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A brief history of the buildings of Wellesley High School

		Wellesley’s first high school was established in 1869 per state mandate. Needham, of which Wellesley was a part, created two high schools, one in West Needham and the other in East Needham. In 1881, when Wellesley was incorporated as a town, West Needham High School became Wellesley High School. As Wellesley grew, a permanent high school building became necessary. The first high school was built in Wellesley in 1894 for 150 students. Located at 322 Washington Street in Wellesley Hills, it was designed by Hartwell Richardson in brick with terra cotta trim. Later, it served as Wellesley’s junior high school and as the Alice Phillips elementary school. Today it is part of Phillips Park.
Wellesley’s second high school was constructed in 1907 at 50 Kingsbury Street. Responding to the town’s growing population, it was designed for 350 students. After our current high school opened in 1938, the 1907 building was abandoned, and in 1947 it was razed. Today the Wellesley Middle School stands on the site.

Charcoal drawing of the 1938 Wellesley High School by Vernon Hall captures the new school. It became the printed end leafs of the 1939 Wellesleyan yearbook.

Wellesley’s third high school was completed in 1938. It was designed by General Robert Dean of Wellesley, who was associated with the internationally acclaimed firm Perry, Shaw and Hepburn of Boston. Built in the remarkably short time of two years for a cost of just over one million dollars, it was carefully executed in a style that incorporated familiar colonial elements in a contemporary design. Originally intended for 750 students, a number of later additions were made to accommodate increases in student population and changes in school programs.

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