Built in 1915 Arlington High School stands before you. This wasn’t the town’s first high school. That honor belongs to Cotting Academy built much earlier in 1858. It stood on Academy Street where the Arlington Masonic Temple now stands. A new Arlington High School replaced Cotting in 1894 just across the street. That building now houses the Arlington Center for the Arts. The school you see today was designed by Howard B S Prescott. The original building known as Fusco House had separate entrances for boys and girls. Later additions Collomb House and Downs House expanded the campus. Renovations occurred in 1981.
Arlington High School’s history is tied to Peirce Field. This athletic field wasn’t always there. It was created by filling in Cutter’s Pond a former milling site. Mill Brook still flows beneath the school. Interestingly the field needed a major renovation in 2004. Soil contamination from a nearby company that once operated where the Department of Public Works is now located required extensive cleanup. The company paid for the entire remediation project.
Arlington High School hasn’t always been the Spy Ponders. Early on the school’s teams were known as the Indians or the Red and Gray reflecting the school colors and fight song. For a time in the 1970s Trojans was the nickname. The Spy Ponders name however had been used informally for years. The name is linked to the local Spy Pond. The school’s logo once featured a Native American figure modeled after a local sculpture. It was replaced in 2020 following protests.
The school’s legacy extends far beyond its walls. Arlington High boasts notable alumni including Oscar-winning actress Olympia Dukakis comedian Dane Cook and professional soccer player Noel Buck. Many other successful individuals in various fields call Arlington High their alma mater. The school has achieved national recognition for its academic performance ranking high among American public high schools. Arlington High continues to shape the lives of its students shaping futures. A new modern Arlington High School is currently under construction. This ambitious multimillion dollar project promises a state of the art facility.