Historical Trelawny site now in ruins

The site where the prestigious Calabar High School, formerly the Calabar Theological College, first opened its doors is now nothing more than a pasture for raising livestock.

The all-male secondary institution, which is now situated on Red Hills Road, St Andrew, has its point of origin in the hills of the Calabar district in Rio Bueno, Trelawny.

The historical site, however, has seen better days, as a recent visit by the Western STAR revealed that the original building, which was established by the Jamaica Baptist Union in 1843, is now in ruins and overtaken by the wild.

Furthermore, the premises surrounding the old infrastructure is filled with manure, while farm animals, such as goats, run amok.

This did not sit well with a number of residents from the community, who believe that such an important piece of history should not have been abandoned and desecrated.

"The area has gone to ruins, and if people don't tell you that it is up there the school once was, then you will never know even if you see what is left of the building," said shopkeeper Antonette Green.

"They should build a monument or put up a sign to indicate that is up there the old Calabar High School used to be, and they must clean up the place and stop make them use it as cow pasture," she added.

The Spanish named Calabar after a slave port in Nigeria of the same name. In 1868, Calabar College was moved to East Queen Street, Kingston. Eventually, a school for training teachers and a high school for boys were added.

Calabar High School, however, was not founded until September 1912, and in 1952 the school relocated to its current location on Red Hills Road.