Historical Heritage
of Whitinsville Christian School

Near the turn of the century (1907), a group of fathers from the Christian Reformed Church of Whitinsville organized a Society for Christian Instruction.  It was their desire and purpose to educate their children in a school where God's Word was central to all of learning.  In 1924 the Society was incorporated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as an educational institution.  However, it was not until 1928 that Whitinsville Christian School opened its doors for the first time in the basement of the Christian Reformed Church on Willow Street.

When the church relocated to a new edifice on Pleasant Street, the old church was given to the Christian School Society.  Renovations were made in the 1930's, 1940's and 1950's to meet the school's needs.  Despite the renovations, it became more and more apparent that the structure was inadequate for the growing enrollment and increasing educational demands.

In the early 1960's, a decision was made to purchase land and to start a fund for the construction of a new school.  The present 27-acre site of the school was purchased from the Whitin Machine Works in 1966.  On March 30, 1968, ground was broken for the construction of the present building at 279 Linwood Avenue.  Through the efforts of a dedicated building committee, much sacrificial giving of money and volunteer labor, the building was ready for occupancy in November 1969.

On the day before Thanksgiving 1969, the entire student body walked from the old Willow Street building to the new Linwood Avenue building.  It was a remarkable and thrilling sight to witness this evidence of God's blessing poured out upon His people.  To enter a beautiful new facility with large well-equipped, carpeted classrooms and lively-painted walls was a welcome change for the students and teachers!

The building served us very adequately until 1977 when it was decided to add a music room and two remedial reading rooms.

During the years of the late 1970's, a number of parents urged the expansion of our K-9 system to a full K-12 school.

In February of 1979, the Society went on record as needing to build an addition to the present building to take care of the high school needs.  The building included five classrooms, a large science laboratory, offices, dressing rooms, science storage room and darkroom for photography.

In June of 1983 yet another building campaign was approved and begun.  The new addition met the needs of our expanding junior/senior high school.  The addition added six new classrooms, a new band/orchestra room, a vocal ensemble and Suzuki violin practice room, 250 bleacher seats for our gymnasium, expanded office space and a basement for storage.  This two story addition added approximately 12,000 square feet to the existing K-12 school building.

During the summer of 1989, the secondary library was remodeled so that both elementary and secondary libraries could be located in one room.  An attractive design with the addition of a second level within the library was completed for the 1989-90 school year.  The room vacated by the elementary library is now used as a classroom for the expanding enrollment.

In June of 1992 the Whitinsville Society for Christian Instruction approved the addition of three elementary school classrooms to accommodate the growing enrollment.  In the 1992-93 school year there were two sections each of grades K-6.

In September 1993 WCS was awarded full accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).  Accreditation was granted after almost 2 years of self-study by the staff, board, and the WCS community.  WCS now has the distinction of being the oldest accredited Christian school in New England.

On September 30, 1997, the Whitinsville Society for Christian Instruction met and approved a $1.6 million building addition to the current school.  The addition included a 2nd floor above the middle school with seven classrooms, two science labs, and a faculty workroom.  The new addition accommodates high school students.  Also included in the construction were renovations to the area beneath the new classrooms, a complete sprinkler system for the whole school, a new fire alarm system, and a new intercom system for the whole building.  An aggressive time schedule for construction allowed students to occupy the new addition on October 20, 1998.

On April 21, 2002, the Whitinsville Society for Christian Instruction approved a two room addition to accommodate the increasing interest in Christian education.  The two classrooms were created by extending the middle school section of the building.

The historical heritage of WCS is truly a testimony to the faithfulness of God throughout generations.