Hillside Intermediate School

51 Hillside Ave.

Built in 1905 and opened in 1906 as Naugatuck High School, now Hillside Intermediate School, exemplifies Neo-Classical Revival architecture. Designed by the renowned architectural firm McKim, Mead & White and commissioned by philanthropist John Howard Whittemore, the building was placed on a hill overlooking the Naugatuck Green. Its unique site allowed entrances on three levels, a feature recognized in Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Upon completion, the school was hailed as “America’s best equipped and most sumptuous public-school building.”

Whittemore’s vision for the town’s civic improvement led to the construction of Salem School in 1894, which initially served both as a grammar school and a high school. However, by 1900, it became clear that a new high school was needed. Whittemore hired McKim, Mead & White around 1901 to design a new facility.

Frederick F. Schaffer’s house sat in the spot that Mr. Whittemore wanted for the school's location. Estimated in 1904, he purchased the house from Mr. Schaffer, who then moved to a home on Rockwell Avenue. Mr. Whittemore then moved the house across the street to make room for Hillside School.

Greek and Roman Classical forms, consistent with the Beaux-Arts training of the architects, inspire the design of Hillside Intermediate School. Constructed of pressed buff brick and pink Milford granite, the school’s architecture resembles a Grecian temple. Triple flights of granite stairs lead to the south entrance beneath a two-story Ionic pavilion. The school’s east facade, visible from downtown, features a monumental Ionic colonnade and bronze anthemion decorations restored following a 1961 fire. The building's complex hipped roof, surrounded by copper trim and limestone trim, further emphasizes the classical style.

Designated as part of the Naugatuck Center Historic District on July 30, 1999.

Walking Tour Next Stop >

The high school, whose increasing enrollment as the town grew exceeded what the Salem School could accommodate, included facilities that reflected modern educational priorities, emphasizing an active life of healthy exercise, the study of science, and technical training suitable for both genders. The building was equipped with chemistry and physics labs, a gymnasium featuring an elevated indoor track, and a machine shop for boys and a sewing classroom for girls. It also contained a drawing classroom and a library filled with sculpture and framed reproductions of classical art, selected and hung by Harris. J. H. Whittemore gave the town an endowment to provide for the maintenance of the school.

Source: Hidden In Plain Sight - Ann Y. Smith

Art in Naugatuck High School 1905

Ground Floor

Statue of Minerva (Roman goddess of wisdom) (Athena Greek)

Pictures (24) famous

Departure of the Mayflower, Bayes
The First Sunday in New England, Bayes
Washington Crossing the Delaware, Leutze
Lincoln, St Gaudens (Brooding Lincoln statue Grant Park, Chgo.)
Mount Vernon
Santa Maria, Caravel
Capitol at Washington
George Washington, Gilbert Stuart
Concord Bridge
Signing the Declaration of Independence, Trumbull (at Phila.)
Surrender of Cornwallis, Trumbull (at Yorktown)
Franklin at the Court of France
Old Ironsides, Johnson
Windmill, Ruysdael
Grand Canal at Venice
Forge of Vulcan, Velasquez
Kenilworth Castle
Children of Charles I, Van Dyck
Holyroas Palaces
Abbotsford
Heidelberg Castle
Taj Mahal, India
Temple of Isis, Philae
Maison Carree, Nimes

Main Floor

Statue of the Discus Thrower * Completely destroyed in the 1961 fire. When school became Junior High with 7th & 8th grade students, the statue moved to the basement as a nude figure was not acceptable.

Statue of Augustus Caesar (was Octavian), statesman, builder, symbol of Roman authority

Plaster freize of the Parthenon Bronze bust of Washington * Presented by Alfred A. Pope. Very
likely a barve which he collected.

Connecticut's Senator Orville - * Hitchcock Platt died in office in 1905.

Hon. O.H. Platt - Portrait

Pictures (25)

Frederick the Great by Gruff
The Captain, Franz Hals
Sir Galahad by Watts
Avenue of Trees, Middelharnis - Hobbema
Interior of Lincoln Cathedral
The Lions Gate at Mycenae
Matinee, Carol
The Fighting Temeraire, Turner
Amiens Cathedral

Arivers on the Oise, Daubigne
Ville D’Avray, Carot
The Mandolin Player, Franz Hals
The Jolly Man
Study of a Lion, Landseer
Aurora, Reni
Spring, Mauve
Sheep
The Angelus - Millet
The Gleaners
Saskia - Rembrandt
The Syndics of Drapers - Rembrandt
An Officer
The Concert - Georgione
Carlisle, Whistler
Bodenhausen Madonna

Top Floor

Statue of Moses, Michelangelo (sitting figure, long beard)
David
Hermes, Praxiteles
Demosthenes
Sophocles
Venus de Milo (Aphrodite)

Relief of the meeting of Henry VIII and Francois I on Field of Cloth of Gold. (Their famous encounter took its name from the cloth of gold covering the pavilion where they met.)

Pictures (16)

Citadel of Cairo
Ave. of Sphinxes - Karnak
Great Hall of Columns, Karnak
Facade Large Rock Temple, Abu Simbel
Temple at Paestum - Granite Temple at Gizeh
The Great Pyramids of Gizeh
Forum at Pompeii
Interior of San Sophia, Constantinople (Blt 537 by Justinian. Has most unusual flat dome.)

Mosque of St Basil, Moscow (one of the strangest buildings in the world with a dozen oriental domes with color and gold)

William of Orange, Van Dyke
St Barbara, Vecchio
Interior of Exeter Cathedral
Colosseum
Cloisters of Certosadi Pavia

Burnham Beeches and the Surrender of Burgogne at Saratoga by Col. John Trumbull

First Floor
Corridor - South to North

Frederick the Great - Graff
The Captain - Franz Hals
Hon. O.H. Platt - Portrait
Sir Galahad - Watts
Ave. of Trees, Middelharnis - Hobbema
Interior of Lincoln Cathedral
The Lions’ Gate of Mycenae
Statue of Discus Thrower
Plaster Frieze of Parthenon on left
Amiens Cathedral
Matinee - Carot
The Fighting Temeraire - Turner
Statue of Augustus Caesar

Committee Room

Auvers on the Oise - Daubigny
Ville d’Avray - Carot
The Mandolin Player - Franz Hals
The Jolly Man - Franz Hals

Teachers’ Room

Study of a Lion - Landseer
Aurora - Reni
Saskia - Rembrandt
The Angelus - Millet
Bodenhausen Madonna

Reception Room

Bronze Bust of Washington. Presented by Alfred A. Pope
The Gleaners - Millet
Spring - Mauve
Sheep - Mauve

Office

The Syndics of Drapers - Rembrandt
The Concert - Giorgione
An Officer - Rembrandt
Carlyle - Whistler

Ground Floor South to North

Departure of the Mayflower - Bayes
Washington Crossing the Delaware - Leutze
Lincoln - St Gaudens
Mt. Vernon

East Vestibule

Santa Maria Caravel
Capitol at Washington

Corridor

Washington - Stuart
Concord Bridge
Signing the Declaration of Independence - Trumbull
The First Sunday in New England - Bayes
Franklin at the Court of France
Statue of Minerva

North Stairway
Ground floor to top

Old Ironsides - Johnson
Surrender of Cornwallis - Trumbull

Windmill - Ruysdael
Grand Canal at Venice
Forge of Vulcan - Valaquez
Kenilworth Castle
Children of Charles I - Van Dyck

Holyrood Palace
Abbotsford
Heidelberg Castle
Taj Mahal - India
Temple of Isis - Philae
Maison Carree - Nimes

Second Floor
North Corridor

Statue of David - Michelangelo
Statue of Moses
Statue of Hermes - Praxiteles

Main Corridor
North to South

Statue of Demosthenes
Citadel of Cairo
Facade Large Rock Temple - Abu Simbel
Avenue of Sphinxes, Karnak

Relief - Meeting of Henry VIII
and Francis I on Field of
Cloth of Gold.

Second Floor

West Vestibule

Temple at Paestum
Granite Temple at Gizeh