8 Birkhill Avenue

Another of Alexander Stewart’s houses (the sun rays are just visible here), this house dates from the late 1890s. For the first 12 years or so it was occupied by the Montgomery family. Mrs Montgomery was a widow with three daughters and a son. Of the three daughters, two were teachers and one was a governess.

After a slow start, Forgan School Board eventually decided that Wormit needed its own school, and Wormit Public School opened in 1896. Even after this however, some Wormit families wanted a private education for their daughters. Mrs Montgomery established a school here at 8 Birkhill Avenue around 1900.

Interestingly this house was called St Phillans, the same name as the house which housed Miss Wayman’s private school in Newport. Coincidence? Who knows? It appears that the Montgomery family brought the name with them from their previous home at 21 Naughton Road. From about 1913 the name of this house changed to Laurel Mount.