TOUR LINK

On a sunny Saturday morning in October, the Wellesley High School Preservation Committee conducted a tour of the grounds and exterior of the historic 1938 Wellesley High School building. More than twenty residents and neighbors were able to attend. Beginning with a brief history of Wellesley High School, we noted the condition of the exterior, the additions to the building, and other significant features of the site. These included memorials and landscape beautification. Special attention was given to the courtyard. Since its completion in 1997, this outdoor area, paved with commemorative bricks and graced with benches and trees, has been a place of repose for the high school community.

Last Saturday, the Preservation Committee conducted an interior tour of the 1938 building. Again, more than twenty residents and neighbors, wishing to learn more about the 1938 High School, were able to take part. We visited the lobby, auditorium, classrooms, tower, and the upstairs gymnasium. Many original architectural elements were pointed out. Among them were the large windows capturing natural light; fine woodwork; and grand spaces, including the auditorium with its elegant two-story sweep and the upstairs gymnasium, whose folding partition enables it to be divided into two spaces for recreational activities. We saw what is right with Wellesley High School.

During both tours, conversation about restoration and preservation of the 1938 building centered on what needs to be done as well as on how and when it will be accomplished. In a project of this magnitude, involvement and participation of people from all corners of the town are vital to the success of the process. Creativity and imagination are needed by elected officials, appointed committees, and community members in order to achieve a result in which we all can take real pride. Certainly Wellesley is up to the challenge.

Next week: Q & A - II