Since the fall of 2024, Walpole High School (WHS) had been under construction, both on the exterior and interior of the campus. The building of WHS’s new Field House had been going on since the beginning of 2025. The construction plan has the current WHS gym taken down and turned into a new music and art wing, and the new field house will replace the gym. WHS students and staff had been waiting for the new field house to be finished, as the school stated it would be done by December of 2025; however, it was moved back to early January this year.
“The reason for the delay was that the floor installers took longer than they should have. And because the floor wasn’t in, we had scheduled the bleacher installers and we had to tell them to go away again,” WHS Principal Stephen Imbusch said.
The Field House will include a new gym, containing new bleachers, a scoreboard and a track. The area surrounding the gym will include a locker room, the athletic director’s office, the athletic trainer’s office and a health classroom. Additionally, the new gym will operate through the usage of remotes, to take the bleachers in and out, put the blinds down or up and bring the court divider down. Moreover, the gym will open up many new opportunities for all of WHS’s sports teams.
“The cheer team is excited because we will be able to host cheer competitions and we will have a bigger space to practice in,” WHS sophomore Abby Dorant said.
Before the renovation project, many WHS sports teams had to practice outside in harsh weather conditions. Football, soccer, field hockey and track have all had to practice outside in harsh weather conditions. Now, these teams will have a place to practice during bad weather. There will also be batting cages in the new facility, which the baseball and softball teams can use to practice. Since the space is now larger, play off games and other larger scale events can be held in the new gym. Similarly, both the boys and girls volleyball teams can practice and play games at WHS instead of at Elm Street Elementary School as they have done in the past.
“It’s a much better and larger space and a lot of use will be gotten out of it,” WHS athletic director David St. Martin said.
On Thursday, Jan. 22, a doubleheader basketball game took place in the new gym. This was one of the first sporting events held in the new gym, as only a wrestling meet had been hosted in the new gym the Saturday before. Principal Imbusch invited all members of the Walpole community to attend the game.
The new gym will majorly improve both the WHS and Walpole communities, and will serve as a community space. Youth indoor sporting events will now be held inside of the new gym. The field house does not only benefit WHS, but all of Walpole.
