Our story begins in 1996 with a group of enthusiastic parents who decided that the MetroWest area of Boston would benefit from a new Montessori school, one that offered attention to the individual child, an outstanding faculty, and a creative, yet academically rigorous, environment. These parents found an historic Victorian building situated in a beautiful neighborhood and centrally located in Framingham.

On the first day of school, Summit opened with 48 students. In September 2013, we launched a Beginners Program for children ages 18 through 36 months. Today, Summit can enroll up to 100 students from our Beginners through sixth grade. Summit’s growth has been careful and gradual to ensure that we continue to offer individualized education in an intimate environment.

The Moses Ellis House

Our historic building is known as the Moses Ellis House and is an outstanding example of the Italianate architectural style of the mid-19th century. In 1866, adistinguished gentleman named Moses Ellis purchased the site on Pleasant Street and hired architect Alexander Rice Esty to build the current Italianate home. The house took five years to build. In 1911 Moses Ellis, Jr. sold the house for $1.00 to the Headmaster of a boarding school for boys (called the Danforth School), with one stipulation: that the building be modernized with plumbing and electricity.

The Moses Ellis House went through a series of owners between 1919 and 1996, at which time Summit Montessori opened its doors to its first generation of students. With such a fascinating history, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was featured in the Framingham Historical Society’s 2006 House Tour.