Loyal True Blue And Orange Home is a neo-Georgian building located in Richmond Hill, a town in the north of the Greater Toronto Area. It has served a variety of purposes over the years, including an orphanage, school, and centre for mental healthcare, among others. The original property covered 2 blocks, but parts of the land has been sold off over the years and other buildings were built, including 2 senior homes. The building is included in the Town of Richmond Hill's Inventory of Buildings of Architectural and Historical Importance.
The building was originally built by William H. Graham in 1901 to be used as an orphanage, and opened in 1923. H.C. Hocken laid the cornerstone. It was founded to take care of underprivileged or orphaned Protestant children. The Home was founded by the Loyal True Blue Association and the Orange Order. The orphans had to wear specific uniforms so everyone could identify the children as orphans. In 1982 the orphanage was abolished and the children moved to foster care programs. In the same year the building was extended. The Loyal True Blue And Orange Home had to rent rooms to people from the community. Many different organizations operate as part of the home. Currently there are: The St. John Ambulance, Century Montessori School, The LDA (Learning Disabilities Association), and others.
Century Montessori School came to The Loyal True Blue And Orange Home in 1994 and in 1997 the first students arrived. The school is named after Dr. Maria Montessori. Her philosophy of education emphasizes student freedom with logical guidelines. It’s a focus on more individualized education, and Century Montessori, the new school that moved into the building, focuses on this as well.
The school is funded solely by tuition fees paid by the parents. The parents pay more money to bring their children to the school in the belief that the teaching staff can provide more individualized attention because of a lower pupil:teacher ratio. The building has 4 floors including the basement.The basement has a lab, two gyms, a music room and three class rooms