Fells Branch Reimagined

About the Fells Branch

Originally a one-room schoolhouse, the Fells Branch was converted to a library in 1923 and is the oldest municipal building in Wellesley, located on Weston Road. The Fells branch currently operates 100% on privately raised funds.

Renovating and Reinvigorating the Fells Branch

The Fells Branch has now returned to its roots as a place for young learners. It is a unique and intimate early learning library that offers hands-on, interactive activities geared toward 0-6 year-olds that support and encourage caregiver and preschooler interactions.

Why A Learning Library?

In FY2016, a committee made up of WFL staff, trustees, and education experts analyzed the current usage of the Fells Branch, the demand for early learning opportunities like Book Babies and recommended reimagining the Fells Branch as an Early Childhood Library.

The new learning library encourages play as a crucial method of learning. Play lays the foundation for subsequent academic achievement and lifelong success. Libraries across the country now provide exciting spaces to encourage interaction, imagination, and curiosity. We want Wellesley libraries to serve an increasingly essential role in the success of our youngest citizens as lifelong learners. Currently, there are about 1,570 children under the age of five living in Wellesley who would benefit from the learning library – and this population is growing.