About
Our History
In 1897, in a handful of rooms above the Croft and Conlyn apothecary at 110 West Madison Street in Baltimore, a small school opened its doors to approximately 15 children. With a commitment to innovative teaching, a belief in the importance of early childhood education, and an understanding that education should develop character as well as intellect, that little school would grow into one of Baltimore's most enduring educational institutions.
More than a century later, Calvert School continues to be guided by many of the same principles that shaped its earliest days. Although its buildings, programs, and community have grown considerably, the essential character of a Calvert education remains remarkably consistent.
More than a century later, Calvert School continues to be guided by many of the same principles that shaped its earliest days. Although its buildings, programs, and community have grown considerably, the essential character of a Calvert education remains remarkably consistent.
Virgil Hillyer, Calvert's first Head Master
"The first teaching is the most important of all."
The Founding of Calvert School: 1897
Calvert's story actually begins a year before its official founding, when informal classes were held on the third floor of Isaac and Elizabeth Dixon's apartment at 823 Park Avenue. Under the direction of Fraulein Schurmann, a small group of children received an education inspired by the emerging German kindergarten movement.
Elizabeth Dixon and Mary Williams were the driving forces behind the new school. Together, they recruited teachers, organized classrooms, assembled an advisory committee, and developed a vision for a new kind of primary education in Baltimore.
One challenge remained: choosing a name.
As late as August 1897, the school was still unnamed. Dixon and Williams eventually settled on the rather practical title "Boys' and Girls' Primary School," intending to find something more suitable in the future.
On October 4, 1897, the school officially opened with approximately 15 students. Annual tuition was $50 for kindergarten and $75 for the primary department. Although originally intended to serve children only through third grade, the program soon expanded as families sought to continue their children's education.
The school's earliest faculty included Helen Fisher, who taught first grade, Lucy Miller, who taught music, and a manual-training instructor borrowed from the Country School for Boys, now Gilman School.
Even in these formative years, Calvert's founders understood that a strong education required more than traditional academic instruction. Music, creativity, and practical skills were part of the experience from the beginning.
Virgil Hillyer and the Creation of a Distinctive School
In 1899, Mary Williams traveled to New York City to observe teaching methods at the Browning School. The visit would change the course of Calvert's history.
There she encountered a young educator named Virgil Hillyer, a Harvard graduate whose ideas about childhood and education were both ambitious and unconventional. Impressed by his teaching and philosophy, Williams returned to Baltimore convinced that she had found the right person to lead the school.
After initially declining the position, Hillyer accepted the offer. Before formally assuming his responsibilities, he made one important suggestion: the school should be renamed Calvert Primary School. With that decision, Calvert School acquired both its name and the educational leader who would shape its identity for the next three decades.
Hillyer believed passionately that the earliest years of education were the most important. He had observed that even students at prestigious universities sometimes lacked fundamental skills in writing, spelling, and expression. To him, these deficiencies reflected shortcomings in their earliest schooling.
His educational philosophy combined elements of traditional instruction with remarkably progressive ideas about how children learn.
He valued memorization, repetition, and academic discipline, but believed these activities should be presented with a "game spirit." He championed the humanities while encouraging imagination and creativity. He also believed that a child's emotional well-being was inseparable from academic success.
Most importantly, Hillyer understood that education was about developing habits of mind and character, not simply accumulating knowledge.
As he wrote:
"Whether a child learns to read at four or at eight, in a month or a year… is of little consequence; he will learn how to read eventually and in good time in any civilized community — but whether he observes accurately, has self-confidence, the habits of initiation, an analytical mind, is skillful with his hands, can think and act quickly, is courteous and thoughtful of others — are things he may never acquire unless by direct drills and things which may be the ultimate deciding factors between his future success, mediocrity, or failure."
These convictions established an educational philosophy that continues to resonate at Calvert today: strong academic preparation must be accompanied by confidence, independence, curiosity, courtesy, and consideration for others.
Hillyer also believed that childhood should be celebrated. He played the violin in school hallways, organized elaborate parties, created whimsical decorations, and personally oversaw original theatrical productions and assemblies.
Among his artistic contributions was the silhouette that became Calvert's enduring school emblem.
Under Hillyer's leadership, Calvert became a place where rigorous academic expectations and the joy of childhood could exist side by side.
A Growing School and a Wider Reach
By 1901, Calvert had outgrown its original home above the Madison Street apothecary and moved into a newly constructed building on Chase Street. Hillyer was closely involved in its design and construction, beginning a tradition of thoughtful campus development that would continue for generations.
During these years, another of Calvert's most significant innovations began to take shape: the Home Instruction Division.
As early as 1905, Hillyer was developing and marketing educational materials for children learning at home. The program eventually grew into a comprehensive curriculum that allowed families far beyond Baltimore to benefit from Calvert's educational approach.
The Home Instruction Division grew rapidly. In 1906, it served just six students. By 1920, enrollment had reached approximately 3,000.
What began as an extension of a small Baltimore school had become an educational enterprise with an international reach. In time, the Home Instruction Division would play a significant role in Calvert's development, influencing both its curriculum and its approach to teaching.
Hillyer was also willing to experiment beyond the primary grades. Between 1916 and 1919, he established the New School, a secondary school for girls that emphasized practical preparation for life rather than a traditional classical curriculum.
Although short-lived, the venture reflected Hillyer's willingness to challenge educational conventions and reconsider what students needed from their schooling.
A Permanent Home on Tuscany Road
In 1921, Calvert took another transformative step when the school purchased eight lots at the corner of Canterbury Road and what is now Tuscany Road for $39,000.
Working with renowned Baltimore architect Laurence Fowler, Hillyer oversaw the creation of a new campus designed specifically for the school's educational program.
The move was not without difficulty. Financial obligations from the Chase Street property, combined with other debts, placed the school's future in jeopardy. In January 1923, the Board of Trustees even considered dissolving Calvert School.
Determined to preserve the institution he had helped build, Hillyer offered to assume its liabilities. Ultimately, an agreement was reached that allowed the new building project to proceed.
The campus at Tuscany and Canterbury would become Calvert's permanent home and the foundation for generations of growth.
Hillyer continued to guide the school until his untimely death in December 1931. By then, he had established far more than a successful primary school. He had created a distinctive educational philosophy, a recognizable institutional character, and a tradition that would influence Calvert for generations.
Building on the Foundation: Goodrich and Brown
Following Hillyer's death, Donald Wells Goodrich became Head Master in 1932. His tenure coincided with the challenges of the Great Depression, when declining enrollment and financial pressures tested independent schools across the country.
Despite these difficulties, Goodrich introduced several important developments. He established Calvert's first student transportation program, hired its first tutor to provide additional academic support, expanded athletic facilities, and instituted required athletics. He also introduced standardized testing through the Educational Records Bureau, establishing a practice that would become an important part of the school's approach to assessing student progress.
In 1940, Edward Woodman Brown became Calvert's third Head Master.
A longtime teacher at Gilman School, Brown brought a disciplined, academically focused approach to his leadership. He emphasized fundamental skills, strengthened instruction in reading, writing, science, and problem-solving, and streamlined elements of the curriculum.
Brown believed that schools should educate "well-rounded children, not walking encyclopedias."
Like Hillyer, he also recognized the importance of a child's confidence and emotional readiness to learn. Describing the work of Calvert's helper teachers, Brown explained:
"If you have to take 28 minutes out of 30 building that kid's morale, do it, because he or she is never going to learn anything until that morale goes up."
It was a sentiment that reflected the continuity of Calvert's educational philosophy across generations of leadership.
During Brown's tenure, the Home Instruction Division experienced tremendous growth, particularly as American families living overseas sought access to a high-quality American education. The relationship between the day school and Home Instruction became increasingly interconnected, with the classrooms in Baltimore serving as a laboratory for curriculum development.
Brown's leadership helped Calvert navigate the challenges of the mid-20th century while strengthening its reputation for academic excellence.
Expanding the Campus and the Program
In 1965, Brown became president of Calvert School, with Archibald Hart assuming leadership of the Home Instruction Division and William Kirk becoming principal of the day school. Two years later, Kirk was named Calvert's fourth Head Master.
The following decades brought significant physical and programmatic growth.
As Baltimore and its surrounding communities evolved, Calvert made an important decision to remain committed to its city campus. In 1972, the Board considered relocating the school farther from the city but ultimately chose to remain on Tuscany Road, adopting a strategy of acquiring neighboring properties as opportunities arose.
That decision would have a lasting impact on the school's future.
Additional classroom space, science facilities, art rooms, a library, and tutoring spaces were created through a series of renovations and additions. A western addition later provided space for a planetarium and the Home Instruction Division.
When Merrill Hall succeeded Kirk in 1983, campus development continued. A new gymnasium followed in 1986, along with the Luetkemeyer Wing of the Lower School, which provided additional instructional, dining, and outdoor classroom spaces.
Through these changes, Calvert remained committed to its original educational mission while continually adapting its facilities and programs to meet the needs of new generations.
The Creation of Calvert Middle School
By the late 1990s, Calvert faced one of the most consequential decisions in its history.
For generations, the school had been known primarily for its Lower School program. However, increasing numbers of students were departing early to enter other Baltimore-area schools.
Calvert faced a choice: reduce the number of grades it served and focus exclusively on elementary education, or expand its program to offer a complete middle school experience.
Under the leadership of Jack Luetkemeyer '53, the school chose to expand.
The creation of Calvert Middle School marked a defining moment in the institution's history. It allowed students to continue their Calvert education through eighth grade, building on the academic foundation and traditions established in the earliest years.
In 2002, Andy Martire '83 became the first Calvert graduate to serve as Head Master. During his tenure, the new Middle School continued to grow, both in enrollment and in the depth of its academic and extracurricular offerings.
The arrival of fellow alumnus Matt Buck '87 helped further develop a Middle School program that combined academic challenge, leadership opportunities, athletics, the arts, and a commitment to character development.
The decision to establish a full Middle School transformed Calvert from a primarily elementary institution into a comprehensive kindergarten-through-eighth-grade school, while preserving the distinctive traditions of its Lower School.
Continuing the Calvert Tradition
In the decades since, Calvert has continued to invest in its campus and educational programs. Under the leadership of Andrew Holmgren, who became Head Master in 2014, the school has continued to grow and evolve. The development of the Luetkemeyer Athletic Center, improvements to classroom and learning spaces, and the expansion of Kiddie Calvert have further broadened the opportunities available to students and families.
Today, Calvert serves children from early childhood through eighth grade, offering a carefully connected educational experience that balances academic rigor with creativity, character development, athletics, the arts, and the joy of learning.
Although the campus bears little resemblance to the rooms above the Madison Street apothecary, much of what defined Calvert in 1897 remains recognizable.
The importance of the earliest years. The belief that children learn best when they are confident, engaged, and happy. The conviction that strong habits of mind and character are as important as academic knowledge. The understanding that a school must continually evolve without losing sight of its purpose.
These ideas have endured through generations of educators, families, and students.
Ultimately, Calvert's history is not simply the story of its buildings, programs, or even its distinguished leaders. It is the story of the people who have shaped the school: the teachers who have inspired generations of children, the families who have entrusted Calvert with their education, and the students who have carried its lessons into the world.
More than a century after its founding, Calvert School remains committed to the vision that inspired its earliest educators: providing children with an exceptional foundation for a lifetime of learning.
It is a history worth celebrating and a tradition worth carrying forward.
Calvert School is a coed independent lower and middle school.
