Belmont House becomes a school

Belmont House becomes a school

In the late 1950s the building was taken over by the Education Authority and converted into a school. Belmont House Special School opened on 9^th May 1961. At that time the main entrance was still from the Culmore Rd. but the Racecourse Rd. entrance was used  instead and the old driveway was closed.

A little house was built for the principal to live in. An archway was made connecting the principal's house to the main building to stop him getting wet in rainy weather. A bigger house was built later in the garden for the principal. The archway was taken away a few years ago because the fire engines could not get through. The little house is now the front office.

                                                             The Archway used to be here

Belmont House Special School Opens

The first teachers were Mr. Tom Roulston (principal) and Mrs. Lucy Logan. They both worked in Belmont until they retired . On the first day there were 10 pupils and at the end of the year there were 36. Belmont used to have girl boarders and they lived in the big house. All the rooms upstairs were converted into dormitories . In 1972/3 a new boarding block was built. The boarding section closed in 1986 and only day pupils attended the school.

Photo of pupils and staff taken in June 1962