The Enright building was built in 1905 to house Smith Academy and the Manual Training School private schools for boys, sponsored by Washington University. Unlike its female counterpart, Mary Institute, Smith Academy did not survive and was closed in 1917 after a career dating back to the 1850s. In 1918, the building was purchased by the Board of Education and was re-opened as the Ben Blewett Junior High School, becoming a four-year high school in 1931. This school was discontinued in 1949 when Harris Teachers College moved to the building from its old location at 1517 South Theresa Ave. Harris remained there until 1963 when it moved again, this time to the former Vashon High School at 3026 Laclede Ave. After 1963, the building became the Enright Middle School, housing the seventh and eighth grades.