In the description of the new Wellesley High School, the Building Committee in 1938 set forth the rational for optimal positioning of the auditorium and gymnasium:

The auditorium wing was placed at right angles to the main classroom block to avoid undue lengthening of the structure and to make it readily accessible to the public as well as to the students. Both the auditorium and gymnasium are arranged so they can have public performances without tying up the rest of the building….

Student and community access to the auditorium and gym is likewise important in the current planning for the Wellesley High School project. The 1938 auditorium continues to meet the expectations of its builders to this day, accommodating all manner of activity from school performances and assemblies to Town Meeting and community gatherings. The interior of the auditorium with its majestic two-story sweep has 645 seats, which were beautifully refinished and reupholstered in the 1992 renovation. Large gold-leafed graphic letters, spelling out the names of Franklin, MacDowell, Washington, Longfellow, Saint-Gaudens, Mark Twain, Audubon, Lincoln, Edison, and Mann lend a sense of history and create a pleasing visual break in the lofty room. The proposal in 1938 for adding a projection booth in the balcony to show movies never materialized. Might it be implemented today to replace the former Community Playhouse? Our auditorium represents the grand architectural vision and design that grace the whole interior of the 1938 Wellesley High School building. Improved handicap access, air conditioning, enlargement of the backstage area, an updated sound system, and a little sprucing up would be suitable steps toward preserving the original architects’ intention of providing an elegant state-of-the-art facility.

The lobby, with its polished flagstone floor and iron-spot brick walls, forms the main entrance to the high school. Restoring it to its former glory would do much toward extending a fitting welcome to students, townspeople, and visitors. The original ticket booth, coatroom, and stone drinking fountain would benefit from imaginative restoration. Refurbishing the doors to the lobby and raising the ceiling to include the original fixtures would add a wonderful touch and create a lasting positive impression.

While the 1962 Larsson Gymnasium has absorbed many of the activities requiring area and seating greater than were needed some seventy years ago, the original “upstairs gym” still plays host to school and community activities involving health and fitness, wrestling, cheerleading, athletic practices, and recreation basketball. It is booked solid for much of the year, its folding wooden partition able to add flexibility to the space as originally planned.

Next week: The National Register