September
1985
The Smith Science Wing opens after a year of construction
Fall
2001
The Lehner Center opens at the Lower School
Fall
2007
Renaissance Hall opens at the Upper School
Winter
2016
The Middle School undergoes a full-scale renovation
Fall
1998
The Nicholas Athletic Center opens at the Upper School
Buildings & Grounds
BB&N is fairly unique among independent schools for ranging across three distinct academic campuses, which came along with merging the two schools in 1974. Buckingham's Lower School on Buckingham Place and Upper School on Sparks Street became BB&N's current Lower and Middle School campuses, while Browne & Nichols' Middle and Upper School campus on Gerry's Landing became today's Upper School. Each of the three campuses has its own history and culture within the larger BB&N community, and the physical spaces balance each campus's individual personalities with BB&N's overall goals.
Above: on the left, the new biology, physiology, and physical science laboratory, 1985; on the right, a rendering of the Smith Science Wing (right), with the new April Teruel Garden seen to the left, 1984.
In September 1985, the brand new Smith Science Wing opened at the Upper School after a year of construction. Coming in at 12,000 square feet of additional space and renovations, the new wing included six science labs, adjacent prep spaces and office areas, four more classrooms, and two additional faculty offices.
The Smith Science Wing was Phase II of a multi-year facilities master plan; Phase I included the 1979 completion of the new Almy Library and renovations for the main reception area and administrative offices.
Right: in a view from the stairs above, students gather to study and hang out in the Smith Science Wing, 1989-90.
A new addition came for the Lower School two years later with the acquisition of the St. Anne's building at 15 Craigie Street. The St. Anne's students were welcomed into BB&N, and the nuns continued to be well-loved members of the larger school community. The building at 15 Craigie Street is now the Head of School's residence.
Above: Sister Natalie kicks the inaugural soccer ball on the new field at the St. Anne's Dedication ceremony, while Sister Judith, Sister Catherine Louise, and former St. Anne's students Thayer Christodoulo ‘00 and Bowen Spievack ‘93 look on, June 1986.
In 1990, a two-alarm fire broke out at the Bright Hockey Rink on the Upper School campus midway through a Girls' JV Hockey game. Fortunately, no one was injured, but the fire did damage the rink enough that BB&N played the rest of their season on rinks in the area. The rink was the only athletic facility damaged.
Right: The Vanguard's front page coverage.
The Upper School's athletic facilities were to receive a substantial upgrade toward the end of the decade with the completion of the Nicholas Athletic Center. The first element to be finished was the Olympic-sized hockey rink, which opened in time for the Boys' Varsity Hockey game against Milton Academy in January 1998. In November of the same year, the full facility opened. In addition to the rink, the NAC included a gym, wrestling room, weight room, training room, and the Richard S. Emmet Rowing Center.
Above: on the left, the NAC rises from the ground, 1997; on the right, Head of School Mary Newmann skates on the new hockey rink at its grand opening, 1998.
Below: the groundbreaking of the Nicholas Athletic Center, 1997; left to right: Kathy Newell, Tish Biggar, Joe Gill, Jack Etter, Ginny Nicholas, J.K. Nicholas '85, Peter Nicholas, Henri Andre.
The addition of the new athletic center made it necessary to move the woodshop, and not for the first time. In August 1983, the woodshop (originally built in 1932) was lifted up on stilts and driven down Gerry's Landing to the back of the gym to make room for the Smith Science Wing. In 1997, the woodshop was once again lifted and moved back across campus — all the way back to its original position!
Left: the woodshop being lifted in preparation for its move, 1997.
In 2001, the new Lehner Science, Technology, and Music Center opened at the Lower School. The new building brought with it three science classrooms, a bright and spacious music room, and a technology classroom. Lower School students were part of the entire process, from the initial ground breaking to the grand opening, where they cut the ribbon and showed their families around the brand new space.
Below: on the left, a group of Lower School students dive in for the groundbreaking ceremony; on the right, Head of School Rebecca Upham joins students for the ribbon cutting at the grand opening.
Left: the opening of Renaissance Hall, 2007.
In 2007, the Upper School welcomed another new addition. Renaissance Hall brought new visual art studios and galleries, a photography studio, music rehearsal and performance spaces. The Upper School Renovation project also included a renovated theater, new entrance, new kitchen and dining spaces (the Upper School Commons replacing the former Pratt Room), and a new Community Room in the former cafeteria.
The name for the new building came from a competition among members of the BB&N community. The winner of the naming competition explained the name: "Renaissance means ‘rebirth.’ The breathtaking magnitude and beauty of this new structure will no doubt create a rebirth of real proportions at BB&N…. The aspiration behind the building is that students become Renaissance men or women in their own way, achieving excellence and integration in their learning experience made possible by this new space.”
Above: on the left, students look out from the bridge in the Outdoor Classroom, 2014; on the right, Shera Selzer reads a story to the students, 2009.
In 2009, the shift to a full-day Beginners program at the Lower School necessitated a new space. A renovation to the Morse Building achieved this goal with a dedicated Beginners suite, which included new classrooms opening onto one large central room, a play area, art spaces, and a shared kitchen. Five years later in 2014, the area outside Morse expanded learning spaces further with a new outdoor classroom.
Right: the new entrance to the Middle School seen from the boardwalk, 2016.
From June 2015 to January 2016, the Middle School campus went through a large-scale renovation. The new building, linked to the original brick Musgrave mansion (former home of the Buckingham School) that stands at the front of the school, included the new Learning Commons, common spaces, study rooms, offices, and seven new and renovated classrooms. The new space was met with great enthusiasm from Middle School students, and it didn't take long for them to claim their new spaces.
Left: the new light-filled connection between the Musgrave Building and classroom building, looking out on the entry boardwalk and the Buckingham Terrace.
BB&N's campuses continue to evolve. In Fall 2022, a multi-year project came to a close as the new Grove Street Athletic Campus was completed and opened. The new Grove Street fields accommodate multiple athletic programs and teams, and were planned in partnership with Watertown. In March 2023, BB&N administrative staff moved from a leased building in Watertown to new buildings at 197 Coolidge Hill Road and 30 Gerry's Landing Road, renovated homes of the Pechet family purchased by the school. These two buildings, along with the already established Forbes, now form the new North Campus area of the Upper School.
Above: a game taking place on Nichols Field, with the Pechet house (now 30 Gerry's Landing) visible in the back right, 1917.
Below: a flyover of the Grove Street Athletic Campus before it opened for the Homecoming game, filmed October 6, 2022.