The original 3 acre site for Moses Y. Beach School was given to the town in 1868 by Moses Yale Beach while he was on his death bed, a month before he died. It was to be used for constructing a high school.
Wallingford High School was built in 1871 as a 4 story, mansard roofed structure and housed all twelve grades, with the high school being on the 4th floor.
This current school replaced a one room school, which had one teacher for 120 students in grades 1-12.
On Aug. 9, 1878, a deadly tornado struck Wallingford, killing 30 people, while destroying much property including the top 2 ½ floors of the school. There were no injuries or deaths at the school.
It was rebuilt as a 3 story school, which lasted until 1951, when it was replaced by the current building.
Today’s school is named for Moses Y. Beach, a Wallingford native born near Sheehan High School who became very wealthy while owning the New York Sun, and who is credited with founding the Associated Press. In his retirement, he was an active supporter of education in town as evidenced by his giving many awards and books to students for meritorious scholarship and good comportment. When he returned to town in the early 1850s, he paid to have a Liberty Pole erected in middle of the Main & Center intersection, and later spearheaded raising over $100,000 to aid the Union cause in the Civil War.
Photo from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses_Yale_Beach