李鴻章出任直隸總督后，經(jīng)清廷批準(zhǔn)，組建了北洋艦隊(duì)。開始艦船不多，需要的人員有限，天津沒有合適人選，便借才于福建。隨著北洋艦隊(duì)艦艇逐漸增多，人才緊缺，培養(yǎng)水師之事，成為當(dāng)務(wù)之急。光緒六年七月十四日 (1880年8月18日),李鴻章上奏朝廷，提出用天津機(jī)器局的廢地，建設(shè)水師學(xué)堂。參照西洋成規(guī)，揀派監(jiān)督、教習(xí)，招考入堂，培養(yǎng)管理人才。經(jīng)朝廷允準(zhǔn)后，李鴻章于同年招嚴(yán)復(fù)從福建船政局調(diào)天津任天津水師學(xué)堂總教習(xí)。
開始水師學(xué)堂的總辦是吳贊誠，他一面勘定學(xué)堂地基，派員繪圖估料興建校舍； 一面酌定規(guī)條，招考學(xué)生。但是由于舊病復(fù)發(fā)，不能支持，由吳仲翔接任，吳仲翔長期充任福建船政提調(diào)，熟悉學(xué)堂業(yè)務(wù)，他在吳贊誠工作基礎(chǔ)上，繼續(xù)籌辦，使水師學(xué)堂于光緒七年七月 (1881年8月),在河?xùn)|賈家沽道落成。學(xué)堂創(chuàng)辦伊始，擬訂了詳細(xì)而嚴(yán)格的章程，對招生的條件、辦法、學(xué)期及分班、待遇、獎(jiǎng)懲等，都做了具體規(guī)定，并招收學(xué)生肄業(yè)。清人撰《津門紀(jì)略》對學(xué)堂描述曰： “堂室宏敞，一百余椽；樓臺(tái)掩映，花木參差。藏修游息之所，無一不備。另有觀星臺(tái)，學(xué)習(xí)天文者登高測量，可謂別開生面矣?！?br>水師學(xué)堂開辦一年之后，成效不很明顯，學(xué)額未曾招滿，招來的學(xué)生也少有出色之材。李鴻章又將原章程進(jìn)行修改。主要修改了兩點(diǎn)： 一是提高待遇，將原定學(xué)生月贍銀由1兩改為4兩，這意味著一個(gè)學(xué)生的月贍銀可以保證8口之家的生活； 二是加重獎(jiǎng)賞，如果卓有成就，可以破格錄用，等等。
章程修改后，學(xué)堂面貌改觀，愿意入學(xué)者增多，學(xué)生總數(shù)由原定60人增至120人。學(xué)堂的課程有： 英語、地域圖說、算學(xué)、幾何、代數(shù)、重學(xué)、化學(xué)等。學(xué)制5年，考試制度嚴(yán)格。
光緒十九年(1893),水師學(xué)堂學(xué)制改為7年，即課堂課程4年，船課3年，實(shí)踐的比重加大，學(xué)生的書本知識(shí)和實(shí)踐能力都得到提高。水師學(xué)堂不僅給北洋水師培養(yǎng)了許多軍事人才，而且首開了中國北方近代教育之先。
光緒二十六年(1900),八國聯(lián)軍入侵天津，天津北洋機(jī)器總局成為戰(zhàn)場，水師學(xué)堂連同所在的北洋機(jī)器總局，均毀于戰(zhàn)火。

·天津水師學(xué)堂學(xué)員

When Li Hongzhang was assigned as the Governor-General of Zhili,he set up the Beiyang Fleet with theapproval from the Qing Government. At the beginning,personnel were hired from Fujian Province when therewere a few warships in Tianjin. With the number ofwarships growing,the fleet was in great need of talents.The cultivation of personnel became urgent. On August18,1880 (the sixth year of Emperor Guangxu),Liapplied the court to build a navy school. According to theWestern experiences,supervisors and tutors were hiredand the students were enrolled through examinations. Inthe same year,Li invited Yan Fu from Fujian ShippingBureau to Tianjin Navy School as the dean.
At first,Wu Zancheng was responsible for theschool`s construction. On the one hand,he surveyedthe ground and hired architects to draw blueprints andprepared materials. On the other hand,he set downrules and began to enroll students. It was unfortunatethat he had to stop working because of illness. WuZhongxiang,his successor,continued his career. Wu wasthe commander of Fujian Shipping Bureau for a longtime and was adept at school management. In August (the7th year of Emperor Guangxu),Tianjin Navy Schoolcommenced operation at Jiajiagu Street in HedongDistrict. Detailed and strict rules and regulation of theschool were drawn on student enrollment,terms,classdivisions,welfare,award and punishment. Scholars atthat time described that the school was "spacious withabout 100 rooms decorated by villains,flowers and trees.The library and entertainment places are also wonderful.There is even a platform for those who are interested inchronometer to observe stars."
However one year after its establishment,theschool`s situation was not optimistic due to poorenrollment. Governor-General Li Hongzhang revisedthe school`s rules: Ⅰ. Toincrease the subsidy ofeach student from 1 taelto 4 taels per month.This measure ensuresone student to supportthe living of an eight-person family; Ⅱ. Togive excellent studentsheavy awards in order tohonor their outstandingachievements.
After the reform,thesituation of the schoolgot changed. The numberof enrolled studentsgrew from 60 to 120.Its curriculum includedEnglish,geography,arithmetic,geometry,algebra,physics,andchemistry and so on. Thetime of schooling was five years with a series of strictexamination system.
In 1893,the schooling period extended to sevenyears: 4 years` class education and 3 years` practice onthe ships. With the increase of field practice,the studentsreceived more knowledge and skills. The TianjinBeiyang Navy School cultivated many military talentsfor Beiyang Navy,which was the milestone of moderneducation in North China.
In 1900,the Allied Forces of Eight ImperialistCountries invaded Tianjin. The site of Tianjin MachineryBureau became a battle field and the Tianjin NavySchool was destroyed in the gunfire.

·清代《津門雜記》所載水師學(xué)堂