed, the building remained, but it had fallen into disrepair by 1960, when Josef Drenters purchased it. He spent many years working on the restoration of the old stone building as well as a log barn and chapel on the property, as well as continuing his career as a sculptor. Drenters bequeathed the property to the Ontario Heritage Foundation under the condition that his family would still be able to live in it. The movie Agnes of God was filmed at the building. An Ontario historic plaque is located at the site of the building.[1]
