History

History

Founders

Marie Musaeus Higgins, after whom Musaeus College is named, is indeed a great personality of the 20th Century .The Founder Principal of Musaeus College is remembered with gratitude and affection in many Buddhist homes throughout Sri Lanka. With a rare and unflagging sense of dedication, she served the school and the cause of Buddhist education for 33 years. Her service continued until she passed away 78 years ago, on the 10th July 1926.Mrs. Higgins was the daughter of the Chief Justice of Wismar in Macklenberg, Germany. After having graduated and obtaining the title of Frau Professor, she proceeded to the United States of America and was engaged in educational work there. She married Mr. A Higgins an Officer in the US army. With the demise of her husband she came to Ceylon to help Col. Olcott, in his educational mission towards the upliftment of Buddhist people of Sri Lanka.                                

                                                            

Historical works

As an authoress she wrote a series of historical books for the use of schools which are very popular today both among the young as well as the old. Through the media of these books written in the most charming style, the great majority of Buddhists have come to learn something of their early history. Mr. J. Harward one of the late Directors of Education in Ceylon encouraged her to write these books and he wrote a very sympathetic foreward to her first volume.

 Founding of the school

The Musaeus Buddhist Girls’ School started in a very simple and modest ‘mud hut’ which served both as living and teaching quarters with 12 students. This temporary ‘Hut’ was soon replaced by a solid small brick building, to accommodate the growing school. That was in the year 1895. It was a memorable year; for then, a kind friend, Mr. Wilton Hack, who was passing through Colombo to London from Australia, called to see Mrs. Musaeus Higgins, a fellow-member of the Theosophical society. The visitor was impressed with the value and the nature of the educational work carried out by Mrs. Musaeus Higgins, and the possibilities of its development.

Encouraging results

It was education on indigenous lines, and education to bring West and East together to work in friendly co-operation. Mr. Hack offered to help. The fact of insufficient accommodation for classrooms also stared the management in the face. Mr. J. B. Cull, Director of Public Instruction, smilingly shook his head every time he visited the school and said, “Now Mrs. Higgins! You build a school hall-and then I will give you a Grant”; It was an anxious time indeed!. Kind friends from abroad and in Ceylon who were watching the rise and progress of the school soon came to its aid and they built a fine hall with an upper storey to serve as a teaching hall and extra dormitory. Mr Cull was delighted to hear that the struggle to find funds for the new school was over, and when he came round to see the school, its Foundress said : “Here is the teaching hall, Mr. Cull! and now I want the grant”. The annual Government grant to the school then followed.

The results of the work of the school were encouraging. It competed with much success with other English Girls’ Schools in all Public Examinations. The year 1897 marks the first success of the school in the Junior Cambridge Local Examination; every year since then the school has distinguished itself not only in the Cambridge Local Examinations, Junior and Senior, but also in the E.S.L.C. and the Royal Academy of Music Examinations.

In 1902, one of the students joined the local Medical College. She was awarded Jeejeebhoy Scholarship. She was the first woman student to obtain this Scholarship and the first Sinhalese Woman student to study medicine.

Another milestone in the cycle of progress dawned in 1903, when a few of our students passed the Government Teachers’ Examination and obtained their Licenses, some to teach English, and others in Sinhalese Schools. In the preceding year, these students qualified themselves in Drawing and passed in that subject in the Examination held by the Government Technical College. These students joined the teaching staff of the school and helped in its work for several years till they returned home to be married.

Teachers’ Training School

The demand for women teachers for Sinhalese Buddhist Girls’ schools being great, Mrs. Musaeus Higgins was approached by the Manager of those schools to open a Training College to train women students as school teachers. This work was begun in 1908 with the approval and sanction of the Government. This College was now sending out annually a number of trained teachers as Head-Mistresses of Buddhist Sinhalese Girls’ Schools, situated out of Colombo.

There was a Practicing School attached to the Training College. Not only did it form and indispensable adjunct to the College, but also the mean of giving a free education in Sinhalese to the children in the neighboarhood. The work of the Musaeus Buddhist Girls’ College was thus confined to:-

English College
Kindergarten on Modern Lines
Training College for women (Sinhalese)
Practising School (Sinhalese)

Works on Buddhism

Mrs. Higgins’ historical studies induced her to study Buddhism and in her later years Mrs. Higgins was engaged in the task of compiling books on Buddhism “Poya Days” and “Jataka Mala” (a translation of the Jataka Stories) are two of her popular books.

Mrs. Higgins had planned to issue a series of plays called “Ceylon Historical Plays”. She published one or two of them and they were even acted  out under her own supervision by the girls of Musaeus College. Her simplicity of style had a special appeal to children for whom most of her books were written.

As a social religious worker, Mrs. Higgins was held in high esteem. Her life was entirely devoted to the cause, which she represented. In later years, she was not in the best of health-due to a life of strenuousness and hard work. The climate of Colombo did not agree with her and during the greater part of the year she lived at “Musaeus Cottage”, Diyatalawa. Later she was compelled to give up the Principalship of the school and become the Director.

During the last few days, Mrs. Higgins was rather seriously ill. She had more than one relapse and her condition continued to give anxiety. At the time of her death, her niece, Miss. Schneider who arrived from Germany, was personally looking after her, and was by her besides at her last stages of life. Mrs. Higgins was only 71 years of age, when she passed away.

One sees in this account the kind of person Marie Musaeus Higgins was. A noteworthy fact of her vision for Sinhala Buddhist education was “education on indigenous lines, and education to bring West and East together and work in friendly co-operation”.

Musaeus as it exists today has gone through many ups and downs, but by and large it still upholds the Marie Musaeus Higgins’ principles and vision and is counted as one of the best Educational Institutions of the 20th century.

At a time, when the people of the country, were blindly imbibing western customs, habits, mode of dress etc., Mrs. Higgins encouraged her students to uphold their traditional customs, manners and culture. She made religious activities an integral part of the school curriculum.

After 33 years of dedicated and admirable service Mrs. Higgins passed away in 1926. With her demise, the resplendent lamp that illuminated Musaeus for over three decades had gone out. However, the strong foundation laid by her was to remain forever… stable and solid.

‘Founder-Father’ of Musaeus ……

Mr. Peter De Abrew ‘the eldest son of Mr. William de Abrew’. He was one of the pioneer stalwarts of the Theosophical Society of Ceylon. As a young, generous philanthropist, he had got actively interested in the movement started by Colonel Henry Olcott & others towards the regeneration of the Sinhala nation, its religion and culture which had sadly deteriorated during the last decades of the 19th Century together with his father, late Mr. William de Abrew, who was himself a member of this movement donated their own land to build a truly Buddhist Girls’ School. Mrs. Marie Musaeus Higgins and Mr. Peter De Abrew started their school in 1891,in a little thatched mud – walled hut where Musaeus stands now.

In 1940, this grand old gentleman of Musaeus who had sacrificed his entire life and good part of his wealth for Musaeus, passed away at the age of 78 with Musaeus foremost in his thoughts. ‘Musaeus’ and all Musaeites through the ages undoubtedly owe a great deal to the school’s ‘Founder-father’ Mr. Peter de Abrew as much as to its Founder Principal, Mrs. Marie Musaeus Higgins.

Our Principals

Mrs. Marie Musaeus Higgins	1893 – 1926	Mrs. S. Dandeniya (Principal)
Mrs. A E Peterson	1926 – 1928
Mrs. Stevens	1928 – 1930
Mrs. Sujatha Nimalasuriya	1930 – 1947
Mrs. Majorie Davidson (Acting)	1946 – 1947
Mrs. Seela Munasinghe (Acting)	1948
Mrs. Clara Motwani	1948 – 1954
Mrs. B. I. Ratwatte	1954 – 1959
Mrs. Regina Perera	1959 – 1965
Mrs. Dulcie Ganendra De Silva	1963 – 1972
Mrs. Kamala Rajapakse	1972 – 1980
Mrs. Irene Abeysekera	1980 – 1981
Miss C. K. Abayaratna	1981 – 1994
Mrs. N.K. Pilapitiya	1995 – 2008
Mrs. S. Dandeniya	2009 todate

School Anthems

      

School Anthem in 1893

What joy to sing Lord Buddha’s praise, to chant his blessed. name : Like
Tri-Rat-Na to make our days, Bright symbols of his fame.

May Devas holy who protect
And guard our lovely land,
Help us all baseness to reject,
Strong, pure and true to stand.

Lanka! Dear land of life and light
‘Neath Britain’s guardian care,
In Empire’s fold and Buddha’s might
Reach on to greatness rare.

Marie Musaeus, who did’st give
Our school, its honoured name,
Help us to teach, while yet we live,
That Truth is highest fame.

O blest be Lanka, realm of flowers,
Of jewels and temples fair:
And blest be all our girlhood’s hours,
Unclouded free from care.

The tale of mud hut to four storeys

After the establishment of the Buddhist English High school in 1888 for boys, now known as Ananda College the need for a school for Buddhists girls was seriously considered. Mrs. Marie Musaeus Higgins was born in Germany. Her father was Mr. Theodor Musaeus. She had an elder brother who was a lecturer in one of the American Colleges. She had three younger sisters. She went to U.S.A. to join her brother. There she was teaching and was later appointed as a translator in one of the main post offices. There she met Mr. Anton Higgins, who was an army engineer and a member of the Theosophical Society at that time. They got married but had no children and Mr. Higgins died after 3½ years of a very happy married life. Mrs. Marie Musaeus Higgins very much grieved by her husband’s death was reading the Magazine “The Path” published by the Theosophical Society and saw the advertisement published by Col. Henry Steel Olcott and Mr. Peter de Abrew asking for an European lady to take the post of Principal in a newly established Buddhist Girls’ College. That school was Sri Sangamitta Buddhist Girls’ College at Tichborne Place, Maradana. Mrs., Higgins was stirred by seen the advertisement and applied for the post, and received a prompt reply from Col. H.S. Olcott asking her to come immediately to Ceylon to take up the post.

Mrs. Higgins arrived at 12.00 noon on 15th November 1889 at Colombo harbour in a ship named “Prussian”. She assumed duties as the Principal of Sri Sangamitta Buddhist Girls’ College at Maradana. Under Mrs. Higgins the school prospered in no time, but she was discouraged because, Sinhalese gentlemen at that time started to give her too much of advice so that she thought of starting her own school. That was the birth of a new legend Musaeus Buddhist Girls’ College. In 1891 the school started in a mud hut on a half-acre of land donated by Mr. Peter de Abrew who inherited this land at Rosemead Place, from his father Mr. William Abrew.

This mud hut was cadjan roofed and mud walled. There were 12 students at the beginning. They were
1. Amarawathi de Silva
2. Elsie de Silva
3. Leonora de Zoysa
4. Jane de Zoysa (Later Principal of the Teacher Training College)
5. Adlin de Silva
6. Leela Gunasinghe
7. Sophaya de Silva
8. Connie Batuwanthudawa
9. Killee Mendis
10. Lucy de Abrew

The Principals’ Office, Residence, Class rooms and the hostel all these sections were accommodated in that small hut.

While Mrs. Higgins was continuing her good work amidst difficulty and obstacle, an important person visited the mud hut on a rainy day. He was Mr. Wilton Hack who was on his way to Australia. He was amazed by the spectacle of students sitting on mats and the elegant and polite way they greeted him with welcome songs. He promised that if his business trip to Australia succeeds he will give a new building to Mrs. Higgins.

During that time Mrs. Higgins asked for help from the government and Mr. J.B.Cull then Director of Education, came to inspect the mud hut but refused to give donations, yet after seeing Mrs. Higgins he told her that if she got a good building then the government will consider giving aid. She was determined to get a solid building some how. Till then she forged ahead with her work at the ‘Mud Hut’ where work fit for royalty was under way. She concentrated on learning Ceylon History herself so that she could teach her students.

As time passed the important visitor came back. His trip to Australia had been successful. He (Mr. Wilton Hack) donated the entire sum of money that was needed to construct a solid two-storey building. In 1895 that building was completed and the mud hut so dear and reminiscent of hard but good times vanished. Mr. Wilton Hack served as a member of the Board of Trustees till his death in 1923.

According to Mrs. Bastiana Perera ( A teacher who served in the Training College during the life time of Mrs. Higgins), Mrs. Higgins used to take assembly. She knew some Sinhalese words “Ayubowan”, “Pansil” etc. She could not write Sinhalese. Miss. Amarawathie Silva was her translator. Mrs. Higgins went to temple and worshipped at the foot of the Enlightened one. She used to wear white laced frocks and when she went out she wore a hat. There was a rick-shaw for her and rick-shaw man was called “Thotakaraya”. As an ardent lover of History her students performed historical plays such as “Ramayana” every evening on the stage at the Wilton Hack Building.

The students wore frocks and some wore half sarees. The up country girls wore the Kandyan Saree. Every Sunday there was Bana and on Poya Days boarders observed Sil.

In 1908 the Teacher Training College was started. The first Principal was Miss Jane de Zoysa (one of the first pupils of the school).

In 1906 to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the work of Mrs. Higgins the Shrine Room was constructed.

In 1916 The Silver Jubilee was celebrated.
(The plaque lying in front of The Temple)

In 1916 there were three sections.

1. Musaeus English School – 40 hostelers, 150 day scholars.
2. Musaeus Teacher Training College
3. Musaeus Free School known as Higgins Vidyalaya

1920 – The stone was laid by Her Excellency Lady Thomson to build this two storey building which still survives as the hostel dining room and the upstairs as the dormitory.

1922 – The Nursery was inaugurated. The 1st Principal was Mrs. Annie Preston. There were 05 pupils at the start. Miss Amara Wijeratne (late staff Musaeus College) was one of its first pupils.

1925 – 2 storeyed building, ground floor class rooms and music hall. Upstairs dormitories. Ground Floor – now Principals’ Office.

1926 – July 9th Mrs. Higgins passed away.

1927 – The school hall (known as Higgins Memorial Hall). The stone was laid by Mrs. E. E. Stephens Principal of Musaeus College in Memory of its founder Mrs. Marie Musaeus Higgins on May 19th 1927.

1931 – Training College hostel opened by Sir Graeme and Lady Thomson July 28th 1931.

1934 – Schwart Memorial Hall was used for teaching practice in the Training College. Later Musaeus College Nursery was shifted from No 60, Rosmead Place in 1961 to this building.

After that when the Nursery was shifted to the new building in 1993 this hall was used as temporary A.L Science labs (Physics & Chemistry) and the front section as the Laundry until it was demolished.

The plaque in the former Higgins Vidyalaya, later the Nursery building demolished in 1996.

1936 – Miss Sujatha Nimalasooriya Principal Musaeus College laid the foundation stone for the extension office building on September 28th 1936. Now it is the present parlour and upstairs dormitories.

1936 – Dormitory Building Opened by Mr. C. W. W. Kannangara Minister of Education on 15th Nov. 1936

1937 – Col. Henry Steele Olcott Memorial domestic science class rooms were declared open by lady Abrahams, wife of Hon. Sir Sidney Abrahams, Chief Justice of Ceylon, on 15th November 1937. It served as the Home Science block upto 1964 till the new Home Science block was opened. After that this block served as the Upper School Staff room adjoining the Science Building.

The plaque which was in the old Home Science room later converted in-to the senior school staff room and demolished in 1994, to build the new science block.

1937 – Annie Besant Memorial Hall was opened by Mr. D. Robinson, The Director of Education on October 1st 1937.

1938 – Extension office building – 2 storeyed. Downstairs- parlour, Principal’s Office, Bursary Office, Administrative Office, Vice Principal’s Office.

Upstairs – Dormitories.
The front portico of this building was removed for more space to erect the Primary school building.

1938- A row of class rooms were built. They were used as Army Barracks in the World War II. These class rooms accomodated students of the Grade 4, 5 and 6. This row of class rooms, extended up to the ‘Siyambala gaha’ the huge Tamarind tree which was cut down in 1961.

In 1935 a further 1 ½ acres of land was acquired (The Western Block land). The school now extended from Rosmead Place to Barnes Place. Mr. Peter de Abrew worked as the Manager of Musaeus College right up to his death in 1940. To his nephew Mr. G. C. I. De Silva, he once said “This school was built on very firm foundation and with sincerity, of purpose so there would always be someone to guide it on”.

These words were prophetic for soon came on the scene, Mr. Hema Basnayake Q.C. who was appointed trustee after the deaths of Mr. Frei and Mr. Peter de Abrew in 1940.

From 1940 to 1945 the school had to be shifted to Gampaha due to the World War II. Some of the school buildings were used as army barracks. The Principal at that time was Mrs. Sujatha Nimalasooriya Fernando.

1951 – The two storey modern Science Laboratory building was declared open by Prof. Mailwaganam Dean of the University of Colombo. It was an impressive building. Down stairs there were the A.L. Chemistry and Zoology Labs, Upstairs the Physics lab and the Botany lab, a colourful Botanical Garden with a pond out side, to the west and in between the four labs there were class rooms and on the ground floor there were 2 lecture theatres in modern style.

Mr. V. Keerthisinghe who was in charge of the Science Laboratories further developed these 4 Science laboratories into fully equipped labs suitable for Advanced Level Science students, in 1963. This building was demolished in 1994 December, to build the new Science Building which was opened in 1996. Mr. Joseph Fernando served as the lab Assistant for 35 years. He was dedicated to his job until his sickness in 1990.

These Science Laboratories were opened in 1951 and the Advanced Level Science stream was started and the school was up graded in 1952 from Grade C to Grade A. This was during Mrs. Motwani’s stewardship till 1953.

1954 – “The Fourth Flats Building” as it was called at that time was opened. It was built to accommodate Primary School class rooms. On the 3rd floor there was a hall and the 2nd and 1st floors were allocated for the Primary class rooms. On the ground floor there was the pottery section for the primary school students. To the south of this building there was a play ground. It extended to Barnes Place, and there was a huge Tamarind Tree. Just underneath the tamarind tree there was the Nursery and to the West of the Nursery there was a Home Science building used by the training college teachers.
“This 4th flats building” was connected to the 3 storey Dormitory Building of the Training College by a bridge. Till 1960 this bridge was closed at both ends and when the Training College was shifted to Kalutara the bridge was opened and the connection between “4th flats” top floor and 3 storey dormitory building was established once again. Later when the Primary classes were taken to the Quadrangle Building, the 3rd, 2nd and the 1st floors were used as hostel dormitories. The ground floor pottery section was also closed. In 1994 when the computer room was opened on the 2nd floor again the dormitories were withdrawn. The Primary School morning assembly was held in the play ground south of this building until the quadrangle class rooms were built on this play ground in 1963. To the west of this building there was the junior dining room and some class rooms were demolished and the Tennis Court was built in its place.

1960 – Was a memorable year because the Teacher Training College was shifted to Kalutara in that year. This shift made available much needed space for the school. The Main Hall was earlier shared among the students and the teacher trainees and so was the netball court at the Barnes Place end. To the north of the main hall there was a building with a long corridor with huge cylindrical pillars. That building was used by the Teacher Trainees and when they left, the middle school classes were accommodated in that building. The classes were divided with partitions. The three storeyed Training College hostel was used as dormitories for the upper school hostelers. Later it was used as the lower school hostel dormitory. Since 1996 the ground floor is being used as the Day Care Centre. To the east of this building is the school’s eastern boundary wall and beyond that, is Mr. G. C. I. De Silva’s residence and the Maccarthy Hospital. The Nursery was in an old house near the Wijerama junction at Rosmead Place No.60 till then, and the Nursery was shifted from there to the Higgins Vidyalaya building which was vacated after the shifting of the training college. This Nursery was painted with pictures from nursery rhymes and the floor was in blue and yellow tiles. This building facing Barnes place was earlier named as Schwarz Memorial Hall.

1963 -The school student population increased rapidly. There were about 350 students in the hostel. The dormitories now extend into 6 buildings (all storeyed). The Gymnasium building was nearing completion. This 3 storeyed building was built on the ground where there was a two storeyed building earlier. It was supposed to be the Wilton Hack Building. There was a pantry, a kitchen and a dormitory upstairs.

Photos of the early Wilton Hack Building are not available) In 1963 the Primary School class room block known as the quadrangle class rooms were opened. The building was U shaped and single storeyed and to the west end was the main hall. In the square bordered on three sides by the class rooms and on one side by the main Higgins Memorial Hall, there was a little space for the play ground as well. There were times even the sports meets were held there. Around the ground there were very rare and beautiful flowering plants. On the four sides there were four entrances to the ground. The floors of the entrances were embellished with colourful design of cats, peacocks and other animals embedded in pieces of chinaware. On the western side and in front of the Higgins Memorial Hall a statue of King Parakrama Bahu was built and there were ponds on either side of the entrance to the hall.

Until this time the western boundary space was used as a play ground. There were jam trees near the western boundary wall and a long-jump pit to the south end.

To the east of this ground there was a wall bordering the Higgins Vidyalaya Building There was a long corridor joining the hall and this ground. In 1963 one storeyed building with 12 class rooms was opened. These class rooms were painted each in different colours. The roof was of galvanized sheets. The grade 6, 7 8 and 9 classes were accommodated there. A part of the play ground was remaining and there were two wells and in the remaining play ground the girl guides held their meetings. To the east of this section was Science laboratories. The Botanical garden had very rare plants and trees. The pond was worth mentioning. It was full of valuable aquatic flora and fauna. It ceased to be, to make way for the new Science building opened in 1996. The location of the pond was where the Physics lab is now.

1969 – 1974 More buildings were constructed, the library, art room, sewing room, book shop building and three more storeys were added to the gymnasium building. Mr. Hema Basnayake and Dr. G. C. I. De Silva, Chairman and the Manager respectively offered a continued and dedicated service to Musaeus College, the school flourished under their guidance.

1974 – 1990 During this time more buildings came up. After Mr. Basnayake’s demise. Mr. Ajitha de Zoysa became the Manager and the three storeyed Primary School building (1986) and three storeyed Middle School building were opened. Miss. C. K. Abayaratna was appointed as the Principal in 1981 and the school entered yet another new era.

In 1993 the school celebrated the Centenary year. There was a grand exhibition. Science, Art, Commerce, Sports, and the other like Computer, Mathematics, Astronomy and many others were well represented. The primary school also participated in this exhibition. Later there was a Centenary Walk, in which the past pupils, the students, well wishers and the staff participated. It started from school and meandered through the city of Colombo and ended at the Viharamahadevi Park.

In 1991 – Mr. Chandima de Silva was appointed the Manager of Musaeus College. He was the eldest son of Dr. G. C. I. De Silva, who was the Manager of Musaeus College from 1941 to 1976. During the period from 1991 the school got expanded, more buildings were constructed and the number on roll increased, exceeding the four thousand mark.

A modern two storey bungalow for the Principal was constructed in 1991. The tennis courts were developed and maintained. A computer section was added. It was donated by the past pupils association. A school bank was established in 1993. In 1993 (Nov. 25th) the four storeyed new Nursery Building was opened by Mr. A. C. Goonaratne and Mr. G. C. S. de Silva the Chairman and the Manager of the board of trustees respectively. Since then the intake of students to the lower Nursery and Upper Nursery has increased.

In 1994 a well quipped Badminton indoor court was constructed. It was one of the best in the island.

The play ground Badminton indoor court, Tennis court, and extended Gymnasium building.

Mr. A. C. Goonaratne’s sudden death in July 1995 was a great and sudden blow to the school. In 1996 January 2nd the new science block with four storeys was opened by the Manager Mr. G. C. S. de Silva. It is a spacious and fully equipped L shaped building. On the ground floor two Physics, General Science and Chemistry laboratories and the Vice Principal’s Office were housed. On the 1st floor a Zoology lab and another Chemistry lab and a Botany lab along with five class rooms including a staff room. On the 2nd floor another Zoology lab and a Botany lab with five class rooms and on the 3rd floor a grand auditorium and more class rooms were located.

The entrance to the school as in 1996. The mud hut in which the school was first started, was at, what appears as the inner in this photo.

The construction of the new multipurpose building was started in December 1996. So in the years to come many new buildings, with many facilities conducive to good teaching and learning in a good atmosphere and environment will follow. Musaeus College my beloved Alma Mater, thou has from that tiny mud hut to a vast expanse of buildings and produced many a worthy daughter for mother Lanka. As you stand on the threshold of your 2nd century, I wish you a continued and meaningful growth, fulfilling the aspirations of the Founders!

Newly Constructed Building

There was a soft official opening of the newly constructed 5 storeyed building with the presence of the Chairman, Board of Trustees on 9th July 2003.

On the top most floor are the gymnasium – to ensure the convenience of the sports activities of the students. The Western Music room – in support of every aspect of music, as well as school band practices and a room is separated for process of enhancing the Archives of Musaeus College Museum which was declared open on the 18th of November 2004 to coincide with the 115th year of the arrival of Mrs. Marie Musaeus Higgins to Sri Lanka.

1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 4th floors are separated for classrooms and on the ground floor, we have the Board room, Principal’s Office and the General Administrative Office. It also provides you with a pond making it an ideal place to relax sometimes near the Reception. The basement is separated for the Record room and for the MCPPA.

Thus it is completed. Let it be a place where values are absorbed and correct attitudes are instilled to create the total personality of  student.

The Building Progress of Musaeus College

Along Memory Lane From The Mud Hut Days To The Present Grand Edifice.

[] Building still existing
[] Buildings demolished for reconstruction
1891	[]	The mud hut. Mrs. Marie Musaeus Higgins as The Principal with 12 students
1895	[][]	The two storeyed building donated by Mr. Wilton Hack.
1906	[]	The shrine room, completed in 1914.
1908	[][]	Two storeyed building for the Teacher Training College.
1916	[]	Silver Jubilee Memorial building – classrooms.
1920	[][]	Two storeyed building – dining room & hostel.
1925	[][]	Two storeyed building – classrooms, hostels & hall.
1926		Demise of Mrs. Higgins
1927	[]	The school hall – Higgins Memorial Hall
1931	[][][]	Three storeyed building – Training College Hostel. In 1961 it converted to the school hostel. Since 1995, the ground floor is being used as a “ Day Care Centre”. Since 2011 the first floor is being used as a “Day Care Centre”
1934	[]	Schwarz Memorial Hall. (Higgins Vidyalaya Bldg.Training College Practising School later Musaeus College Nursery since 1961.
1936	[][]	Extension of 1925 Bldg. Down stairs, parlour, music room ( two storeyed building). Upstairs dormitories
1937	[]	Col. Henry Steel Olcott Memorial Domestic Science classes, later upper school staff rooms since 1965. (Demolished in 1994 to build the new Science block)
1937	[]	Annie Besant Memorial Hall.
1938	[][]	Extension of 1925 – 1936 bldg.
1938	[]	Primary School Class rooms later used as barracks in the 2nd world war, were demolished in 1962 to build the quadrangle class rooms.
1940		Demise of Mr. Peter de Abrew in 1940 2nd world war period. School buildings were taken over by the government and the school and the training college were temporarily shifted to Gampaha.
1945		Mrs. Sujatha Nimalasooriya was the Principal.Due to World War II , 1941 Golden Jubilee could not be celebrated on due date, but it was celebrated later.
1951	[][]	The 2 storeyed Science building with Chemistry, Zoology labs down stairs, Physics and Botany labs upstairs, lecture theatres, and class rooms on both floors.
1952		The school was upgraded to “A” grade from “C” grade. At that time Mrs. Motwani was the Principal.
1954	[][][][]	The 4 storeyed building ground floor – pottery & handicraft 1st floor – class rooms (Primary) 2nd floor – class rooms (Primary) 3rd floor – Hall for (Eurythmics and Drill) Later 2nd floor & 3rd floor were used as dormitories Now 2nd floor is used as the Computer section
1960		Musaeus Teacher Training College was handed over to the Government. It had been shifted to a 30 acre land in Kalutara, today it functions as the “Pasdunrata Collge of Education”
1961	[][][]	3 storeyed building ground floor kitchen and store room, dining room 1st floor – Home Science block and Commerce class rooms 2nd floor – Gymnasium
1963	[]	Primary school class rooms known as the quadrangle class rooms (about 20 class rooms) single storeyed (This block was demolished in 1994)
1963	[]	Middle school class rooms block (single storeyed thatched with galvanized sheets) This block was demolished to build the Western Boundary Middle school building in 1985
1966		Musaeus College celebrated the Diamond Jubilee (75 yrs). There was a grand exhibition and a carnival named “Midsummer Fete”. The Principal at that time was Mrs. Dulcie de Silva
1970	[]	The Library and Art room (In 1996 it was demolished for the New Library Building)
1971	[]	Sewing room & Book shop (Later this block was demolished in 1995 to erect the New Science Building)
1976	[][][][][][]	The 3 storeyed bldg. (Gym Bldg), was further extended to a 6 storeyed building which is the tallest building at present. The 4th floor – Hall for Bana etc. 5th floor – Dancing & Music
1986	[][][]	The 3 storeyed Primary school building. Later in 1987 a floor was added Principal’s Bungalow and sister Sudharma’s quarters were demolished for this building.
1988	[][][][]	The 3 storeyed Western block, Middle school class rooms, later in 1996 another storey was added.
1991	[]	Principal’s Bungalow at Barnes Place.
1993		The school celebrated the centenary. There was a grand exhibition and a centenary walk. The Principal at that time was Miss C. K. Abayaratna (*The hundred years had been counted from 1893 the year the school was registered)
1993	[][][][]	Nursery 4 storeyed Building.
1994	[]	Badminton Indoor court.
1995	[][][][]	Primary school extension building (west side) ground floor – Book shop, bank, sewing room upper floors – primary class rooms. “The Historic building to the west of the Shrine room in which Mrs. Higgins spent her last days was demolished in 1994 for this building”
1996	[][][][]	New Science Building 4 storeyed “L” shaped. ground floor – 2 Physics labs – 3 General Science Labs, Chemistry Lab, Vice Principal’s Office 1st floor – Zoology Lab, Chemistry Lab, Class rooms 2nd floor – Botany Lab, Zoology Lab, Class rooms 3rd floor – Auditorium and class rooms
1997	[][][][]	Multipurpose Building
2003	[][][][][][]	New Administration Building
2011	[][][][][][]	Auditorium and Sports Complex