The historic Hills Branch Library, one of Wellesley’s most beloved public spaces, has officially closed its doors to begin a transformative interior renovation. The project aims to modernize the space in preparation for its 100th anniversary in 2028, ensuring the 1928 Georgian Revival landmark remains a vital resource for the next century of readers.
Located at 210 Washington Street, the beautiful fieldstone building is more than just a place to borrow books; it is a listed site on the National Register of Historic Places. Since its opening, the building has served exclusively as a library. That it still operates as such is a testament to residents’ commitment to its mission. In 2005, the branch was forced to close due to budgetary constraints, only to be revived in 2008 through the support of private donations. The branch currently is supported through a combination of mostly taxpayer dollars, as well as private funding.
The upcoming renovation, designed by Richard Eustice of Atlantic House Ltd., will focus on refreshing and enhancing the interior. The goal is to create a more welcoming environment for study and reading while preserving the building’s distinctive historic character. The renovation is made possible by a generous anonymous donation and funding from the Wellesley Free Library Foundation.
The library officially closed on June 4, 2026. Residents can look forward to a grand reopening in the fall of 2026. In the meantime, patrons can visit the main Library at 530 Washington St., or the Fells Branch at 308 Weston Road.
More library news
The Clapp Library on the campus of Wellesley College reopened in the spring after undergoing an 18-month renovation. We went in for a tour of the century-old intellectual heart of Wellesley College. You can take a peek too, if you’d like—the wider Wellesley community is welcome to the library from from 9am to 4pm. Just keep in mind that the Clapp is truly a student space. Outside visitors can’t check out books, and there’s not a children’s room, for example.
But what about the Fells Library?
Let’s not have any “Forgotten Fells” talk around town. In 2018, Wellesley’s smallest public library got an overhaul geared toward the town’s youngest patrons. Built in 1858 as a one-room school house for 30 students and teacher Caroline Almeda Hartwell, students were educated there for 65 years until Hardy School opened in 1922. Whether a school or a library, over 150 years of learning has happened at 308 Weston Road.
