Newton Centre is one of the thirteen

villages A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban village ...

within the city of Newton in Middlesex County,

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, United States. The main commercial center of Newton Centre is a triangular area surrounding the intersections of

Beacon Street Beacon Street is a major east–west street in Boston, Massachusetts, and its western suburbs of Brookline, Massachusetts, Brookline and Newton, Massachusetts, Newton. It passes through many of Boston's central and western neighborhoods, includ ...

, Centre Street, and Langley Road. It is the largest downtown area among all the villages of Newton, and serves as a large upscale shopping destination for the western suburbs of Boston. The

Newton City Hall and War Memorial The Newton City Hall and War Memorial is a historic city hall and war memorial building located in the village of Newton Centre in Newton, Massachusetts. Built in 1932 in the Colonial Revival style, the building was designed by Allen and Collen ...

is located at 1000 Commonwealth Avenue, and the Newton Free Library is located at 330 Homer Street in Newton Centre. The Newton Centre station of the MBTA Green Line "D" branch is located on Union Street. The Crystal Lake and Pleasant Street Historic District is roughly bounded by the Sudbury Aqueduct, Pleasant Avenue, Lake Avenue, and Crystal Street and Webster Court. This area and its surrounding neighborhoods exemplify the distinct styles of the late 19th century and early 20th century. Crystal Lake, a 33-acre natural lake, is a popular swimming spot for locals in the area.

Education

K-12 Education

*The Wellan Montessori School is a private school located at 80 Crescent Street in Newton Centre. *Mason-Rice Elementary School is a public elementary school operated by Newton Public Schools located at 149 Pleasant Street. *The Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart is a private, all-girls Roman Catholic high school and middle school located on the Loren Towle Estate off Centre Street. *Mt. Alvernia High School is a private, all-girls high school located at 790 Centre Street.

Colleges and universities

*The Boston College Law School campus, which includes undergraduate housing, is located on Centre Street at the Newton Centre- Newton Corner line. * Andover Newton Theological School, now the Andover Newton Seminary, is a private graduate institution associated with the Yale Divinity School located on Herrick Rd. * Hebrew College is also located on Herrick Road in Newton Centre.

Notable people

* Loraine Campbell, American birth control right activist * William Ryan, psychologist and author of 'Blaming the victim' (1972, 1976), see

Victim blaming Victim blaming occurs when the victim of a crime or any wrongful act is held entirely or partially at fault for the harm that befell them. There is historical and current prejudice against the victims of domestic violence and sex crimes, such as ...