West Newton is one of the thirteen

villages A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

within the city of

Newton Newton most commonly refers to: * Isaac Newton (1642–1726/1727), English scientist * Newton (unit), SI unit of force named after Isaac Newton Newton may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Newton'' (film), a 2017 Indian film * Newton ( ...

in Middlesex County,

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Among the oldest of the thirteen Newton villages, the West Newton Village Center is a National Register Historic District. 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 Waltham on the north and by the villages of Auburndale on the west,

Newton Lower Falls Newton Lower Falls, Massachusetts is one of the thirteen villages within the city of Newton in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The commercial area extends across the river into Wellesley, Massachusetts, where it is known as Wellesl ...

on the extreme southwest, Newtonville on the east, and

Waban Waban (16041685) was a Native American of the Nipmuc group and was thought to be the first Native American convert to Christianity in Massachusetts. Life Waban was born about 1604 at Musketaquid, near the present town of Concord. While there i ...

on the south.

Railroad Station

The West Newton train stop is located near an inn (now small shops) that served as a stagecoach stop. The original station structure was destroyed in the construction of the

Massachusetts Turnpike The Massachusetts Turnpike (colloquially "Mass Pike" or "the Pike") is a toll highway in the US state of Massachusetts that is maintained by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). The turnpike begins at the New York state li ...

, although the station itself still exists as a stop on the commuter rail.

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 more upscale Bluebird Cafe to Sweet Tomatoes Pizza, and Paddy’s public house. Blue Ribbon Bar-B-Q is another local favorite, and attracts fans from far and wide. There are several civic buildings in West Newton Square. They include the Newton Police Department and the local courthouse, both located on Washington Street, as well as the Chinese Community Center on Elm Street. The square once had a branch of the Newton Free Library as well as the Davis Elementary School on Waltham Street. Both closed in the 1980s owing to municipal financial constraints. The library building on Chestnut Street is now a police annex, while the school operates as a community center.

Losses due to turnpike construction

* West Newton Fire House, Washington Street * West Newton

Boston and Albany Railroad The 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 Transportation. The line is currently used by CSX for freight. Pass ...

Station * Lincoln Park, Washington Street, although the Lincoln Park Baptist Church, where

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

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 Rail The MBTA Commuter Rail system serves as the commuter rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's transportation coverage of Greater Boston in the United States. Trains run over of track to 141 different stations, with 58 statio ...

(

Framingham/Worcester Line The Framingham/Worcester Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system runs west from Boston, Massachusetts to Worcester, Massachusetts through the MetroWest region, serving 17 station stops in Boston, Newton, Wellesley, Natick, Framingham, Ashlan ...

) and is roughly one mile from the

Woodland station Woodland station is a light rail stop on the MBTA Green Line D branch, located off Washington Street ( MA-16) between the Newton Lower Falls and Auburndale villages of Newton, Massachusetts, United States. It serves as access to the Newto ...

on the

Green Line D branch The Green Line D branch (also referred to as the Highland branch or Riverside Line) is a light rail line in Newton, Brookline, and Boston, Massachusetts, operating as part of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Green Line. The ...

. West Newton is also served by express buses

505 Year 505 ( DV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Theodorus and Sabinianus (or, less frequently, year 1258 '' Ab urb ...

, 553, 554 that provide service to Boston and Waltham. West Newton also has easy access to the

and

Route 128 (Massachusetts) Route 128, known as the Yankee Division Highway, is a state highway in the U.S. state of Massachusetts maintained by the Highway Division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). Spanning , it is one of two beltways (the othe ...

I-95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the Canadia ...

. The Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) runs through West Newton. Routes 30 and 16 also pass through the West Newton.

Places on the National Register of Historic Places

Arthur F. Luke House Arthur F. Luke House is a historic house at 221 Prince Street in Newton, Massachusetts. The house, which is stories high, is built in a rustic American Craftsman, Craftsman style. It is topped by a hip roof with three cross gables across the fa ...

: 221 Prince St. (added March 16, 1990) * Brae-Burn Historic District: Brae Burn and Windmere Rds. (added March 16, 1990) * C. A. Sawyer House (Second): 86 Waban Ave. (added March 16, 1990) *

C. G. Howes Dry Cleaning-Carley Real Estate The C. G. Howes Dry Cleaning—Carley Real Estate building is a historic commercial building at 1171 Washington Street in the West Newton village of Newton, Massachusetts. The single story buff brick building was constructed in 1928, to a desi ...

: 1173 Washington St. (added March 16, 1990) * Charles D. Elliott House: 7 Colman St. (added October 4, 1986) * Charles W. Noyes House: 271 Chestnut St. (added March 16, 1990) *

Charles Maynard House The Charles Maynard House is a historic house at 459 Crafts Street in Newton, Massachusetts. The house was built in 1897, and is a fine local example of a Queen Anne Victorian with some Colonial Revival styling. It is also notable as the home ...

: 459 Crafts St. (added May 4, 1996) * Day Estate Historic District: Commonwealth Ave. and Dartmouth St. (added March 16, 1990) * Dr. Samuel Warren House: 432 Cherry St. (added February 3, 1985) * First Unitarian Society in Newton: 1326 Washington St. (added October 4, 1986) * Galen Merriam House: 102 Highland St. (added October 4, 1986) * George W. Eddy House: 85 Bigelow Rd. (added March 16, 1990) * House at 170 Otis Street: 170 Otis St. (added October 4, 1986) * Levi Warren Jr. High School: 1600 Washington St. (added March 16, 1990) *

Nathaniel Topliff Allen Homestead The Nathaniel Topliff Allen Homestead is a historic house at 35 Webster Street in the village of West Newton, in Newton, Massachusetts. The Greek Revival house is notable as the home of Nathaniel Topliff Allen (1823–1903), an innovative educ ...

: 25 Webster St. (added February 9, 1978) * Peirce School: 88 Chestnut St. (added 1979) *

Railroad Hotel The Railroad Hotel (Seth Davis Tavern) is a building that served as an historic hotel at the triangular lot where Washington Street joins Watertown Street ( Route 16) in the West Newton section of Newton, Massachusetts. Built in 1831, it is the o ...

: 1273-1279 Washington St. (added October 4, 1986) * Second Church in Newton: 60 Highland St. (added March 16, 1990) * Webster Park Historic District: Along Webster Pk. and Webster St. between Westwood St. and Oak Ave. (added October 4, 1986) * West Newton Hill Historic District: Roughly bounded by Highland Ave., Lenox, Hampshire, and Chestnut Sts. (added October 4, 1986) * West Newton Village Center Historic District: Roughly Washington St. from Putnam to Davis Ct. (added March 16, 1990) *

West Parish Burying Ground The West Parish Burying Ground, also known as the River Street Burying Ground or River Street Cemetery, is a cemetery located at River and Cherry streets in West Newton, Massachusetts, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. E ...

: River and Cherry Sts. (added December 13, 2004) *

Windsor Road Historic District The Windsor Road Historic District is a residential historic district just north of the village of Waban in Newton, Massachusetts.It includes 48 houses on Windsor, Kent and Hereford Roads, a cul-de-sac subdivision adjacent to the village center ...

: Windsor and Kent Rds. (added March 16, 1990) Fourteen of these are pictured below. NewtonMA ArthurFLukeHouse.jpg, Arthur F Luke House NewtonMA C G Howes Dry Cleaning-Carley Real Estate.jpg, C G Howes Dry Cleaning - Carley Real Estate NewtonMA CharlesDElliottHouse.jpg, Charles D Elliott House NewtonMA CharlesMaynardHouse.jpg, Charles Maynard House NewtonMA DrSamuelWarrenHouse.jpg, Dr Samuel Warren House Galen Merriam House, West Newton MA.jpg, Galen Merriam House NewtonMA 170OtisStreet.jpg, 170 Otis Street Levi F Warren Jr High School, West Newton MA.jpg, Levi F Warren Jr High School NewtonMA NathanielTopliffAllenHomestead.jpg, Nathaniel Topliff Allen Homestead NewtonMA GeorgeWEddyHouse.jpg, George W Eddy House NewtonMA PeirceSchool.jpg, Peirce School Railroad Hotel, West Newton MA.jpg, Railroad Hotel Second Church in Newton, West Newton MA.jpg, Second Church NewtonMA WestParishBuryingGround.jpg, West Parish Burying Ground

Notable people

Mitch Albom Mitchell David Albom (born May 23, 1958) is an American author, journalist, and musician. His books have sold over 40 million copies worldwide. Having achieved national recognition for sports writing in his early career, he turned to writing the ...

, author *

Isaac Asimov yi, יצחק אזימאװ , birth_date = , birth_place = Petrovichi, Russian SFSR , spouse = , relatives = , children = 2 , death_date = , death_place = Manhattan, New York City, U.S. , nationality = Russian (1920–1922)Soviet (192 ...

, science fiction author of ''

I, Robot ''I, Robot'' is a fixup (compilation) novel of science fiction short stories or essays by American writer Isaac Asimov. The stories originally appeared in the American magazines ''Super Science Stories'' and ''Astounding Science Fiction'' betw ...

'' * Sheldon Brown, bicycle mechanic and technical authority *

Richard B. Carter Richard B. Carter (1877–1949), ink manufacturer, was president of the Carter's Ink Company, in Boston and later Cambridge, Massachusetts, from 1903-1949. Early life and education Richard Burrage Carter was born on April 8, 1877, in West Newton, M ...

native and lifelong resident of West Newton, head of

Carter's Ink Company Carter's Ink Company was an American manufacturer of ink and related products, based first in Boston and later in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was once the largest ink manufacturer in the world.Matt Damon Matthew Paige Damon (; born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. Ranked among ''Forbes'' most bankable stars, the films in which he has appeared have collectively earned over $3.88 billion at the North Americ ...

, actor, first made famous from ''

Good Will Hunting ''Good Will Hunting'' is a 1997 American psychological drama film directed by Gus Van Sant, and written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. It stars Robin Williams, Damon, Affleck, Stellan Skarsgård and Minnie Driver. The film received positive r ...

'' *

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...

* Joe DeNucci *

Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803April 27, 1882), who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champ ...

* Mickey Fisher (1904/05–1963), basketball coach *

Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associated with that t ...

, Sophia Peabody Hawthorne,

Julian Hawthorne Julian Hawthorne (June 22, 1846 – July 14, 1934) was an American writer and journalist, the son of novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne and Sophia Peabody. He wrote numerous poems, novels, short stories, mysteries and detective fiction, essays, t ...

, and

Rose Hawthorne Rose Hawthorne Lathrop, also known as Mother Mary Alphonsa, (May 20, 1851 – July 9, 1926) was an American writer and religious leader. She was a Catholic Church, Catholic Religious sisters, religious sister, social worker, and Organizational f ...

* Steven Hyman, neuroscientist and Provost of

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

Julian Jaynes Julian Jaynes (February 27, 1920 – November 21, 1997) was an American researcher in psychology at Yale and Princeton for nearly 25 years and best known for his 1976 book '' The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind' ...

, psychologist, professor, writer *

John Krasinski John Burke Krasinski (; born October 20, 1979) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his role as Jim Halpert on the NBC sitcom ''The Office''. He also served as a producer and occasional director of the series throughout its nine ...

Timothy Leary Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American psychologist and author known for his strong advocacy of psychedelic drugs. Evaluations of Leary are polarized, ranging from bold oracle to publicity hound. He was "a her ...

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

professor and

LSD Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), also known colloquially as acid, is a potent psychedelic drug. Effects typically include intensified thoughts, emotions, and sensory perception. At sufficiently high dosages LSD manifests primarily mental, vi ...

researcher *

Matt LeBlanc Matthew Steven LeBlanc (; born July 25, 1967) is an American actor. He garnered global recognition with his portrayal of Joey Tribbiani in the NBC sitcom ''Friends'' and in its spin-off series, ''Joey''. For his work on ''Friends'', LeBlanc re ...

, actor most widely known as Joey in ''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...

'' *

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered equally proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, Lemmon was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in dramedy pictures, leadin ...

Mark Mahoney Mark Mahoney (born 1957) is an American tattoo artist. He is considered as the founding father of black and grey art with a single needle. Biography Mark Mahoney grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. After a brief stint at the School of the Museum ...

, tattoo artist, owner of Shamrock Social Club in Los Angeles, whose celebrity clients include

Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, in addition to nominations for three Academy Award ...

Angelina Jolie Angelina Jolie (; born Angelina Jolie Voight; June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, humanitarian and former Special Envoy to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award ...

David Mamet David Alan Mamet (; born November 30, 1947) is an American playwright, filmmaker, and author. He won a Pulitzer Prize and received Tony Award, Tony nominations for his plays ''Glengarry Glen Ross'' (1984) and ''Speed-the-Plow'' (1988). He first ...

, playwright, screenwriter and film director *

Mark Mancuso Mark Mancuso (born in West Newton, Massachusetts) 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 wi ...

, meteorologist

The Weather Channel (United States) The Weather Channel (TWC) is an American pay television channel owned by Weather Group, LLC, a subsidiary of Allen Media Group. The channel's headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia. Launched on May 2, 1982, the channel broadcasts weather forecast ...

Horace Mann Horace Mann (May 4, 1796August 2, 1859) was an American educational reformer, slavery abolitionist and Whig politician known for his commitment to promoting public education. In 1848, after public service as Secretary of the Massachusetts Sta ...

Olga C. Nardone Olga Nida Carmena Nardone (June 8, 1921 – September 24, 2010) 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" ...

, Wizard Of Oz Munchkin "1939" (Villager, SleepyHead, Middle Lullaby League) 6/8/1921—9/24/2010 10 Bellevue Street *

Don Nottebart Donald Edward Nottebart (January 23, 1936 – October 4, 2007) was an American professional baseball player. The right-handed pitcher appeared in 296 games in Major League Baseball for five teams over nine seasons (1960–1967; 1969). Notteb ...

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player *

Cyrus Peirce Cyrus Peirce (1790–1860), American educator and Unitarian minister, was the founding president of the first American public normal school, which evolved into Framingham State University.

, for whom Peirce School is named *

Osgood Perkins James Ridley Osgood Perkins (May 16, 1892 – September 21, 1937) was an American actor. Life and career Perkins was born in West Newton, Massachusetts, son of Henry Phelps Perkins Jr., and his wife, Helen Virginia (née Anthony). His maternal g ...

, actor, father of

Anthony Perkins Anthony Perkins (April 4, 1932 – September 12, 1992) was an American actor, director, and singer. Perkins is best remembered for his role as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's suspense thriller '' Psycho'', which made him an influential ...

Rebecca Pidgeon Rebecca Pidgeon (born October 10, 1965) is an American actress who has appeared on stage and in feature films, and a singer, songwriter and recording artist. She is married to American playwright David Mamet. Early life Pidgeon was born to Engl ...

, film actress who is married to David Mamet *

Seth Putnam Seth Edward Putnam (May 15, 1968 – June 11, 2011) was an American musician who was the founder, vocalist and occasional guitarist of grindcore band Anal Cunt. He was known for his high-pitched screamed vocals and lyrics that either shock, of ...

, leader from

noisecore Mathcore is a subgenre of hardcore punk and metalcore influenced by post-hardcore, extreme metal and math rock that developed during the 1990s. Bands in the genre emphasize complex and fluctuant rhythms through the use of irregular time signa ...

band

Anal Cunt Anal Cunt, also known as AxCx and A.C., was an American grindcore band that formed in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1988. From its inception, the band underwent a number of line-up changes and never had a bass player. The band, known for its flippan ...

Morrie Schwartz Morris S. "Morrie" Schwartz (December 20, 1916 – November 4, 1995)Tuesdays With Morrie ''Tuesdays with Morrie'' is a memoir by American author Mitch Albom about a series of visits Albom made to his former sociology professor Morrie Schwartz, as Schwartz gradually dies of ALS. The book topped the ''New York Times'' Non-Fiction B ...

Harriet Beecher Stowe Harriet Elisabeth Beecher Stowe (; June 14, 1811 – July 1, 1896) was an American author and abolitionist. She came from the religious Beecher family and became best known for her novel ''Uncle Tom's Cabin'' (1852), which depicts the harsh ...

, author of

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U. ...

Edward Wagenknecht Edward (Charles) Wagenknecht (March 28, 1900 – May 24, 2004) 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 ...

, American literary critic, prolific writer and BU professor lived on Otis Street, WN * Frank E. Winsor, for whom

Winsor Dam The 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 Recre ...

is named, lived at 189 Mt. Vernon St. WN *

Howard Zinn Howard Zinn (August 24, 1922January 27, 2010) was an American historian, playwright, philosopher, socialist thinker and World War II veteran. He was chair of the history and social sciences department at Spelman College, and a political scien ...

External links

History of Newton Villages

Historic postcard of Brae Burn Country Club WNHistoric postcard of West Newton Railway Station which was destroyed when the Turnpike came through
{{authority control Villages in Newton, Massachusetts Villages in Massachusetts