Palmerston North High School began in 1902 as a district high school. The first classes were held in the Old Sunday School hall of St Andrews, moving to a wooden building in Featherston Street a year later. This building was destroyed by fire in 1910 [arson, Joseph Powelka was convicted] and replaced with a brick building in 1911. The school separated into boys and girls high schools in 1919, with a purpose built school for girls, opened September of 1920.