Rockwood Academy
Encyclopedia
Rockwood Academy was a private school
in Rockwood, Ontario. It was founded in 1850 by William Wetherald, a Quaker. Wetherald had previously taught pupils privately in the evenings, and the number of these had grown to an extent that he decided to open a school for older boys and young men. The original curriculum was reasonably standard consisting of English
, mathematics
, and Latin
, but was thorough. Tuition
cost C$
21 for three months, including room and board. This was not a large amount and allowed young men who were not rich to attend.
Rockwood Academy soon acquired a reputation of being superior and having higher academic standards than the grammar school
s of Canada West. In 1864 Wetherald sold the school to Donald McCaig and Alexander McMillan and accepted a position as superintendent of Haverford College
near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. McCaig left to become principal of Central School
in Berlin, Ontario
in 1871, but McMillan remained until 1883, when the academy closed. In the 1870s the Ontario government created collegiate institute
s, and these institutions were sufficiently efficient that it became hard to run a private school profitably.
The original building was a log building. In 1853 a three-storey stone building with a -storey annex was built. There was a 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) playground as well. After the academy closed, the building remained, but it had fallen into disrepair by 1960, when Josef Drenters purchased it. He restored the building as well as a log barn and chapel on the property. Drenters bequeathed the property to the Ontario Heritage Foundation under the condition that his family still be able to live in it. The movie Agnes of God
was filmed at the building. An Ontario historic plaque is located at the site of the building.
Yosef Gertrudis Drenters
1930–1986
The sudden death of Yosef Gertrudis Drenters in the winter of 1983 brought to an early close a most distinguished career of a major Canadian sculptor, artist and preservationist.
The Macdonald Stewart Art Centre in Guelph held the last exhibition of his work Images of the Madonna during the winter of 1982–1983 Many of his pieces continue to be displayed in public collections including the Agnes Etherington Art Centre
, Kingston; Art Gallery of Windsor; Edmonton Art Gallery; Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington; Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Guelph; Princeton Art Museum, New Jersey; Sarnia Public Library and Art Gallery; The University of Guelph; Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo; and the Winnipeg Art Gallery.
Yosef Drenters was born in 1930 in The Netherlands, where his youth was spent in classical studies preparing for the priesthood.
At the age of 14 he began to take drawing instructions from a local artist, Willem van Ejendhoven.
Yosef was also influenced by his father, a skilled blacksmith, who was adept at making small works in forged iron.
In 1951 after giving up his monastic life, he came to Canada with his family, who first settled in British Columbia.
His first years in Canada were spent working variously as a lumberjack, a rancher, a miner and a farmer.
In 1954 the family moved to Ontario and purchased a large farm on Highway 24 north of Guelph, where in 1958 Yosef began experimenting in sculpture after several years of painting.
His first solo exhibition was organized by Florence Partridge, Chief Librarian of Massey Library, Ontario Agricultural College.
In 1960 his work was exhibited in Toronto at Dorothy Cameron's Here and Now gallery, and he was heralded by critics and collectors as a major Canadian sculptor.
He received a Canada Council grant in 1961, was the subject of a CBC documentary film, and was accepted as a member of the Ontario Society of Artists.
The Canadian Department of Trade and Commerce commissioned him to create a sculpture for the Tokyo Trade Fair in 1965. His Pioneer Family won the competition for sculpture for the Ontario Pavilion Expo 67, and he was commissioned as well to create a giant toy horse for La Ronde.
In 1960, Drenters purchased the old Rockwood Academy, a school for boys in Rockwood, Ontario. He spent many years working on the restoration of the old stone building, as well as continuing his career as a sculptor.
In 1974, Drenters was made a member of the Royal Canadian Academy.
The above sketch is based on conversations with Joseph and Johanne Drenters, an introduction by Evelyn Graham given on the occasion of a talk to the Guelph Historical Society by Drenters on March 6, 1975, and a programme entitled Images of the Madonna, prepared by Ingrid Jenkner of the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre.
The original version of this article was published by the Guelph Historical Society in: Historic Guelph, The Royal City, Vol. XXIII 1983–1984
Former students of the school include James J. Hill
, member of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Syndicate and builder of the Great Northern Railway, who ascribed his success in large part due to his education at Rockwood, Arthur Sturgis Hardy
, former Premier of Ontario
, Sir Adam Beck
, hydroelectric pioneer, Isaac Erb Bowman
, Member of Provincial Parliament for Waterloo North
, Henry Corby, Jr.
, Member of Parliament
for Hastings West
, and several others.
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
in Rockwood, Ontario. It was founded in 1850 by William Wetherald, a Quaker. Wetherald had previously taught pupils privately in the evenings, and the number of these had grown to an extent that he decided to open a school for older boys and young men. The original curriculum was reasonably standard consisting of English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, but was thorough. Tuition
Tuition
Tuition payments, known primarily as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in British English, Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Indian English, refers to a fee charged for educational instruction during higher education.Tuition payments are charged by...
cost C$
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
21 for three months, including room and board. This was not a large amount and allowed young men who were not rich to attend.
Rockwood Academy soon acquired a reputation of being superior and having higher academic standards than the grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
s of Canada West. In 1864 Wetherald sold the school to Donald McCaig and Alexander McMillan and accepted a position as superintendent of Haverford College
Haverford College
Haverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...
near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. McCaig left to become principal of Central School
Suddaby Public School
Suddaby Public School, originally known as Central School, is a public elementary school in Kitchener, Ontario . It is located at 171 Frederick Street, in the city's downtown. It serves grades Junior Kindergarten through grade 6.The school building opened in January 1857, and its first principal...
in Berlin, Ontario
Kitchener, Ontario
The City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
in 1871, but McMillan remained until 1883, when the academy closed. In the 1870s the Ontario government created collegiate institute
Collegiate institute
A collegiate institute is a term that can refer to a school either of secondary education or of higher education. It has a complex definition that varies regionally, and has been largely unused outside of Canada since the early 20th century.-Canada:...
s, and these institutions were sufficiently efficient that it became hard to run a private school profitably.
The original building was a log building. In 1853 a three-storey stone building with a -storey annex was built. There was a 2 acres (8,093.7 m²) playground as well. After the academy closed, the building remained, but it had fallen into disrepair by 1960, when Josef Drenters purchased it. He restored the building as well as a log barn and chapel on the property. Drenters bequeathed the property to the Ontario Heritage Foundation under the condition that his family still be able to live in it. The movie Agnes of God
Agnes of God
Agnes of God is a play by John Pielmeier which tells the story of a novice nun who gives birth and insists that the dead child was the result of a virgin conception. A psychiatrist and the mother superior of the convent clash during the resulting investigation...
was filmed at the building. An Ontario historic plaque is located at the site of the building.
Yosef Gertrudis Drenters
1930–1986
The sudden death of Yosef Gertrudis Drenters in the winter of 1983 brought to an early close a most distinguished career of a major Canadian sculptor, artist and preservationist.
The Macdonald Stewart Art Centre in Guelph held the last exhibition of his work Images of the Madonna during the winter of 1982–1983 Many of his pieces continue to be displayed in public collections including the Agnes Etherington Art Centre
Agnes Etherington Art Centre
The Agnes Etherington Art Centre is in Kingston, Ontario, Canada and is operated by Queen's University. The centre holds 12-15 exhibitions annually, as well as artists' talks and performances, public lectures, symposia, workshops, and school and family programs...
, Kingston; Art Gallery of Windsor; Edmonton Art Gallery; Hirschhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington; Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Guelph; Princeton Art Museum, New Jersey; Sarnia Public Library and Art Gallery; The University of Guelph; Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo; and the Winnipeg Art Gallery.
Yosef Drenters was born in 1930 in The Netherlands, where his youth was spent in classical studies preparing for the priesthood.
At the age of 14 he began to take drawing instructions from a local artist, Willem van Ejendhoven.
Yosef was also influenced by his father, a skilled blacksmith, who was adept at making small works in forged iron.
In 1951 after giving up his monastic life, he came to Canada with his family, who first settled in British Columbia.
His first years in Canada were spent working variously as a lumberjack, a rancher, a miner and a farmer.
In 1954 the family moved to Ontario and purchased a large farm on Highway 24 north of Guelph, where in 1958 Yosef began experimenting in sculpture after several years of painting.
His first solo exhibition was organized by Florence Partridge, Chief Librarian of Massey Library, Ontario Agricultural College.
In 1960 his work was exhibited in Toronto at Dorothy Cameron's Here and Now gallery, and he was heralded by critics and collectors as a major Canadian sculptor.
He received a Canada Council grant in 1961, was the subject of a CBC documentary film, and was accepted as a member of the Ontario Society of Artists.
The Canadian Department of Trade and Commerce commissioned him to create a sculpture for the Tokyo Trade Fair in 1965. His Pioneer Family won the competition for sculpture for the Ontario Pavilion Expo 67, and he was commissioned as well to create a giant toy horse for La Ronde.
In 1960, Drenters purchased the old Rockwood Academy, a school for boys in Rockwood, Ontario. He spent many years working on the restoration of the old stone building, as well as continuing his career as a sculptor.
In 1974, Drenters was made a member of the Royal Canadian Academy.
The above sketch is based on conversations with Joseph and Johanne Drenters, an introduction by Evelyn Graham given on the occasion of a talk to the Guelph Historical Society by Drenters on March 6, 1975, and a programme entitled Images of the Madonna, prepared by Ingrid Jenkner of the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre.
The original version of this article was published by the Guelph Historical Society in: Historic Guelph, The Royal City, Vol. XXIII 1983–1984
Former students of the school include James J. Hill
James J. Hill
James Jerome Hill , was a Canadian-American railroad executive. He was the chief executive officer of a family of lines headed by the Great Northern Railway, which served a substantial area of the Upper Midwest, the northern Great Plains, and Pacific Northwest...
, member of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
Syndicate and builder of the Great Northern Railway, who ascribed his success in large part due to his education at Rockwood, Arthur Sturgis Hardy
Arthur Sturgis Hardy
Arthur Sturgis Hardy, QC was a lawyer and Liberal politician who served as the fourth Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1896 to 1899. On January 19, 1870 he married Mary Morrison, daughter of Judge Joseph Curran Morrison.Hardy attended school at the Rockwood Academy in Rockwood, Ontario...
, former Premier of Ontario
Premier of Ontario
The Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...
, Sir Adam Beck
Adam Beck
Sir Adam Beck was a politician and hydroelectricity advocate who founded the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario.-Biography:...
, hydroelectric pioneer, Isaac Erb Bowman
Isaac Erb Bowman
Isaac Erb Bowman was an Ontario businessman and political figure. He represented Waterloo North in the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal member from 1867 to 1878 and from 1887 to 1896....
, Member of Provincial Parliament for Waterloo North
Waterloo North
Waterloo North was a federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1968. It was located in the province of Ontario...
, Henry Corby, Jr.
Henry Corby, Jr.
Henry "Harry" Corby was an Ontario businessman and political figure. He represented Hastings West as a Conservative member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1888 to 1901....
, Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Hastings West
Hastings West
Hastings West was a federal electoral district in the province of Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1925...
, and several others.