Once known as Squash End, West Newton Village Historic District now stands before us. It is a testament to time and progress. Are you ready to explore its captivating story?
West Newton is one of Newton’s thirteen villages. It proudly holds its place as one of the oldest. The West Newton Village Center itself is a National Register Historic District. This area’s story whispers from every building.
Imagine Washington Street in the 1690s. It was a simple path beside John Fuller’s vast farm. Dr. Samuel Warren’s house, built in 1716, stands as a reminder. William Williams, a cousin of the Williams College founder, constructed it.
The arrival of Congregationalists shaped West Newton. They established the Second Church in Newton in 1764. This split from the first church in Newton Center.
Transportation spurred growth. The railroad arrived in 1834. West Newton became a stop on the Boston and Albany line. Coaches linked the village to Waltham and Newton Lower Falls.
Look at the Railroad Hotel. It is also known as the Davis Tavern. Seth Davis, an entrepreneur and educator, built it in 1831. In 1834, railroad directors gathered here. They celebrated their first train journey from Boston.
Davis was a key figure. He founded a school and planted trees. Streets bear his name. The Railroad Hotel became a Newton City Landmark in 2019.
West Newton became an education hub. Horace Mann founded a teaching training college. Reverend Cyrus Peirce led it. It may have been the first college for women in the United States. Nathaniel Topliff Allen headed the West Newton English and Classical School. His school welcomed all races and emphasized learning through experience. His homestead was a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Elizabeth Palmer Peabody lived on West Newton Hill. She championed kindergartens. Her sister married Horace Mann. They hosted Nathaniel Hawthorne. Reverend Henry Lambert advocated for abolition. Ralph Waldo Emerson visited his home.
From 1848 to 1931, West Newton served as Newton’s civic center. The town hall was once located at Captain John Ryan Park. The original West Newton Branch Library is now a police annex.
The First Unitarian Universalist Society remains. Their Gothic Revival structure was built in 1905. The Second Church of Newton boasts a Gothic Revival sanctuary. Myrtle Baptist Church has been a center for the African-American community since the 1870s.
Notice the Robinson Block. It is a commercial building from 1875. It features detailed ornamentation. Two bank buildings add to the village’s architecture.
The West Newton Village Historic District tells a story of education, transport, and community. It is a story etched in stone and brick, a legacy to be cherished.