Wellesley History Timeline

A view of the Wellesley Town Hall through the big windows on the Library's second floor.

Explore & discover the history of the town of Wellesley

Scroll below to see all the events that make up the past and history of our town of Wellesley.

1600s

The First Residents

Native American Map

Algonquin speaking Native Americans led by chiefs Waban (the Wind) and Nehoiden.

1630s

First Settler

Painting by Samuel Adams Hudson (1813-1877) of view of the land that Andrew Dewing and the first settlers saw.

Andrew Dewing becomes the first English Settler in what would become Wellesley near Grove Street.

1635

First Town Founded

Map of Dedham 1636

Settlers establish Dedham after their preacher’s hometown of which Wellesley is a part.

1658

John Eliot

Mural of John Eliot and Native Americans.

John Eliot and Native Americans build the Waban Brook Sawmill, one of the earliest in the country.

1681

Chief Maugus

Maugus Deed
Settlers pay Chief Maugus 5 pounds currency and 3 pounds corn for the land that will become Wellesley.

1711

Needham

1775 Township of Needham map

Needham becomes independent from Dedham and includes Wellesley (then known as West Needham)

1775

Revolutionary War

Jason Russell House Arlington 1775

Amos Mills of Weston Rd. is killed fighting the British at the Jason Russell house in Arlington 1775.

1789

George Washington

Washington Elm

President George Washington stopped under this elm tree (formerly on the north side of Washington St between Ledyard and Columbia streets), for a drink of well water. This sketch of the Pratt House and Elm was made by Frederick Curtis in 1844.

1800s

Land of Many Names

Map of Needham 1881 including Grantville area in Wellesley, Massachusetts, showing roads, property boundaries, waterways, and nearby landmarks in the surrounding village

Wellesley Hills originally Nehoiden then the Port, North Needhamand then Grantville (after Moses Grant who gave the bell to the now Wellesley Hills Congregational Church.)

1812

The Turnpike

“A quiet tree-lined road intersection, with tall leafy trees casting shade over a curved path. Utility poles and wires run along the roadside, and the scene has a slightly faded, vintage look.” width=

The Worcester Turnpike (on right side now Rt 9) is created to open Boston to commerce. It was used during the War of 1812 to transport troops from Boston to New York.

1834

The Railroad

Railroad

The railroad comes to West Needham bringing wealthy Boston businessmen and a 45 minute commute.

1846

Dr. Morton

Painting of a 19th-century surgical demonstration: a patient lies semi-conscious in a chair while several formally dressed men—likely doctors and observers—crowd around. Dr Morton administers ether as an anesthesia as others watch closely. A small table with medical instruments sits in the foreground, and additional onlookers gather on steps in the background.

Dr. Morton (with flask) demonstrates the first use of ether as an anesthetic. Painting by Robert Hinckley.

1854

Schoolhouse

Black-and-white photo of a small, one-room schoolhouse with clapboard siding and a steep gabled roof. Two front doors sit atop a short set of steps, and a row of tall windows lines the side of the building. Large leafy trees stand behind it, and a narrow walkway leads up to the entrance.

A one room schoolhouse is built on Weston Rd which is now the Fells Branch Library.

1871

Alexander Graham Bell

Black-and-white portrait of Alexander Graham Bell

Alexander Graham Bell moved to West Needham (27 Washington St.) to recover from an illness; while teaching deaf students he worked on the telephone here.

1861

Civil War

A historical black-and-white scene showing a group of men, women, and children gathered outside a building, likely during a military recruitment event. Some men wear hats and suits, and a young boy holds a drum in the foreground. Posters on the building advertise enlistment, while a large recruitment poster on the right promotes Captain Fiske’s Company for heavy artillery, offering cash bounties and listing a Boston address.”

Maugus Hall with recruiting posters on each side. Captain Fiske’s Company for heavy artillery poster on right. Captain Fiske was captured in 1863 during the assault on Fort Wagner South Carolina.

1875

Wellesley College

A black and white photograph of a tall, Gothic-style stone tower rising from a large, multi-story academic or institutional building. The tower features intricate stonework, vertical accents, and pointed pinnacles at the top. The surrounding building has multiple gabled roofs, arched entryways, and large windows, all overlooking a flat, grassy courtyard in the foreground.

Wellesley College is founded.

1881

Wellesley Independent

seal of Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Wellesley, population 2,500, separates from Needham. The Town is named as a tribute to Horatio Hollis Hunnewell who named his estate Wellesley after his wife’s family (Welles).

1881

Dana Hall

Dana Hall school buildings.

Dana Hall School is founded to prepare ladies for Wellesley College.

1882

Football

Wellesley High School Football team, 1913.

Oldest high school football rivalry starts on Morton field. Wellesley beats Needham 4-0. Picture of 1913 team.

1890

First Fire House

A sepia-toned historical photograph shows a group of firefighters posing with a horse-drawn fire carriage in front of a shingled, two-story fire station. Six firefighters are visible, all wearing traditional long coats and tall, pointed fire helmets; one stands at the front holding the horse's lead, another sits atop the carriage holding the reins, and others stand alongside or sit on the equipment.

Hose 1 House was built on Church St for the Wellesley Volunteer Fire Brigade.

1890

America the Beautiful

Person in a dark robe and white collar standing indoors beside a dog, with shelves and furniture in the background.

First performance of longtime resident Katharine Lee Bates’s America the Beautiful sung by Wellesley College and Wellesley Congregational Church’s choirs.

1894

First High School

A vintage, black-and-white photograph of the first Wellesley High School, a large three-story masonry building with a prominent hipped roof and multiple gables. The first floor features a series of large arched windows and entrances, while the upper floors have rectangular sash windows. Dark ivy covers a significant portion of the lower brick facade. Two large brick chimneys rise from the roof

The first High School is built at 324 Washington St.

1907

New High School

Black-and-white photo of the old Wellesley High School building on Kingsbury St, a large two-story brick structure with a symmetrical facade. Tall multi-pane windows line both floors, and a central entrance with a small portico sits beneath a flagpole. Mature trees partially obscure the front, and a grassy lawn stretches across the foreground.

The second High School is built on Kingsbury St.

1914

College Hall Fire

Panoramic black-and-white view of the original Wellesley College campus, showing a large, castle-like central building with towers and adjoining structures rising above a dense line of trees. The foreground is lake Waban., before the fire.

Wellesley College’s 1/8 mile long College Hall is destroyed by fire.

1916

Village Church Fire

Church Fire

The Village Congregational Church is destroyed by fire.

1919

Babson College

Knight Auditorium The brick structure features a grand Two-story portico supported by six massive white Doric columns. Three arched doorways with fanlight windows serve as the main entrance, reached by a wide set of stone stairs. The building has a gabled roof with two large brick chimneys at the ends and a smaller wing on the right with a large arched window. The landscape includes manicured lawns and foundational shrubbery.

First classes held at Roger Babson’s house on Abbott Rd. Pictured is Knight Auditorium.

1920s

Isaac Sprague

A color photograph of a tall, historic stone clock tower standing prominently amidst lush green trees. The tower features a multi-colored fieldstone base, a circular clock face near the top, and is crowned by a white, open-arched belfry with a greenish dome and weather vane.

Isaac Sprague donates fieldstone to build the Clock Tower, Sprague School, Central St. Fire Station and Hills Library.

1936

Town Meeting

Seal of the Town of Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Wellesley Town Meeting changed from open to elected.

1938

A New High School

Brick building with a central tower and cupola, featuring tall narrow windows and a walkway leading to the entrance.

The new High School is built on Rice St as a public works project. It is named the Gamaliel Bradford Senior High School after Wellesley’s famous biographer.

1940

Roger Babson

A black and white close-up portrait of an older man with light hair and a thin, white goatee and mustache. He is wearing a dark suit and a bow tie, looking directly at the camera with a slight, pleasant expression against a dark background.

Roger Babson runs for president as the Prohibition Party candidate.

1950

New Police Station

black and white photograph of a long, two-story stone or brick building with a saltbox-style roof. The structure features five prominent dormer windows along the roofline and a series of rectangular windows on the first floor. A small set of steps leads to a central entrance, and a chimney is visible at each end of the gabled roof. The building is surrounded by dark foliage and trees under a dim sky.

A new police station allows prisoners to no longer be kept in lockup in the basement of the Town Hall.

1953

Sylvia Plath

black and white yearbook-style portrait of a young woman with light-colored, wavy hair styled in a mid-century fashion. She is looking slightly away from the camera with a cheerful smile, wearing a light-colored blouse against a neutral, textured background.

The disappearance of Sylvia Plath from her Elmwood home becomes the subject of her novel The Bell Jar.

1953

The Maugus Club Fire

Historic two-story house with shingle siding, a prominent turret, wraparound porch, and vine-covered walls, situated on a grassy lawn with a flagpole in front.

The Maugus Club a center of Wellesley’s social life is destroyed by fire

1955

Revolving Globe

The Babson Globe.

Roger Babson dedicates the 28 foot revolving globe along with the parlor from Sir Isaac Newtons London Home on the Babson Campus.

1959

Operation Bookswitch

Operation Bookswitch- many people carry large stacks of books across the road from the town hall.

Hundreds of residents form a human chain to transfer books across Washington St. from the old library to the new.

1968

Veteran’s Parade

A black and white, high-angle photograph showing a large crowd of people packed onto a town main street during an event. Several vintage cars and a vehicle with a triangular structure on top are visible amidst the sea of people. The street is lined with multi-story commercial buildings and bare trees
Wellesley’s annual Veteran’s Day Parade begins 1968, photo 1970

A black and white, high-angle photograph showing a large crowd of people packed onto a town main street during an event. Several vintage cars and a vehicle with a triangular structure on top are visible amidst the sea of people. The street is lined with multi-story commercial buildings and bare trees.

Wellesley’s annual Veteran’s Day Parade began. Photo is from 1970.

1971

Recycling

black and white high-angle photograph shows an outdoor recycling or waste collection site. Several vintage cars from the 1970s or early 1980s are parked in a row, some with their trunks or hatches open as people unload items. In the foreground, there are large industrial bins and a small shed-like structure. The background features a flat, open field and a dense line of leafless trees under a pale sky.

Wellesley becomes a ground breaking pioneer starting its award winning recycling program.

1980s

Elementary Schools Sold

Brown SchoolKingsbury SchoolPhillips School

The Brown, Kingsbury and Phillips schools are turned into condominiums.

1981

Centennial

A color-coded trail map of Centennial Reservation, MassBay Community College, and Maugus Hill in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The map shows a large green conservation area bordered by residential streets like Oakland Street and Abbott Road.

As a 100th birthday present the town creates Centennial Park.

1987

New Fire Station

A wide, two-story brick fire station with four large garage bays under a single wide arch. Three red fire trucks and one smaller emergency vehicle are parked inside the bays. To the left, a tall brick tower with narrow windows rises above the main building. Three flags fly from poles in front of the station

A new fire station headquarters is built on Worcester St replacing the 1889 building.

1987

Community Playhouse

A black and white photograph of a two-story brick building featuring a movie theater called

The Town’s movie theater for more than 50 years, the Community Playhouse shows its last film.

1996

New Police Station

A wide-angle, eye-level outdoor shot shows the front of the Wellesley Police Department building, a two-story red brick structure with a grey shingled roof and several gabled windows. In the center of the building is a semi-circular, two-story entrance with a white facade and a grey conical roof

A new modern Police Station is dedicated on the site of the old one.

2001

9/11

A close-up, slightly angled headshot of a man with short, wavy, grey-brown hair. He has a neutral expression and is wearing a white shirt.John CahillA headshot of a woman smiling brightly. She has dark, shoulder-length hair styled with volume at the top, and she is looking directly at the camera, showing her teeth.NEILIE CASEY 32,A planning manager

A close-up, front-facing headshot of a middle-aged man with short, salt-and-pepper hair. He is smiling slightly and wearing a dark suit jacket over a white collared shirt.Edmund GlazerA close-up, slightly angled headshot of a smiling man with short, dark hair and a light complexion. He is wearing a grey, textured sweater and looking toward the camera.Patrick Quigly

Four Wellesley residents (John Cahill, Neilie Casey, Edmund Glazer and Patrick Quigley) are killed in the terrorist attacks.

2003

New Library

Wellesley Free Library from outside.

A new Public Library replaces the 1959 one on the same site.

2012

New High School

Wide view of a large modern brick-and-glass building with a central tower, trees in front, and parking lot lights in the foreground.

A new modern high School is built for $115 million dollars on the same site as the 1938 building. Photo by Joshua Dorin.

2024

New Hunnewell Elementary School

Hunnewell Elementary building.

The new Hunnewell elementary school
The Wellesley elementary schools each serve particular neighborhood around town.

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