From Wellesley Public Schools:
On July 24, the Wellesley School Committee honored the Mulcahy family, early settlers to the Town of Wellesley, by dedicating a plaque to honor the family’s historic impact on the Town.
The family’s sale of approximately 10 acres to the Town in 1947 allowed for both the construction of what was then the Wellesley Junior High School, as well as the establishment of recreation space for students an d the community. The original Mulcahy Farm was located on what is now the eastern side of the Sprague Fields complex. The plaque is located past the Calvin lot on the way down to the Sprague Fields.
Several members of the Mulcahy family attended the dedication ceremony, led by Bob Mulcahy, now a resident of Vermont, who worked with the Wellesley Public Schools to donate the plaque and have it installed. Bob Mulcahy was joined by brother Charlie Mulcahy, and cousins Kevin and MaryEllen Mulcahy as well as Marie Mulcahy, widow of cousin Paul Mulcahy.
The Mulcahy family came to the community circa 1855, when Jeremiah Mulcahy moved to what was then part of West Needham. Jeremiah and Ellen Mulcahy had eight children and established a family farm on their property. Multiple generations of Mulcahy children grew up on the farm or in the neighborhood and attended Sprague School. Several members of the family served in World War II.
The original farmhouse was located on what is now a baseball field. The Mulcahy property extended from what is now the Calvin Street parking lot, encompassing the baseball fields and tennis courts. The acquisition of the original Mulcahy farm was necessary in order for the junior high (now Wellesley Middle School) to be built.
“The Sprague Fields complex offers open space, a venue for educational and recreational activities enjoyed by residents of all ages and, above all, it is a site for community building,” said School Committee member Linda Chow in her dedication remarks. “Our town is so fortunate to have Sprague Fields at its heart—both literally and figuratively.”
Other town officials in attendance were School Committee member Christina Horner and Historical Commission member Odessa Sanchez.
The new plaque was a multi-departmental effort. It was funded by Bob Mulcahy, with language approved by the School Committee and Historical Commission, research on the family and property performed by the Planning Department, and design and placement by the School Department in collaboration with the Department of Public Works.
The Wellesley Historical Commission, in its review of the family’s request to install the plaque, found the Mulcahy story of significant historical value to the Town and noted that the field was one of the few spaces that is utilized on a daily basis.
The plaque reads:
The original Junior High School athletic field, now part of Sprague Fields, was acquired from the Mulcahy Family in February 1947.
Jeremiah Mulcahy, born in Ireland in 1822, moved to Wellesley (then West Needham) around 1855. Jeremiah and his wife, Ellen, had eight children. Mulcahy Farm was a centerpiece of the early community when most of the area was farmland. Other members of the family lived on Donizetti Street and Francis Road, and multiple generations of Mulcahy children attended Sprague School.
The construction of the Junior High School in 1952 was made possible by the acquisition of approximately 10 acres from the Mulcahy family. It also allowed a year-round program of physical education for Junior High students and recreational opportunities for the entire Wellesley community.
Dedicated July 2025
Related: Wellesley history—Part of Sprague Fields used to be a farm (December, 2022)
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