Wellesley Town Hall

Wellesley Town Hall is a Romanesque stone building at 525 Washington Street featuring French Chateau elements, located near Hunnewell Park in the central business district. The east wing originally served as a public library before the building became the primary municipal center.

H. H. Hunnewell funded construction between 1881 and 1886 as a major private investment in municipal infrastructure. The site had previously belonged to Dr. William Thomas Green Morton, a pioneering figure in medical history.

The building reflects design choices from Shaw & Hunnewell's travels through Europe in the 1880s, bringing French Chateau and Romanesque styles to the Massachusetts landscape. This architectural blend shaped how residents experience their civic center.

The building maintains regular office hours for municipal services and is easily accessible from downtown Wellesley. As a working government center, visiting during business hours provides the best experience and access to the building.

The town hall site has a hidden connection to medical history through its previous owner, Dr. William Thomas Green Morton. His pioneering use of ether as an anesthetic fundamentally changed how surgery could be performed.