Newton North High School - History

History

In the 1850s, high school classes in Newton were conducted in buildings shared with grammar schools in the villages of Newton Centre, West Newton, Upper Falls, and Newton Corner. In 1859, Newton's population topped 8,000 residents for the first time, a threshold that required the town under Massachusetts state law to construct a separate high school. Newton High School's first principal was Mr J.N. Beals, for whom the current Beals House was named. Beals also served as one of new school's two teachers along with Miss Amy Breck. Beals left the job for health reasons after only one year and was replaced by Mr. E. D. Adams, for whom the current Adams House was named.

The first Newton High School building, located on Walnut Street in Newtonville, opened in September 1859, and modified in 1875. In 1898, the original building was replaced with a new building, also on Walnut Street. This building, The Classical Newton High School, eventually became known as Building I. The next building (Building II, circa 1906) was the Vocational High School and the third building of the Newton High School complex (Building III) opened in 1926 on Walnut Street. A field house/gymnasium building (also known as “the drill shed”) adjacent to Building I, was also part of the complex, as were the athletic fields. Buildings I, II, and III were connected to each other via a series of maintenance tunnels. Newton High School was Newton’s only public high school for more than 100 years until 1960 when Newton South High School opened.

Newton High School was renamed Newton North High School in 1973 when a new building opened on Lowell Avenue. The first graduating class as "Newton North High School" was in the spring of 1974. After Newton North was built, all of the former “Newton High School” buildings were demolished.