You're Invited: The Commons Opening Celebration

By Lance Conrad

This summer marks an historical moment in the School’s campus facilities development. Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall spent a great deal of time and energy focused on two capital building projects on campus: completing renovations of "The Commons" and planning for construction on our new pool complex. As one renovation concludes in the final days of August, the latter project begins. Information about the pool complex will be posted soon.

We are pleased to inform the community that “The Commons” is scheduled to open on time with a reception and facility reveal on Friday, September 7th, at 5:00 p.m. We are inviting new families to join us for a new family reception in the student commons within from 4:00-5:00 p.m. before our formal program begins. Several months of renovating and repurposing will be highlighted as we introduce our new assembly/recital hall, four classrooms in world languages and music, art gallery, school bookstore and student commons to the community. As part of our Realizing our Future, Honoring our Past capital campaign, we have been able to successfully turn this historic building around in a matter of months after our September, 2011 purchase of the transformational property. To date, the School has secured nearly $1.1MM in gifts and pledges toward our goal. This is a wonderful opportunity for the CH-CH community to come together and celebrate our collective vision and support for the School.

After 150 years functioning as an active and vibrant church, the Waltham Covenant Congregational Church closed its doors in December, 2010. For 122 of these years, the church and Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School co-existed and shared resources and space as needs emerged. Built in 1860, the Swedenborgians founded the Waltham New Church School at Piety Corner to meet their church community’s need for a classroom on site. Four years later, in 1864, Wilkins Hall was built “over the hill” to accommodate school growth for their religious community. To this day, Wilkins Hall remains at the heart of academic life for Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall albeit without any religious affiliation. It is the School’s iconic and now second oldest building standing merely yards away from this historic chapel structure which it was once intimately connected with, the sanctuary built to nurture the spiritual teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg.

On Friday, September 2, 2011, Chapel Hill-Chauncy Hall School finalized the purchase of this facility. One year later, we officially open this new yet historical building, The Commons. The strategic acquisition, renovation and repurposing presents an opportunity to reclaim our past while embracing a new and historic socio-academic space for our students, a space that provides ongoing transformational experiences in academic pursuits, student life and the performing arts. Along the way, we will continue to seek ways in which to partner with the greater Waltham community in pursuit of educational and cultural enrichment. Our 2nd Wednesdays at the CH-CH Commons initiative represents one such step to fulfilling this desire for increased civic engagement for the common good. We look forward to the re-emergence of this facility in the life of Piety Corner in the months and years ahead.

CH-CH will kick-off our monthly author/artist series in 2012 with authors Dr. Michael Thompson (Raising Cain; Homesick and Happy) on October 10, Daniel Palmer (Delirious; Helpless) on November 14, and world-renowned New York Times bestselling author Michael Connelly on January 9.  All talks and performers are free and open to the public and set to begin at 7:00 p.m. There will be book-signings and small receptions after each of these events.