West Newton, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
West Newton is a village
of the City of Newton, Massachusetts
and is one of the oldest of the thirteen Newton villages. The postal ("Zip") code 02465 roughly matches the village limits.
on the north and by the villages of Auburndale
on the west, Newton Lower Falls
on the extreme southwest, Newtonville
on the east, and Waban
on the south.
.
Many popular restaurants are located in West Newton, ranging from the upscale French bistro Lumiere to Sweet Tomatoes Pizza and Coney Island Ice Cream Cafe. Blue Ribbon Bar-B-Q is another local favorite, and attracts fans from far and wide.
(Framingham/Worcester line) and is roughly one mile from the Woodland station on the Green Line "D" Branch. West Newton is also served by express buses that go straight to Downtown Boston.
West Newton also has easy access to the Massachusetts Turnpike
and Route 128 (Massachusetts)
/I-95
. The Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) runs through West Newton. Routes 30 and 16
also pass through the West Newton.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of the City of Newton, Massachusetts
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
and is one of the oldest of the thirteen Newton villages. The postal ("Zip") code 02465 roughly matches the village limits.
Location
West Newton is located in the north central part of Newton and is bordered by the town of WalthamWaltham, Massachusetts
Waltham is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, was an early center for the labor movement, and major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, the city was a prototype for 19th century industrial city planning,...
on the north and by the villages of Auburndale
Auburndale, Massachusetts
Auburndale is one of the 13 villages of Newton, Massachusetts. It lies at the western end of Newton near the intersection of interstate highways 90 and 95, and is bisected by the Massachusetts Turnpike. Auburndale is surrounded by three other Newton villages as well as the city of Waltham and the...
on the west, Newton Lower Falls
Newton Lower Falls, Massachusetts
Newton Lower Falls, Massachusetts is a village of Newton, Massachusetts, on the Charles River. The commercial area extends across the river into Wellesley, Massachusetts, where it is known as Wellesley Lower Falls, where a majority of the retail businesses are.The Charles River drops 18 feet over...
on the extreme southwest, Newtonville
Newtonville, Massachusetts
Newtonville is a village of Newton, Massachusetts.Located in Newtonville is Newton North High School, one of the city's two high schools. Also located in Newtonville is the MBTA Commuter Rail train station, which is serviced by the buses 59, 553, 554, and 556....
on the east, and Waban
Waban, Massachusetts
Waban is one of the thirteen villages of Newton, Massachusetts, an affluent suburban city approximately seven miles from downtown Boston.-Origin of name:Waban was named for Waban, the first Massachusett Indian converted to Christianity, in 1646...
on the south.
Train Station
The West Newton train stop is located near a still-standing inn (now small shops) that served as a stagecoach stop. The station was destroyed in the construction of the Massachusetts TurnpikeMassachusetts Turnpike
The Massachusetts Turnpike is the easternmost stretch of Interstate 90. The Turnpike begins at the western border of Massachusetts in West Stockbridge connecting with the Berkshire Connector portion of the New York State Thruway...
.
West Newton Square
West Newton Square, the town center of West Newton is home to many local businesses and venues. These include the historic West Newton Cinema, a small theatre that shows independent films, which was originally called the West Newton Theatre.Many popular restaurants are located in West Newton, ranging from the upscale French bistro Lumiere to Sweet Tomatoes Pizza and Coney Island Ice Cream Cafe. Blue Ribbon Bar-B-Q is another local favorite, and attracts fans from far and wide.
Losses due to turnpike construction
(This list is incomplete: please add to)- West Newton Fire House, Washington Street
- West Newton Boston and Albany RailroadBoston and Albany RailroadThe Boston and Albany Railroad was a railroad connecting Boston, Massachusetts to Albany, New York, later becoming part of the New York Central Railroad system, Conrail and CSX. The line is used by CSX for freight...
Station - Lincoln Park, Washington Street, although the Lincoln Park Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King once preached, still exists.
- The Curve Street neighborhood, originally settled by freed slaves before the Civil War and still inhabited by many black families and the largely black Myrtle Baptist Church, was considerably reduced in size.
- Tony's drug store. Tony moved the business to a corner location out of the way of the turnpike, but to the detriment of the old-fashioned atmosphere. The new place was called the Newtondale Pharmacy.
- The Block - at Washington St. and Davis Court. 1st floor was store fronts; the upper floors were apartments. When you went around to the back you could see all the back porches which overlooked a lot with railroad cars and Border Street.
- Davis Ct - still exists as completely commercial, however, the houses scattered on the land are all gone; 5 Davis Court was a duplex.
Transportation
West Newton is served by the MBTA Commuter RailMBTA Commuter Rail
The MBTA Commuter Rail serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. It is operated under contract by the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company a joint partnership of Veolia Transportation, Bombardier Transportation and Alternate...
(Framingham/Worcester line) and is roughly one mile from the Woodland station on the Green Line "D" Branch. West Newton is also served by express buses that go straight to Downtown Boston.
West Newton also has easy access to the Massachusetts Turnpike
Massachusetts Turnpike
The Massachusetts Turnpike is the easternmost stretch of Interstate 90. The Turnpike begins at the western border of Massachusetts in West Stockbridge connecting with the Berkshire Connector portion of the New York State Thruway...
and Route 128 (Massachusetts)
Route 128 (Massachusetts)
Route 128, also known as the Yankee Division Highway , and originally the Circumferential Highway, is a partial beltway around Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The majority of the highway is built to freeway standards, and about 3/5 of it is part of the Interstate Highway System...
/I-95
Interstate 95 in Massachusetts
Interstate 95 is the main highway on the East Coast of the United States, paralleling the Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Maine. The Massachusetts portion of the highway enters from the state of Rhode Island in Attleboro and travels in a northeasterly direction to the junction with Route 128 in...
. The Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) runs through West Newton. Routes 30 and 16
Massachusetts Route 16
Route 16 is an east–west state highway in Massachusetts. It begins in the west at an intersection with Route 12 and Route 193 in Webster, just north of the Connecticut state border...
also pass through the West Newton.
Places on the National Register of Historic Places
- Arthur F. Luke HouseArthur F. Luke HouseArthur F. Luke House is a historic house at 221 Prince Street in Newton, Massachusetts.It was built in 1909 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990....
— 221 Prince St. (added March 16, 1990) - Brae-Burn Historic DistrictBrae-Burn Historic DistrictBrae-Burn Historic District is a historic district on Brae Burn and Windmere Roads in Newton, Massachusetts.It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990....
— Brae Burn and Windmere Rds. (added March 16, 1990) - C. A. Sawyer House (Second)C. A. Sawyer House (Second)C. A. Sawyer House is a historic house at 86 Waban Ave. in Newton, Massachusetts.It was built in 1919 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. The National Register incorrectly lists it at 221 Prince Street, the location of the separately-listed Arthur F. Luke...
— 221 Prince St. (added March 16, 1990) - C. G. Howes Dry Cleaning-Carley Real EstateC. G. Howes Dry Cleaning-Carley Real EstateC. G. Howes Dry Cleaning—Carley Real Estate is a historic building at 1171 Washington Street in the West Newton village of Newton, Massachusetts....
— 1173 Washington St. (added March 16, 1990) - Charles D. Elliott HouseCharles D. Elliott HouseThe Charles D. Elliott House is a historic house at 7 Colman Street in Newton, Massachusetts.It was built in 1865 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.-References:...
— 7 Colman St. (added October 4, 1986) - Charles W. Noves HouseCharles W. Noves HouseCharles W. Noves House is a historic house at 271 Chestnut Street in Newton, Massachusetts.It was built in 1914 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990....
— 271 Chestnut St. (added March 16, 1990) - Charles Maynard HouseCharles Maynard HouseCharles Maynard House is a historic house at 459 Crafts Street in Newton, Massachusetts.It was built in 1897 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.-References:...
— 459 Crafts St. (added May 4, 1996) - Day Estate Historic DistrictDay Estate Historic DistrictDay Estate Historic District is a historic district on Commonwealth Avenue and Dartmouth Street in Newton, Massachusetts.It was built in 1929 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990....
— Commonwealth Ave. and Dartmouth St. (added March 16, 1990) - Dr. Samuel Warren HouseDr. Samuel Warren HouseThe Dr. Samuel Warren House is a historic house at 432 Cherry Street in Newton, Massachusetts.It was built in 1716 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.-References:...
— 432 Cherry St. (added February 3, 1985) - First Unitarian Society in NewtonFirst Unitarian Society in NewtonThe First Unitarian Society in Newton is located at 1326 Washington Street in the village of West Newton in Newton, Massachusetts. Its building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the First Unitarian Church, Newton...
— 1326 Washington St. (added October 4, 1986) - Galen Merriam HouseGalen Merriam HouseGalen Merriam House is a historic house at 102 Highland Street in Newton, Massachusetts.It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.-References:...
— 102 Highland St. (added October 4, 1986) - George W. Eddy HouseGeorge W. Eddy HouseGeorge W. Eddy House is a historic house at 85 Bigelow Road in Newton, Massachusetts.It was built in 1913 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.-References:...
— 85 Bigelow Rd. (added March 16, 1990) - House at 170 Otis StreetHouse at 170 Otis StreetHouse at 170 Otis Street is a historic house at 170 Otis Street in Newton, Massachusetts.It was built in 1870 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986....
— 170 Otis St. (added October 4, 1986) - Levi Warren Jr. High School — 1600 Washington St. (added March 16, 1990)
- Nathaniel Topliff Allen HomesteadNathaniel Topliff Allen HomesteadThe Nathaniel Topliff Allen Homestead, located at 35 Webster Street, in the village of West Newton, in Newton, Massachusetts, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places at 25 Webster Street.-Current Use:...
— 25 Webster St. (added February 9, 1978) - Peirce SchoolPeirce SchoolPeirce School , 88 Chestnut Street, corner of Austin Street, West Newton, Massachusetts, was built in 1895 and operated by the City of Newton Public Schools as an elementary school from 1895 until June, 1951. It originally served grades one through eight, but at the time of its closing, it was a...
— 88 Chestnut St. (added 1979) - Railroad HotelRailroad HotelRailroad Hotel is a building that served as an historic hotel at the triangular lot where Washington Street joins Watertown Street in the West Newton section of Newton, Massachusetts, United States....
— 1273-1279 Washington St. (added October 4, 1986) - Second Church in NewtonSecond Church in NewtonThe Second Church in Newton, United Church of Christ, is located at 60 Highland Street in West Newton, Massachusetts, a village of Newton, Massachusetts...
— 60 Highland St. (added March 16, 1990) - Webster Park Historic DistrictWebster Park Historic DistrictWebster Park Historic District is a historic district along Webster Park and Webster Street between Westwood Street and Oak Avenue in Newton, Massachusetts.It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986....
— Along Webster Pk. and Webster St. between Westwood St. and Oak Ave. (added October 4, 1986) - West Newton Hill Historic DistrictWest Newton Hill Historic DistrictWest Newton Hill Historic District is a historic district in the village of West Newton, in the city of Newton, Massachusetts in the United States. On October 4, 1986, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places....
— Roughly bounded by Highland Ave., Lenox, Hampshire, and Chestnut Sts. (added October 4, 1986) - West Newton Village Center Historic DistrictWest Newton Village Center Historic DistrictWest Newton Village Center Historic District is a historic district in the village of West Newton, in the city of Newton, Massachusetts in the United States...
— Roughly Washington St. from Putnam to Davis Ct. (added March 16, 1990) - West Parish Burying GroundWest Parish Burying GroundWest Parish Burying Ground, also known as River Street Burying Ground, is an historic cemetery located at River and Cherry streets in West Newton, Massachusetts, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Second Church in Newton, its original owner, was the West Parish, the Second...
— River and Cherry Sts. (added December 13, 2004) - Windsor Road Historic DistrictWindsor Road Historic DistrictWindsor Road Historic District is a historic district on Windsor and Kent Roads in Newton, Massachusetts.It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990....
— Windsor and Kent Rds. (added March 16, 1990)
Notable Residents, Past & Present
(This list is incomplete: please add to)- Mitch AlbomMitch AlbomMitchell David "Mitch" Albom is an American best-selling author, journalist, screenwriter, dramatist, radio and television broadcaster and musician. His books have sold over 30 million copies worldwide...
- Isaac AsimovIsaac AsimovIsaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
science fiction author of I, RobotI, RobotI, Robot is a collection of nine science fiction short stories by Isaac Asimov, first published by Gnome Press in 1950 in an edition of 5,000 copies. The stories originally appeared in the American magazines Super Science Stories and Astounding Science Fiction between 1940 and 1950. The stories are... - Sheldon BrownSheldon Brown (bicycle mechanic)Sheldon Brown was an American bicycle mechanic and technical authority on bicycles. He contributed to numerous print and online sources related to bicycling, bicycle mechanics and maintenance, including his own website — and received numerous awards for his contributions.-Biography:Brown...
, bicycle mechanic and technical authority - Richard B. CarterRichard B. CarterRichard B. Carter , ink manufacturer, was president of the Carter's Ink Company, in Boston and later Cambridge, Massachusetts, from 1903-1949.-Early life and education:...
native and lifelong resident of West Newton, head of Carter's Ink Company from 1905-1949, lived at 11 Forest Ave. WN - Matt DamonMatt DamonMatthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
, actor, first made famous from Good Will HuntingGood Will HuntingGood Will Hunting is a 1997 drama film directed by Gus Van Sant and starring Matt Damon, Robin Williams, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver, and Stellan Skarsgård... - Joe DeNucci
- Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century...
- Nathaniel HawthorneNathaniel HawthorneNathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials...
- Steven HymanSteven HymanProfessor Steven E. Hyman, MD, is Distinguished Service Professor at Harvard University and a Visiting Scholar at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT. He was Provost of Harvard University from 2001 to 2011. As Provost, he was instrumental in the development of cross school and regional...
, noted neuroscientist and Provost of Harvard UniversityHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country... - Julian JaynesJulian JaynesJulian Jaynes was an American psychologist, best known for his book The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind , in which he argued that ancient peoples were not conscious....
- Timothy LearyTimothy LearyTimothy Francis Leary was an American psychologist and writer, known for his advocacy of psychedelic drugs. During a time when drugs like LSD and psilocybin were legal, Leary conducted experiments at Harvard University under the Harvard Psilocybin Project, resulting in the Concord Prison...
, Harvard professor and LSDLSDLysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
researcher - Matt LeBlancMatt LeBlancMatthew Steven "Matt" LeBlanc is an American actor, best known for his role as Joey Tribbiani on the NBC sitcoms Friends and its spin-off Joey....
, actor most widely known as Joey in FriendsFriendsFriends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television... - David MametDavid MametDavid Alan Mamet is an American playwright, essayist, screenwriter and film director.Best known as a playwright, Mamet won a Pulitzer Prize and received a Tony nomination for Glengarry Glen Ross . He also received a Tony nomination for Speed-the-Plow . As a screenwriter, he received Oscar...
, playwright, screenwriter and film director - Mark MancusoMark MancusoMark Mancuso is an American meteorologist formerly employed by The Weather Channel in Atlanta, Georgia and now with AccuWeather in State College, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. in Meteorology.-Career:Mark was a meteorologist for WITN-TV in Washington,...
, Meteorologist The Weather Channel (United States) - Horace MannHorace MannHorace Mann was an American education reformer, and a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1827 to 1833. He served in the Massachusetts Senate from 1834 to 1837. In 1848, after serving as Secretary of the Massachusetts State Board of Education since its creation, he was...
- Don NottebartDon NottebartDonald Edward Nottebart was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for five teams from 1960 to 1969. Primarily a reliever, he spent the 1963 to 1965 seasons as a starter with the Houston Colt .45s/Astros, and threw the first no-hitter in franchise history in 1963...
, MLB player - Cyrus PeirceCyrus PeirceCyrus Peirce , American educator and Unitarian minister, was the founding president of the first American public normal school, which evolved into Framingham State University.-Early life:...
, for whom Peirce SchoolPeirce SchoolPeirce School , 88 Chestnut Street, corner of Austin Street, West Newton, Massachusetts, was built in 1895 and operated by the City of Newton Public Schools as an elementary school from 1895 until June, 1951. It originally served grades one through eight, but at the time of its closing, it was a...
is named - Rebecca PidgeonRebecca PidgeonRebecca Pidgeon is a British actress and singer-songwriter. She has maintained a recording career while also acting on stage and in feature films. She is married to the American writer and director David Mamet.-Early life:...
, film actress who is married to David Mamet - Seth PutnamSeth PutnamSeth Edward Putnam was the founder of grindcore band Anal Cunt. He was known for his brutal screaming and lyrics that either shock, offend, or invoke morbid humor...
, leader from noisecoreNoisecoreNoisecore is a term for three separate music genres:* A subgenre of hardcore techno, similar to power noise or breakcore.* A form of grindcore, also known as noisegrind....
band Anal CuntAnal CuntAnal Cunt, also known as AxCx and A.C., was an American grindcore band that formed in Newton, Massachusetts in 1988. Since its inception, the band underwent a number of line-up changes. Known for its grindcore musical style and controversial lyrics, Anal Cunt released eight full-length studio... - Morrie SchwartzMorrie SchwartzMorris "Morrie" S. Schwartz was a sociology professor at Brandeis University and an author. He was the subject of the best-selling book Tuesdays With Morrie, which was published in 1997 and later made into a movie....
, subject of the best-selling book Tuesdays With MorrieTuesdays With MorrieTuesdays with Morrie is a 1997 non-fiction novel by American writer Mitch Albom. The story was later adapted by Thomas Rickman into a TV movie of the same name directed by Mick Jackson, which aired on 5 December 1999 and starred Jack Lemmon and Hank Azaria... - Harriet Beecher StoweHarriet Beecher StoweHarriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a depiction of life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom...
, author of Uncle Tom's CabinUncle Tom's CabinUncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman.... - Edward WagenknechtEdward WagenknechtEdward Wagenknecht was an American literary critic and teacher, who specialized in 19th century American literature. He wrote and edited many books on literature and movies, and taught for many years at various universities, including the University of Chicago and Boston University...
, American literary critic, prolific writer and BU professor lived on Otis Street, WN - Frank E. WinsorFrank E. WinsorFrank E. Winsor, civil engineer, was the chief engineer for the Boston Metropolitan District Water Supply Commission, now the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, from 1926 until his death in 1939 and was closely involved in the design and construction of Winsor Dam and Goodnough Dike which...
, for whom Winsor DamWinsor DamThe Winsor Dam and the Goodnough Dike impound the waters of the Swift River and the Ware River Diversion forming the Quabbin Reservoir, the largest water body in Massachusetts. According to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation the Winsor Dam is one of the largest dams in the...
is named, lived at 189 Mt. Vernon St. WN - Howard ZinnHoward ZinnHoward Zinn was an American historian, academic, author, playwright, and social activist. Before and during his tenure as a political science professor at Boston University from 1964-88 he wrote more than 20 books, which included his best-selling and influential A People's History of the United...
- Olga C. NardoneOlga C. NardoneOlga C. Nardone was an actress and one of the last surviving Munchkins from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, in which she played a member of the Lullaby League. She was known as Little Olga andrincess Olga]] and was one of the smallest of the Wizard of Oz Munchkins, standing at just 3 foot...
, Wizard Of Oz Munchkin "1939" (Villager,SleepyHead, Middle Lullaby League) 6/8/1921-9-24-2010 10 Bellevue Street - Jack LemmonJack LemmonJohn Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III was an American actor and musician. He starred in more than 60 films including Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Mister Roberts , Days of Wine and Roses, The Great Race, Irma la Douce, The Odd Couple, Save the Tiger John Uhler "Jack" Lemmon III (February 8, 1925June...
- Bette DavisBette DavisRuth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
