Intermediate Building
Also known as: First Wellesley High School
Why it's listed
Built in 1894 at 324 Washington Street in Wellesley Hills, this red brick schoolhouse with terra cotta trim was Wellesley's first high school. It rises two stories from a raised basement under a slate hipped roof, with a shallow T plan and a symmetrical eleven-bay facade centered on a five-bay pavilion. Round arched openings with keystones mark the first-story wings, and three shingled dormers break the roofline. Town Meeting approved construction in 1893 and chose the Boston-area firm Hartwell and Richardson as designers. Henry Hartwell wrote on school design, arguing that schools should be shaped by their purpose, with good light, fireproofing and sensible layout. The building served as the high school until 1907, when a new school opened, and then remained in educational use for many years. Today it is owned by the town and serves as an annex to the neighboring Town Hall, housing town agencies. It was listed for its role in local education and its architecture.
Significance in brief: The building was the town's first high school and one of only five schools built between 1896 and 1902. It is also considered a fine example of schoolhouse architecture by Hartwell and Richardson. It retains integrity of location, design, setting and materials.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 81000112, listed August 27, 1981. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 324 Washington St., Wellesley Hills |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | August 27, 1981 |
| Reference number | 81000112 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1894 |
| Architect / builder | Hartwell and Richardson |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the Town of Wellesley, occupied, and used as a Town Hall annex housing town agencies after years of educational use. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.31074, -71.27437 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 81000112.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6047305
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.