Auburndale 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 ...

. It lies at the western end of Newton near the intersection of

interstate highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...

s 90 and 95. It is bisected by the Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90). Auburndale is surrounded by three other Newton villages ( West Newton,

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 ...

, and Newton Lower Falls) as well as the city of Waltham and the Charles River. Auburndale is the home of Williams and Burr elementary schools, as well as

Lasell College Lasell University (LU) is a private university in Auburndale, Massachusetts. Lasell offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the liberal arts, sciences, and professional fields of study. History Lasell was founded in 1851 as the Auburndal ...

. Auburndale Square is the location of the Plummer Memorial Library, which is run by the Auburndale Community Library and no longer affiliated with the

Newton Free Library Newton Free Library, the public library of Newton, Massachusetts, provides an extensive collection of print, non-print, and electronic resources, a comprehensive reference service, and a wide array of educational and cultural programs for people of ...

, the Turtle Lane Playhouse, and many small businesses.

History

The first major settler in the area was William Robinson who built a house in 1678 on what is now Freeman Street. The oldest house in Auburndale stands at 473 Auburn Street and was built in 1730 by William Robinson. Auburndale, once billed as ''Auburndale-on-the-Charles'', was the home of

Norumbega Park Norumbega Park was a recreation area and amusement park located in "Auburndale, Massachusetts, Auburndale-on-the-Charles" near Boston, Massachusetts. The associated Totem Pole Ballroom became a well-known dancing and entertainment venue for big ...

which closed in 1963. The park included rides, a

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoo ...

, and

boating Boating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether Motorboat, powerboats, Sailing, sailboats, or man-powered vessels (such as rowing and paddle boats), focused on the travel itself, as well as sp ...

. The nationally famous

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s an ...

venue Totem Pole Ballroom was associated with Norumbega Park and closed in 1964.Norumbega Park
Norumbega Park. Retrieved on 2011-04-09. The area now contains over 80 acres of conservation land as well as access to the Charles River.

Transportation

Auburndale is divided into two parts by 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 ...

, which connects it to neighboring villages of Newton and downtown

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. The village is located adjacent to the intersection of

s 90 and 95. A number of public transportation options connect Auburndale to neighboring communities. The

MBTA Green Line The Green Line is a light rail system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in the Boston, Massachusetts, metropolitan area. It is the oldest MBTA subway line, and with tunnel sections dating from 1897, the oldest subway ...

's D Branch light rail line serves Auburndale at

Woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...

and

Riverside Riverside may refer to: Places Australia * Riverside, Tasmania, a suburb of Launceston, Tasmania Canada * Riverside (electoral district), in the Yukon * Riverside, Calgary, a neighbourhood in Alberta * Riverside, Manitoba, a former rural m ...

stations, the latter being the line's terminus. Both stations have bus connections; Woodland station is served by

MWRTA The MetroWest Regional Transit Authority (MWRTA) is a regional public transit authority in the state of Massachusetts providing bus and paratransit service to sixteen communities in the Boston MetroWest. The MWRTA was formed in 2006 and began ser ...

bus routes 1 and 8, while Riverside connects to MBTA bus route 558. 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 ...

serves the village at Auburndale station, adjacent to the Massachusetts Turnpike. MBTA bus routes

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 ...

and 558, which offer express service to downtown

, both stop at the station.

National Register historic sites

Nineteen places in Auburndale are on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

, as follows

Local Historic District

Established in 2005, the Auburndale Historic District includes approximately 275 properties and encompasses two National Register Districts.

Places of worship

*Corpus Christi and St. Bernard's Parish, 41 Ash Street. * Episcopal Parish of the Messiah, 1900 Commonwealth Avenue. *Temple Reyim, 1860 Washington Street. * United Parish of Auburndale, 64 Hancock Street.

Points of interest

*Auburndale Cove Park & Playground, West Pine Street. *Norumbega Park Conservation Area. *Turtle Lane Playhouse, 283 Melrose StreetTurtle Lane Playhouse
Turtlelane.org. Retrieved on 2011-04-09. *Woodland Golf Club *Charles River Canoe and Kayak Company

References

External links

{{authority control Villages in Newton, Massachusetts Villages in Massachusetts