Bishop Feild College (originally Church of England Academy; formerly Church of England College and Bishop Feild Elementary; currently Bishop Feild School), founded in 1844, is a school in
St. John's, Newfoundland
St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland.
The city spans and is the easternmost city in North America ...
. Founded as the Church of England Academy, it was renamed in 1892 as the Church of England College in 1892, before its 1894 name change to Bishop Feild College.
The renaming was in honor of Bishop
Edward Feild
Edward Feild (7 June 1801 at Worcester, England – 8 June 1876 at Hamilton, Bermuda) was a university tutor, university examiner, Anglican clergyman, inspector of schools and second Bishop of Newfoundland.
Early years
Born in Worcester, E ...
, a school inspector and second
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...
of
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
.
Originally an Anglican-affiliated boys school of the
Newfoundland Cathedral,
it later also admitted girls. BFC has functioned as a middle school and secondary school, but it now only admits students through grade 6. An independent private school until the 1960s, it eventually joined the school board. It is a member of the International League of Peaceful Schools. It currently teaches approximately 273 children in grades Kindergarten to Grade 6 that offers an English language stream as well as an Early French Immersion Program.
Early headmasters of BFC came from England. Ralph Robinson Wood was the first headmaster born in Newfoundland.
BFC alumni are referred to as "Old Feildians".
''The Feildian'' was a monthly magazine pertaining to BFC and other
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
schools in Newfoundland. Its objectives were to foster school spirit while chronicling the school's affairs through content such as correspondence, news, sports, and an alumni section. Established in 1893, it ceased publication in 1960. It was the first publication of its kind in Newfoundland.
Building
The current building, located at 044 Bond Street and built in 1926 by Anglin and Norcross, was designed by the architect Eustace G. Bird in Collegiate
Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic, neo-Gothic, or Gothick) is an architectural movement that began in the late 1740s in England. The movement gained momentum and expanded in the first half of the 19th century, as increasingly ...
style. This style was typical for
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
buildings that were commissioned under Bishop Feild.as he sought a "high-church" tone set around the Anglican Church. The building plan is a rectangular, long façade. Its defining elements include
crenellation
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interva ...
and rusticated stone. Indiana limestone is used, with limestone quoining at corners. At the entranceway, there are places that represent the coasts of arms of the school, city, province, and the diocese. Large windows are also located at the entranceway. Keystone trim can be found around windows.
BFC was named as a Registered Heritage Structure by the
Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador
The Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador (HFNL) or Heritage NL is a non-profit Crown corporation of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador established in 1984 by the Historic Resources Act. Its mandate is to stimulate an unde ...
in June 1994.
Alumni
Academics
*
Arthur Barnes, vice-principal
References
{{Reflist, 2
Educational institutions in Canada with year of establishment missing
Elementary schools in Newfoundland and Labrador
Middle schools in Newfoundland and Labrador
High schools in Newfoundland and Labrador
*