The Infirmary opened in 1890. Louisa, the wife of our third Headmaster, Charles Edward Cooper (1880-1902), played a huge part in raising the money for it to be built. There had been outbreaks of fever at the college in 1872 and 1876 and she was determined on her arrival to have a new detached hygienic building erected to isolate and treat such cases of infection in future. Her initials are over the door – L A C. It will help you identify where this building is now.

The knapped flint part is the original building. The wings were added in the 1920s with knapped flint at the base only. The Sanitorium as it was later known was moved to the top floor of Star House in 1948. The old Infirmary became the Junior House. Classrooms were added at the back (South). A brick extension was added to the East.

The Ground Floor had the ‘sick rooms’ at the front. At the East end there were three rooms for the Matrons, the sister, and a study for the Housemaster. Upstairs were living quarters with dormitory for the boys.

Further extensions happened later. Southwards a large dormitory upstairs with changing rooms below. To the West a house was built for the Boarding Master. There was a dormitory built behind this house with windows to the South and West.

You can read more about it in The Hurstjohnian Magazine www.thehurstjohnian.org

Do you have any photographs of the Junior House when it was last located here? If so, do send them to the Archivist. Mary-Louise Rowland on m-l.rowland@hppc.co.uk

M-L Rowland School Archivist May 2022