THE VILLAGES OF NEWTON

Newton

Newton has a well-earned reputation as "The Garden City." But physical beauty is only a small part of its allure. Rich in historic ethnic, and cultural makeup, Newton's heterogeneous population blend gives the city a marvelous character and dynamic personality.

Settled in 1630, Newton was originally incorporated as a town in 1688. Later, in 1873, Newton became a city.

Newton is a wonderful place for those who love diversity. This is a city of villages. Each of the fourteen villages has its own unique character, culture, and style. Consistently posting one of the highest bond ratings in the state, Newton residents are proud of their city's reputation for stability. With excellent city services and an extensive Recreation Department, people here enjoy convenient and comfortable living. Newton's perfect location close to Boston and all of the surrounding major roads and highways, make shopping and commuting a breeze.

It is no surprise that Newton's schools are consistently ranked among the best in the nation. Education is a high priority in this community largely made up of well-educated adults. Subsequently, many Newton High School graduates continue their education at some of the nations most prestigious colleges and institutions.

With fourteen villages - each with its own culture, style and flavor, the city of Newton seems more like a collection of small towns grouped together. Lovely Newton, however, takes pride in its united purpose of a high quality of life, excellent schools, and broad city services for its residents. Homes come in a broad range of sizes, styles, and settings to suit every taste and budget.

City Information

Settled	1630
Incorporated	1688
Distance from Boston	8 miles
Population	85,000
Land Area	18.3 square miles
Form of Government	Mayor/City Council

Important Phone Numbers

Police/Fire/Ambulance	911
MA Poison Center	1-800-682-9211
Police Business	617-552-7240
Fire Business	617-552-7270
Newton/Wellesley Hospital	617-243-6000
Public Library	617-552-7145
City Clerk	617-552-7030
Supt. of Schools	617-552-7591

Newton Schools

Nearly half of every tax dollar goes to education, so the fact that Newton has one of the top ranking public high schools in the United States is no surprise to those familiar with the town. Nor should it be a surprise that a vast majority of students from this school system pursue higher education. The city also houses some of the top private schools, including Boston Collage and its law school, the Andover-Newton Theological Seminary. Newton has 15 elementary schools, 3 middle schools and 2 high schools.

Elementary

Middle Schools

Charles E. Brown	617-552-7409
F.A. Day	617-552-7379
Bigelow	617-552-7800
Oak Hill	617-559-9200

High Schools

The Villages of Newton

Auburndale

In 1834, Auburndale, like Newtonville, was only a flagging stop on the new Boston and Worcester Railroad, and then only at the persuasive urging of the Reverend Charles duMaresque Pigeon. Despite being just two miles from the station stop at West Newton, this flagging stop inspired dramatic real estate activity and residential growth.

The Area was often lightheartedly referred to as "Saint's Rest," due to the many clergymen who lived here, but Reverend Pigeon's original "Auburn Dale" name prevailed.

Many years later, of course, Auburndale became renowned for riverside and Norumbega Park along the banks of the Charles.

Chestnut Hill

In 1821 the Hammond Family sold 165 acres, located partly in Newton and partly in Brookline, to an un-married retired sea captain named Joseph Lee. Upon his death he left this "farmland" to his nieces and nephews whose interests in were in Boston and who paid little attention to this remote and inaccessible property. And so it sat-until the 1850's-when construction of Beacon Street and the Charles River Railroad made the land both accessible and attractive. They built their own homes on the land and began development of a new community. They called it "Chestnut Hill".

Lower Falls

The Village of Lower Falls developed early in the history of Newton due primarily to the late 1600's major roads that passed through here - and to the powerful Charles River. The first gristmill operated before 1700 and many more mills appeared along the river over the next 100 years. One, the paper mill building at the lower falls, remains a popular and busy place today. In 1816 Newton's first Post Office opened here to service the inns, stores, mills and growing population. There was a daily stagecoach to Boston, and beginning in 1840, a new railroad spur.

Today, Lower Falls boasts a broad selection of restaurants, shops and commercial businesses.

Newtonville

Before the Boston and Worcester Railroad opened in 1834 there were only two buildings here, the old Hull Mansion and the John Bullough's gristmill storehouse. But that trains stopped at "Hull's Crossing" (as it became known) only when flagged, development began in earnest.

By 1847, Newtonville, Newton's first "railroad village," was a thriving residential community.

Newton Centre

The Newton Centre area was already home to many families by the time the town of Newton was established in 1688. By 1721, to meet the needs of residents in the area, a new meeting house was built at the corner of the Centre and Homer Street, followed by a school, training field, pound etc. With the establishment of the Town House, the Village became known as the "Centre".

Less than 30 years later, though partially due to the physical obstacle that isolated it form the area's other developing population, the Town House, amid bitter debates, was moved to West Newton. Despite this movement and despite not being geographically located in the center of town, Newton Centre has proudly retained its name.

Newton Highlands

Surprisingly, in 1852, the Oak Hill railroad station was built (at the site of our present Newton Highlands T stop) despite a sparse population and seemingly small need. Passenger service was erratic for years. The tracks were used primarily to haul gravel to fill in Boston's Back Bay, until the railroad was upgraded in 1870.

Gradually development began and the name 'Newton Highlands' was chosen for the emerging village.

'Four Corners', sometimes thought to be a village of its own, is located at the corner of Beacon Street and Walnut Street, where Newton Highlands borders Newton Centre.

Newton Corner

Shortly after 1633, when the land area that is now Newton was transferred from Watertown to Cambridge, families moved to this area and a small community began to form. This was to be Newton's first settlement. In the early 1700's the hamlet was referred to as "Angier's Corner" - named after Oakes Angier Tavern, a long-standing and popular landmark.

Later, the stagecoach passed through and beginning in 1834, the Boston and Worcester Railroad stopped here. In 1844, when commuter service began, the local station was named "Newton Corner," which later became the name given to the village.

Nonantum

David Bemis' paper mill opened in 1778. Soon other factories were built in the area and y the mid-1800's several other industries had sprung up. Residents adopted the name 'Nonantum' (an Indian name meaning 'place of rejoicing') from one of these businesses, the Nonantum Worsted Company.

Thus the Village of Nonantum that we know now replaced an earlier village by the same name near Newton Corner.

Oak Hill

Oak Hill was slow to develop as a community. Despite its accessible location, wetlands kept farms scattered and widespread, discouraging the development of a community village. As a result neither stagecoach nor railroad were routed there and roads were slight. It wasn't until the introduction of the automobile early this century that soil was drained and Oak Hill began to blossom as a thriving village unto its own.

Upper Falls

Newton's first use of the Charles River as a source of power took place here in 1688 with the construction of a sawmill. After the Revolutionary War, textile mills, iron works and machine works flourished along the river. By 1820, Upper Falls was emerging as a typical self-sufficient New England mill village where worker's quarters abutted the mills and the more affluent residents lived on the hillside above.

Today the beautiful meandering Charles River, forming the long southern borders of Upper Falls, brings scenic pleasure and recreational enjoyment to village residents.

West Newton

The North Street Bridge, built in 1761, joined the towns of Newton and Waltham. This bridge along with a riverside road joining main roads to other communities met at the center of a new village called West Newton Square. A meetinghouse, church and tavern soon were
followed by more and larger facilities to accommodate the burgeoning business brought by the busy stagecoach, and then by the railroad.

Naturally this area in the north side of town grew rapidly to the point that, in 1849, it justified the relocation of the Town House from Newton Centre to this busy West Newton Village.