WELLESLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
BATES ELEMENTARY
Bates is named after Katherine Lee Bates (1859-1929) a native of Falmouth came to Grantville (Wellesley Hills) at the age of 12. She graduated from Wellesley College in 1880 and after teaching at Natick High School (1 year) and Dana Hall (4 years), she taught at Wellesley College for 40 years. She wrote “America the Beautiful” in 1893.
BROWN ELEMENTARY
Brown was named for Seldon Lester Brown (1856-1934) a principal/teacher at Wellesley High. He taught Greek and Latin. Upon his retirement it was said that “Pa” Brown probably did more for the youth of the town than any other person. The school was built on the site of Mr. Brown’s home in Wellesley Hills. Brown Elementary closed in 1981 and is now Garden Close Condos.
FELLS SCHOOL (NORTHWEST SCHOOL)
It was called the Northwest School until Wellesley separated from Needham. In 1854, during summer, Miss Hannah Jane Ware taught 26 pupils. Other teachers in the 1850’s included Martha Mansfield, Marion A Kingsbury, Olivia Olmstead and Helen R Seagrave.
In December 1922 S. Munroe Graves, Superintendent of Schools suggested in a letter to the Townsman that the old Fells school be used as a library.
On July 18th 1923 the Fells Branch was opened as a project of the Fells Improvement Society to be carried on until January 1. Then to become a branch library, Ada O. Carr named librarian.
FISKE ELEMENTARY
Joseph Emery Fiske (1839-1909) was a graduate of Harvard, served the Union as a Captain in the Civil War, and served in the Massachusetts Senate. He is also a leader in incorporating West Needham into a separate town, so one of the town founders.
The Fiske school was named for the family. Joseph’s father Emery Fiske was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Joseph’s daughter Ellen Ware Fiske was the town historian.
The original two storied Fiske school stood on the east side of Cedar St and was razed in 1962. The present school was built in 1955.
JOHN D HARDY SCHOOL
John D Hardy (1860-1924) was the chairman of the building committee that erected the schoolhouse. A few days after completing his duties he entered the hospital for surgery from which he did not recover. Mr. Hardy worked for Mr. William B Rice at Rice and Hutchinson Inc shoe manufactures and was the trustee of Mr. Rice’s estate. He also was the founder and director of the Wellesley Hospital Aid Association.
HUNNEWELL SCHOOL
Named after Horatio Hollis Hunnewell (1811-1902) the town’s benefactor. Born in Watertown Mr. Hunnewell was 15 when he went to Paris to work for the investment banking firm of Welles and Company. There he made a fortune investing in pioneer railroads.
Mr. Hunnewell gave the town over 30 acres of land including the library and town hall. When the new town incorporated in 1881 they choose the name Wellesley, which Mr. Hunnewell had given to his estate in honor of his wife Isabella Pratt Welles.
L ALLEN KINGSBURY SCHOOL
One of the four elementary schools opened within the year 1924 along with Hardy, Sprague and Brown. Originally called the Belvedere school it was named the L Allen Kingsbury school in honor of the former owner of the land the building was on. It was sold for condo’s the same time as the Brown school in 1981.
Luther Allen Kingsbury (1818-1903) was an educator by profession, a town official and donor of the single largest gift of land for the park system. Among the early settlers here the Kingsburys were recipiens in the 1600’s of large land grants in the section of Dedham that is now Wellesley.
MARSHALL L. PERRIN SCHOOL
Dedicated in April 1932 this school was on Thomas Rd. It is named after Marshall Livingston Perrin (1855-1935), the town’s first Superintendent of Schools. He was born in Wellesley at 312 Washington St. and was a Harvard graduate. A world traveler he made over 50 trips abroad including a year teaching in China and living at a monastery at foothills of the Himalayas studying Sanskrit.
ALICE L. PHILLIPS SCHOOL
The original building known as the Alice L. Phillips Junior High School was erected in 1894 on Washington St and Seaward Rd. The first photo is of the Junior High School (1911). The school became an elementary school in 1952 when the Wellesley Junior High on Kingsbury St. opened. Named for Alice Louisa Phillips (1851-1940) who taught for 41 years. In 1865 she was among the first students chosen to attend the first High School class and among the seven that received diplomas in 1869. Alice Phillips retired in 1911.
SCHOFIELD SCHOOL
Named for Otho Lester Schofield M.D. (1875-1961) A , member of the Board of Selectmen, Board of Health, and the Water and Light Commission.
In the 1920’s he was a medical examiner for Norfolk County. He served on a medical ship at Cuba during the Spanish American War. Later he became a military aid under Governor Richard Ely, during World War 1 and organized a medical unit of Wellesley men sent to a hospital in Padua Italy. Dr Schofield lovingly called his patients “My people”. He successfully procured a public playground on Cedar Street which was given his name.
SPRAGUE SCHOOL
Located on School St it’s named after Isaac Sprague (1859-1934) Issac was raised in Wellesley by his Aunt Misses Eaton, their widowed father also Isaac was a staff artist for John James Audubon.
Young Issac started in investment banking and turned to real estate. Active in town affairs he was a member of the Board of Selectman and the Park Commission. Among his gifts to the town included the land and stone for the Hills branch library, and stone for the Clock tower.
UPHAM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Named after Ernest Francis Upham (1892-1957) chairman of the Wellesley Senior High History Department for 36 years. He began each class with a memorable historic anecdote, and often referred to a weak character in history as “lily-livered.”
Mr Upham took a personal interest in his students, some of whom affectionately calld him “Uncle Ernie.” Mr Upham was a trained and poplar vocalist often involved with student drama productions. His untimely death following a heart attack coincided with the completion of a new school. It was named for him as a memorial.
ANNIE F. WARREN SCHOOL
The Warren school was built as a P.W.A. project for which the town received 30% of the cost. It was built on the site of the North School (1874). Annie Francis Warren (1861-1923) lived on Walnut Street all her life. After graduating she attended Boston University for two seasons. She taught at the North School for 25 years, and became its principal in 1885. She retired in 1920. Her unshaken zeal, alertness in standing for the right, her insistence for that which is best, her strong will, true heart and indefatigable energy will be remembered by her pupils as long as they live.