Winchester Street School began here in a frame building on September 21, 1874. Headmaster Andrew Hendry and Margaret Fraser taught all 207 pupils. Adult evening classes commenced in 1882 and the kindergarten opened in 1892. The present building was constructed in 1897 during Thomas Parker's 25 year term as principal, as a nine-room, two-story brick structure. It was enlarged to three stories in 1901. In 1903 this school was one of the first two in the city to offer training in domestic science.