Baltimore City College, known colloquially as City, City College, and B.C.C., is a college preparatory school with a classical liberal arts focus in Baltimore, Maryland. Opened in October 1839, B.C.C. is one of oldest active public high schools in the United States. City College is a public exam school and an International Baccalaureate World School at which students in the ninth and tenth grades participate in the IB Middle Years Programme while students in the eleventh and twelfth grades participate in the IB Diploma Programme.
The school is situated on Collegian Hill, its hilltop campus located in the Coldstream-Homestead-Montebello neighborhood in Northeast Baltimore.Leonhart (1939), p. 120. The main academic campus building, a designated National Historic Landmark, is constructed of granite and limestone in a Collegiate Gothic architectural style and features a Gothic tower.
History
1800s Founding and Early Years (1839–1850s)
In response to growing public demand for advanced education, the Baltimore City Council unanimously passed a resolution on March 7, 1839, to establish a public high school. "The High School" opened on October 20, 1839, with 46 pupils and Nathan C. Brooks (1809–1898), a respected classics scholar and poet, serving as its first principal. Initially located on Courtland Street (now Saint Paul Street/Place), the school relocated multiple times in its first three years before returning to its original site. In 1843, the City Council allocated $23,000 () to purchase the Assembly Rooms building at East Fayette and Holliday Streets for the school's permanent location.
Institutional Growth and Renaming (1850s–1860s) In 1850, graduates were granted certificates of completion. The following year, the school's first official commencement ceremony was held at the Front Street Theatre. At this time, the school was renamed the "Central High School of Baltimore." Influential lawyer and orator Severn Teackle Wallis (1816–1894) served as the inaugural commencement speaker.
In 1865, the Baltimore City Council recommended renaming the school. In 1866, the name "The Baltimore City College" was officially adopted, and the academic track was expanded to five years.
Although not granted degree-conferring powers by the Maryland General Assembly, the school's advanced curriculum allowed many graduates to receive college-level credit, particularly at nearby Johns Hopkins University.Steiner (1894), p. 218.
The Howard Street Era (1873–1892)
After a fire in 1873 destroyed the Assembly Rooms facility, the city acquired a new site on North Howard Street and allocated $150,000 (equivalent to $ in ) for a new building. Designed by Edmund G. Lind and George A. Frederick, the structure opened in 1875 in a Gothic Revival style.
This building collapsed in August 1892 during the construction of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad's Howard Street Tunnel. Classes were temporarily relocated to buildings on Dolphin Street and North Paca Street.
New Downtown Campus (1899–1920s) A new Romanesque Revival-style building was erected on the same Howard Street site, reoriented to face West Centre Street. Designed by Baldwin & Pennington, the red-brick facility quickly became overcrowded. An annex was built at East 26th Street for lower-level students.
1900s The Castle on Collegian Hill (1926–1940s)
In 1926, ground was broken at 33rd Street and The Alameda for a new Collegiate Gothic building. Designed by Buckler and Fenhagen (one a BCC alumnus), the structure cost nearly $3 million (equivalent to $ in ) and opened on April 10, 1928.Leonhart (1939), p. 20.
The building included carved gargoyles, stained glass windows, mahogany paneling, and two interior courtyards. Though expansions and a carillon were planned, they were never completed. The auditorium's stained glass ceiling was tarred over during World War II blackout requirements.
Integration and Modernization (1954–1970s) In September 1954, BCC admitted its first Black students following Brown v. Board of Education. Two years later, the Maryland Scholastic Association integrated athletic competitions.
In 1970, Pierre H. Davis became the school's first Black principal.Daneker (1988), p. 38. Enrollment declined and the advanced "A-Course" was discontinued in 1973.
Revival and Coeducation (1978–1990s) In 1978, a half-million dollars was redirected to begin renovating the Castle. BCC relocated during renovations, and in 1979 admitted female students for the first time. Principal Solomon Lausch's leadership ushered in a revival of the school's academic prestige, culminating in a ceremonial rededication.
2000s Academic Renaissance and National Recognition (1990s–Present) Under Principal Joseph Antenson and later Joseph Wilson, BCC implemented reforms, raised admissions standards, and gained autonomy from Baltimore City Public Schools. Wilson introduced the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program in 1998.
City College was named a National Blue Ribbon School during the 1999–2000 academic year by the U.S. Department of Education. Throughout the 21st century, City College has remained a staple in national rankings of the top high schools in the country. During the 2022–23 academic year, 460th out of over 20,000 public high schools nationally in the U.S. News and World Report annual rankings.
Campus
Baltimore City College is located on a tree-shaded, hilltop campus at the intersection of 33rd Street and The Alameda in northeast Baltimore. The main academic building, commonly known as "The Castle on the Hill," was completed in 1928 in the Collegiate Gothic style and features a tower that is visible from much of the city. The campus also includes a separate powerhouse annex, constructed between 1926 and 1928, which originally housed electrical, mechanical, metal, printing, and wood shops.
In 1979, a new gymnasium was added to the southwest corner of the main building during a major renovation, replacing the original smaller gymnasium used from 1928 to 1977. The southern portion of campus includes George Petrides Stadium at Alumni Field, which serves as the home for football, track, and other athletic programs, along with facilities for baseball, soccer, and tennis.
In June 2003, the school's main building was added to the National Register of Historic Places and designated a Baltimore City Landmark in 2007, protecting its historic exterior from unapproved alterations. The school's Alumni Association received a preservation award from Baltimore Heritage for its efforts to maintain and protect the building's historic integrity.
In 2017, Architectural Digest named Baltimore City College the most beautiful public high school in Maryland and included it among the most beautiful in the United States.
In September, 2025, the entire Baltimore City College campus was closed and fenced-off from the public as a 3-year renovation to the main building was started. During the renovations, Baltimore City College students will be attending their classes at facilities offered by the University of Baltimore.
Academics 19th Century Curriculum and Early Institutional Identity
The creation of a male high school "in which the higher branches of English and classical literature should be taught exclusively" was unanimously authorized by the Baltimore City Council on March 7, 1839. The school opened on October 20, 1839, with 46 students.Steiner (1894), p. 207. Students were offered two academic tracks: a classical literature track and an English literature track. The sole instructor for both was educator and poet Nathan C. Brooks, who also served as principal.
To accommodate the two tracks, Brooks divided the school day into two sessions: one from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and the other from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The morning was dedicated to either classical or English studies, while the afternoon focused on English for all students. By the time Brooks resigned in 1849, the school had grown to include 232 students and seven additional instructors.
He was succeeded by Rev. Dr. Francis G. Waters, former president of Washington College. In 1850, under Waters' leadership, the City Council renamed the school "The Central High School of Baltimore" and granted authority to confer graduation certificates—a practice still in place today.Steiner (1894), p. 209. Waters reorganized the curriculum into eight 45-minute periods divided between morning and afternoon sessions. He also formalized seven academic departments: Belles-lettres and history, mathematics, natural sciences, moral, mental, and political science, ancient languages, and modern languages and music. Each was overseen by a separate instructor with the title of "professor".Steiner (1894), pp. 210–211.
In 1865, efforts began to elevate the school's status to that of a degree-granting college. In 1866, the institution was renamed "The Baltimore City College," its head was retitled from "principal" to "president," and the course of study was expanded from four to five years.Board of Commissioners of Public Schools (1902), p. 79. However, the plan to confer Bachelor of Arts degrees was never realized, and the five-year curriculum was discontinued in 1869.
Despite this, Baltimore City College functioned as a hybrid between a public high school and what would later be termed a junior college. As higher education became more widely accessible at the end of the 19th century, the school shifted its emphasis toward preparing students for university-level study.
20th Century Curriculum and Institutional Reform
In 1901, Baltimore City College reduced its five-year course of study to a four-year program. Students already enrolled under the previous curriculum were permitted to finish their studies.Board of Commissioners of Public Schools (1902), p. 7. The new model maintained the school's academic rigor, allowing graduates to matriculate at Johns Hopkins University without examination. It introduced a credit-based system, permitting students to select courses totaling at least 150 credits for graduation.Board of Commissioners of Public Schools (1902), p. 22.
From 1927 through the early 1990s, the curriculum was divided into two academic tracks: the "A" Course and the "B" Course.Leonhart (1939), p. 121. Both were college preparatory, but the A Course was more rigorous, often enabling students to enter university as sophomores. The B Course offered broader flexibility but did not carry the same advanced standing. In the early 1990s, Principal Joseph Antenson abolished the two-track system, citing concerns over its racially discriminatory implications.
The 1960s and 1970s
By the mid-20th century, the city's population was declining due to suburbanization, and the 37-year-old Castle building had seen little capital investment. These conditions led to a diminishing public perception of the school's prestige.Leonhart (1939), p. 134.
In response, administrators launched the "City Forever" strategic plan in 1965–66. The plan was supported by advocacy from the alumni association, student protests, and widespread public engagement via local media and school board meetings.Leonhart (1939), p. 137. Although the district pledged to reinvest in the school, few tangible improvements materialized over the following decade.Leonhart (1939), p. 138.
In 1975, faculty, students, and alumni—including then-Mayor William Donald Schaefer ’39 and City Comptroller Hyman Pressman ’33—renewed advocacy for reinvestment. The city subsequently committed to a $9 million renovation and a comprehensive two-year curriculum study.Leonhart (1939), p. 139.
A “New City College Task Force” composed of educators, alumni, parents, and scholars recommended a revitalized liberal arts and humanities-focused curriculum, increased autonomy in hiring, and stricter admissions standards.