Western High’s 180-Year Legacy Began With Just 36 Students

Did you know Baltimore is home to the oldest remaining public all-girls high school in the United States? Western High School, founded in 1844, has spent nearly two centuries expanding educational opportunities for young women and shaping generations of leaders.

Western opened on November 1, 1844, as the Western Female High School, one of two pioneering public secondary schools for girls in Baltimore City. At a time when most American girls had no access to education beyond elementary grades, Western’s first principal, Robert Kerr, welcomed just 36 students into two rented rooms on North Paca Street. The school’s creation marked a breakthrough in women’s education, offering academic instruction previously reserved for boys.

As enrollment grew, Western relocated several times before moving into a purpose-built girls’ high school in the Upton neighborhood in 1896, where students could take advanced academic and clerical courses. In 1928, the school moved to a striking Tudor-style campus on Gwynns Falls Parkway. After school integration in 1954, Western relocated again and eventually settled in 1967 at its current Falls Road site, sharing the expansive Poly-Western Complex with the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute.

Throughout its history, Western has operated as a selective citywide magnet school, formally designated in 1975, requiring students to meet academic criteria for admission. Its academic excellence has earned national recognition, including designation as a National Blue Ribbon School and a U.S. News Silver Medal high school.

From 36 students in borrowed rooms to a nationally honored magnet school, Western High’s enduring legacy reflects Baltimore’s long commitment to educating and empowering young women.

Go Doves!!

Western High’s 180-Year Legacy Began With Just 36 Students was originally published on 92q.com