Oldest - Functioning School on St. Maarten - Philipsburg, St. Maarten
Posted by: 
denben
N 18° 01.473 W 063° 02.899
20Q E 494885 N 1992902
The St. Maarten’s oldest school, Oranje School, is located on Front Street in the center of Philipsburg the main town and capital of Sint Maarten.
Waymark Code: WMNE0E
Location: Saint Martin
Date Posted: 02/24/2015
Views: 5
The Openbare school or Public Oranje School was founded in 1851 in a wooden building. This building was standing already in 1739 and was formerly a Dutch Reformed Church. It has also been used as a hotel, library, home for the school principal and finally a school.
Throughout the years, the infrastructure of the school grew. Lt. Governor Johannes Didericus Crol bought the current site on Friday, 25 April 1851 for 3,350 Guilders. The construction of the school buildings, situated in a former cemetery, began in 1919 during the administration of Acting Lt. Governor G.J. Thymstra. The official inauguration of the premises took place in 1921. In 1923, Lt. Governor Richard Beaujon authorized the start of the construction of the east wing of the school. Forty-one years later, in 1964, Director Van den Heuvel commissioned further expansions to accommodate the Secondary Advanced Elementary Education (MULO) students. In 1995/1996, after devastation caused by Hurricane Luis, the school had to be thoroughly renovated.
The Oranje School celebrated its 160th anniversary in 2011.
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