Originally founded as Roxbury High School, the school was situated at 205 Townsend Street, in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States from 1926 until its closure in 1960.

[5] Prior to being erected, the Townsend Street building had been named as such in 1925 by members of the Boston School Committee "in commemoration of the Boston schoolmen who lost their lives during the World War".

[6] The school building was built in two phases, a girls' portion completed with classes started for the 1926-27 school year, and a boys' half completed with classes started in September, 1928.

[7][8] The two halves were treated as separate institutions, Memorial High School for Boys and Memorial High School for Girls, both with its own headmasters and set of teachers.

The school was the first in the City of Boston to feature a swimming pool.