National Register of Historic Places

Wilby High School

Waterbury, New Haven County, Connecticut
Listed
June 13, 1982
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82004366

About this property

The Wilby High School is a historic school building at 260 Grove Street in Waterbury, Connecticut. Built in 1917-20, it is one of the oldest surviving secondary school buildings in the city, and a distinctive example of Tudor Gothic architecture. The building served as a school until 1978; the current Wilby High School is located on Bucks Hill Road. This building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Waterbury's first Wilby High School building is located in a residential area north of downtown Waterbury, on 2.5 acres (1.0 ha) of land between Grove Street to the south and Pine Street to the north. The three-story masonry building is set into a steeply sloping hillside, with ground-level entrances on several levels. The main entrance is on the south facade, accessed via a series of terraced stairs. The building is roughly square, measuring 190 by 196 feet (58 m × 60 m). Tudor Revival features include the monumental main entrance surround, as well as the secondary entrances on Pine Street. The interior follows a "hollow square" plan, with a square of hallways, classrooms and offices on the outside walls, and gymnasiums and auditorium in the central space. Construction began on the school in 1917, and it opened to students in 1920. The building was designed by architect Louis A. Walsh, then one of Waterbury's leading architects. The city's first high school, Crosby High School, was well over capacity, and Wilby was built to educate students in a commercially oriented curriculum. It was named for Stephen Wilby, a longtime principal of Crosby High who died quite suddenly in 1917. The building served as a high school until 1978, when the present Wilby High was opened. After sitting vacant for some years, it was converted to residential use. National Register of Historic Places listings in New Haven County, Connecticut

Location

260 Grove St.
Waterbury, New Haven County, Connecticut
41.56016, -73.04544

Categories

EDUCATIONARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Wilby High School

This page lists Wilby High School. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Wilby High School report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Hillside Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
Benedict-Miller House
Industrial
0.2 mi
Kendrick, John, House
Industrial
0.3 mi
Elton Hotel
Industrial
0.3 mi
Waterbury Union Station
Civil War
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Wilby High School listed on the National Register?

Wilby High School was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 13, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Wilby High School?

Wilby High School is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Wilby High School?

The period of significance for Wilby High School is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Wilby High School?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Wilby High School will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in New Haven County

Historic places, battles, and census history across New Haven County.

Explore New HavenCounty ›

More historic places in Connecticut

Browse all historic places in Connecticut.

View Connecticuthistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Connecticut history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Connecticuthistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near Wilby High School will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report