Built in 1904, the 3½ storey brick St. Mary's Boys' School educated thousands of boys during its active years, those years coming to a close in 1975. Well before the school's closing it had been merged with the next door St. Mary's Girls' School to become a coed institution. The original St' Mary's Schools had been overseen by the Sisters of Charity, established in Halifax, in 1849.
After standing vacant for a few years the building was renovated by the diocese and officially reopened as the Catholic Pastoral Centre on October 19, 1980, with the Archbishop of Halifax, Rev. James M. Hayes doing the honours.
This is the plaque mounted to commemorate the grand opening:
St. Mary's Boys School
Erected 1904
Catholic Pastoral Centre
Officially Opened By
The Most Rev. James M. Hayes
Archbishop of Halifax
October 19, 1980
Architects
Jerry MacNeil Architects Limited
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Until 2016 the school building was owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Halifax, NS. As of Thursday, June 30, 2016 the Catholic Pastoral Centre building at 1521-1531 was sold to Oakport Ltd., a privately held company, based in Halifax, who are focused on property acquisition, development, and management. The diocese now leases space in the building.