A leading Anglican hopes more can be done to protect the Lane School, the first school for black children on the Island after emancipation in 1834.

The Ministry of the Environment last week announced its listing as a grade three building. Such a listing preserves its historical portions from demolition, though other areas of the structure can be modified.

Arnold Hollis, Rector of Sandys Parish and Archdeacon Emeritus of Bermuda, was educated at Cripplegate School. Like the Lane School, it was created by the Anglican Church and Young Men's Friendly Societies for the education of emancipated slaves.

Yesterday, Dr. Hollis said he was pleased that the first school built for emancipated slave children had been saved from demolition but added that he would have preferred it had been a grade one listed building instead of a grade three.

"I feel that it is imperative that we work to have all such historical buildings with such a rich history for black people listed and preserved as grade one buildings," Dr. Hollis said. "I am given to understand that buildings other than grade one buildings are subject to be encroached upon.

"Regardless of any alterations that may have been made to the Lane School, the entire building and its accompanying land mass must be protected for posterity and zoned as a grade one historical site. It is important for us to realise that the Anglican Church had a very good ally in the building and the staffing of these schools."

The Lane School was one of seven schools the Anglican Church helped build in partnership with the friendly societies on the Island.

Dr. Hollis first contacted The Royal Gazette after this paper launched a series of articles in October asking community members to help save the school.

At the time its private owners had asked for it to be rezoned as commercial property, which would have allowed them to construct a five-storey building in its place. Many in the community interested in seeing it preserved wrote to this paper and Environment Minister Glenn Blakeney, who agreed that the building was historically important.

"One of the most joyous and meaningful periods in my life was the discovery of the rediscovery of the Anglican Church schools of the post-emancipation era in Bermuda," Dr. Hollis said of the series of articles. "I have often wondered why Bermuda never boasted of a school or schools that were initiated by the Anglican Church."

Dr. Hollis said after learning about the Lane School he began researching the other schools started by the Anglican Church for emancipated slaves with the help of Leyoni Junos and Keith DuBois. What he discovered was remarkable, he said.

"Little did I realise that I myself was a product of one of the very schools that I now realise were founded by the Church with the aid of the Young Men's Friendly Institution for a specific reason," he said. "I am a product of Cripplegate School, Harrington Sound, Bailey's Bay, where I received my elementary education before winning a scholarship to the Berkeley Institute."

The Cripplegate School, at 41 Wilkinson Avenue in Hamilton Parish, was demolished in 1985. At the time Dr. Hollis spoke out against the decision because he was aware it had played a special role for black Anglican Bermudians, but he had not been aware of just how far back the building's history went.

The building was sold and the St. John's A.M.E. Church was built on the grounds, Dr. Hollis said. Across the Island four of the seven original buildings built by the church and friendly societies still exist.

One is located at 10 Middle Road, Southampton, next to the Fire Department while another is at 13 Middle Road in Warwick opposite White's Supermarket.

In Paget, another school is located at 19 Chapel Road at the junction with Middle Road, and in St. George's another is located at 35 York Street, near St. Peter's Church Hall.

There was also a school in St. David's but its location is unknown.

Of the surviving schools only the Warwick and St. George's schools are grade one listed buildings.