Newton Free Library

Collection of photograph and drawings of monuments in Newton including illustrated card of Norumbega Tower by J. W. Kohler, undated photograph of the First Settlers' Monument by Ellis Moore Studio, Albert S. Partridge's drawings of various monuments with detailed notes on location, materials used and history of emplacement: First Settlers' Monument in the viewed from 4 sides, Roger Sherman's birthplace marker, bronze tablet at site of Second Meeting House of the First Parish in Newton, bronze tablet on First Church Congregational in Newton Centre, tablet at site of First House in Nonantum, To Boston Line 7 ms (1810 marker), wooden tablet at site of Old Davis Tavern, 2 handwritten pages of notes on Norumbega Tower and First Settlers' Monument.

Annual reports of city departments, commissions, boards, and affiliates.

The Jackson Homestead at 527 Washington Street , Newton, MA 02458 was built in Federal Style in 1809 by Timothy Jackson. It was a stopping place on the Underground Railroad before the Civil War and was occupied by the Jackson family until 1932. In 1949 it was given to the City of Newton and became the Newton History Museum in 1950 after reconstruction and restoration of the house and grounds. It became the home of the Newton Historical Society in 1953. The collection consists of ephemera related to programs and exhibits and brief histories of the building.

The Newell family of Newton, Massachusetts typifies the transition of a family of farmers into industrialists. The collection centers on George Franklin Newell (1850-1934) - photographs of himself, the Connecticut River at Turners Falls, Massachusetts, the hardware store where he worked as a teenager in Greenfield, Massachusetts, the Newell and Plimpton family house at 87 Chestnut Street in West Newton, Massachusetts and the grounds and outbuildings on that property. Newell was born on July 4, 1850 in Colrain, Massachusetts, attended Highland Military Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts, and worked at the hardware store of S. Allen's Sons in Greenfield and at the New Home Sewing Machine Company in Orange, Massachusetts. In 1872 he married Homera Vaughan of Homer, Louisiana and had 3 sons, Frank G. Newell, Clarence C. Newell, and Eugene Newell. Eugene drowned in 1903 at Turners Falls.) He moved to West Newton, Massachusetts around 1882 and invented the machine for cutting and covering boot and shoe web-strap, which he developed into the George F. Newell Manufacturing Company of Boston and ran for 47 years. In 1883 he married Clara E. Plimpton of West Newton and had 2 children, Channing P. Newell and Florence Newell (Mrs. Winslow D. Robinson.)

The Newton Community Development Foundation (NCDF) was created in 1968 by priests, rabbis and ministers to "provide housing for low and moderate income families in Newton." This collection of material relates to the NCDF and the housing situation in Newton in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The Endicott Conference, November 4-6, 1959 was sponsored by the Newton Public Schools, Division of Instruction to involve all levels of public school teachers in improving the Newton school system. This collection includes information sheets that provided background for the discussion groups on topics: foreign language programs, large group instruction, mathematics project, the academically resistant, Day-Meadowbrook SUPRAD grouping project, data processing, group counseling, special reading program, educational-vocational self appraisal, contract correcting, the academically talented in elementary school, summer school, Harvard Intern Program, high school house plan, and emotionally disturbed children.

The Multi-Service Center opened in Newtonville in 1971 to serve the many needs of troubled youth, providing confidential medical treatment for drug abuse, venereal disease, pregnancy, and VD testing, psychological and psychiatric counseling and some emergency housing. Counselors, social workers, doctors and peer counseling were also available.

Photographic prints made from glass plate negatives and an article about bookmobile driver, Timothy D. Shannon, who drove first a horse and wagon, then a specially designed Ford truck to deliver books from the Newton Free Library to its branches and to Newton Cottage Hospital. When he retired in 1938 he had served the City of Newton for 49 years.

Collection of articles and various material relating to Newton companies and industries.

Collection of correspondence and reports by the Soldiers' Relief Committee of Newton on activities and decisions on grants of aid (grants, denials, referrals), listings of new and reopened cases, relation of Soldiers' Relief rates compared to rates of other charitable departments of the City of Newton, and detailed reports on condition of need of individuals applying for assistance.

Collection includes photographs of 2 villages of Newton, Massachusetts. Newton Highlands (1900-1977): businesses, playgrounds, playground construction, street scenes, railroad stations and the Hood Farm ox-drawn publicity cart. Newtonville (1900-1990): businesses, streets, grist mill site, woods, parks, skating pond construction, ponds, brooks, schools, municipal buildings, residential homes (Pulsifer home), specimen elms, honey locust and maples, sports teams and games: baseball, football (1930s), girls field hockey (1910).

Collection of materials regarding Newton residents Francis E. and Freelan O. Stanley, inventors of the Stanley Steamer Automobile. Includes obituary of Francis E. Stanley and information on engineering projects undertaken by the brothers and their hotel venture in Estes Park, CO.

Collection of materials related to detailed internal rules and procedures of daily management of the Newton Free Library around 1924, procedural guides from other public libraries and miscellaneous library ephemera.

Newton, Massachusetts has a rich architectural heritage representing many styles of historic interest.

The Democratic Committee of Ward 7 in Newton (Newton Corner), Massachusetts was very active in the 1960s and 1970s. This is a collection of working materials gathered by committee officers related to the activities of the group, speakers, publicity, mailings, elections, membership, and correspondence regarding issues, candidates and elections at local, state, and national levels.

Collection of articles and department publications acquainting the public with programs and services offered by the Newton Health Department, including mayors' announcements of commissioner appointments and rules and regulations related to abrasive blasting.

Collection of material describing Newton and encouraging businesses to relocate to the City because of the superior climate of cooperation among industry and business leaders and municipal management.

Various census data sheets for Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Newton and other town and cities related to population, housing, industry and labor from 1980 to 1989.

Hunnewell Club (formerly Hunnewell Hill Club of 1895) was established by Freelan O. Stanley in 1897 as a social and reading place in a 3-story building at the corner of Eldredge and Church Streets and is still standing today. Members were only admitted from the Newton Corner area, and men living farther than 4 miles from the clubhouse and all women were allowed only restricted use. Activities of the club included pool, billiards, bowling, cards, concerts, theatricals, receptions, and parties. Later the club let community organizations use its space for meetings, a dancing school, a kindergarten, and a temporary church sanctuary. The property was sold to the Pomroy Foundation in 1967, but the club kept ownership of the bowling alleys. This collection includes photographs of the interior and exterior of the clubhouse, the actors on opening night of a play performed in April, 1898, a caricature of 5 club members, and text of 2 brief histories of the club.

Collection of material related to Hyde elementary public school in Newton, MA. Booklet on child development created for parents and teachers by Hyde School Parent Teacher Association and a proposal by Newton Highlands citizens to erect a war service memorial on the school grounds.

The Newton, Massachusetts Community Development Program (CD Program) was funded under the federal Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 and 1977. It was designed to improve the quality of Newton's neighborhoods through programs addressing housing, social services, community development, neighborhood improvement, architectural barrier removal and historic preservation, mainly benefiting low and moderate income households. The Citizen Participation Plan outlined the process by which Newton residents could work with the City to select and implement community development projects.

Collection of material concerning two prominent Newton women who influenced the development of Newton Highlands in the late 1800s. Susannah M. Duncklee was a schoolteacher, worked in a variety store, became assistant treasurer, then treasurer of Newton Savings Bank. She bought and developed property in Newton Highlands. She lived in Newton and moved to Roxbury, Massachusetts after retirement. Annie Cobb (Margaretta "Anna" Cobb) was a self-taught architect and house designer who built many houses in Newton Highlands. She married Sewall Chapman Cobb and had a daughter, Annie Raeburn Cobb Logan. She was active in the Monday Club and the D.A.R. Much of the collection is research notes on the two women, but the bulk is about Annie Cobb-her houses, family and civic involvement.

Photographs of Newton Corner people, businesses, commercial blocks, railroad crossings and street cars, YMCA, Claflin Guards (Massachusetts Militia Company L formed in 1870), and a photocopy of a street plan with businesses of Newton Corner operating around 1928-1930 drawn by H. Sylvester, Jr. in 1982.

Collection of public documents from the thirty second Annual Report of the State Board of Charity of Massachusetts. It describes Newton's charity corporations, listing officers, number of employees and number of people aided, mission, budget, value of property owned. Also describes facilities and residents of the Newton almshouse.

Architect Lewis H. Bacon's detailed specification booklets regarding the addition and the alteration of plumbing and heating in the Newton Free Library main building in 1912.

By the late 1950s the size of Newton's only high school, Newton High School on Walnut Street, had reached 3,000, too large to meet individual students' needs. A Ford Foundation grant allowed the teachers there to make a feasibility study of the "house plan", which would divide the school into smaller units. Newton High School, later called Newton North High School, was then divided into 6 units under separate housemasters, faculty, guidance department, secretaries and house aides. At the same time the City decided to build a new high school in the Oak Hill neighborhood. In the early 1960s the new school called Newton South High School opened at a cost of 5 million dollars with the house plan in place. It was divided into 4 houses known as Goldrick, Wheeler, Cutler and Goodwin. Students were clustered into groups of about 575, with a total student population of 1,200 in grades 10 through 12. Each house occupied a separate building with classrooms, lecture hall and student commons room. Collection includes a history of Newton South High School, winter concert program of December 15, 1982, brochure outlining purpose of the new school, the house plan, floor plans, architect's rationale for design, and budget summary of general contract.

Collection of material related to Newton's municipal employees-their annual award presentation ceremony, strikes, unions, salary negotiations.

The City of Newton, Massachusetts won the National Municipal League's 1976-1977 All America City award based on its community schools program, establishment of the Newton Highlands Neighborhood Council, and restoration of Bigelow House.

In 1955, The White House Conference on Education posed the question in Topic VI, "How Can We Obtain A Continuing Public Interest in Education?" The hope was to "kindle public interest in every community and state." In response, Newton held its own conference, scheduled for March 16-17, 1956. Due to severe weather on Friday, March 16, the "Opening Session" was postponed and became the "Closing One" on Sunday, March 18, 1956. Pre-conference materials show the seriousness of the issues to be discussed and the results of the conference are summarized in the "Report of the Follow-up Committee."

Collection of various United States census tables for Newton in the 1930 and 1940, related to population characteristics, race, age, sex, employment and school attendance by ward.

Material on the 1975 controversy in which a social studies program called "Man: A Course of Study" (MACOS) created by the Education Development Center, was attacked during deliberations of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology involving a National Science Foundation budget request.

Various statistical material on business sectors in Newton and Needham, Massachusetts.

In May, 1995 the Newton Free Library's monthly newsletter won first prize in the Massachusetts Library Association's public relations competition in the newsletter category. The Library also applied for awards in the annual report and newspaper coverage categories. This collection consists of the first place ribbon, application forms, entry fee forms, sample newsletters (September, November and December, 1994, annual report 1993-1994, and the Boston Globe clipping (entitled Art Where Worlds Collide) supporting the applications.

In 1980 the consulting firm, King Research, Inc. of Rockville, MD worked with the Newton Free Library Trustees, Friends of the Library and Library staff to identify the library-related needs of the Newton community and to explore ways the Library could most effectively serve the community, including better coordinate with school libraries. This is a collection of material relating to survey results, hearings and recommendations of the study.

Newton Dialogues on Peace and War was established shortly after September 11, 2001 to address concerns about issues facing the United States as a result of the attack on the World Trade Center in New York. These papers relate to the membership, programs and activities of the group from 2002 to 2004.

Collection consists of centennial celebration leaflet of the Riverside Recreation Grounds on September 27-28, 1997 printed with a history and reminiscences of the locale by Bob Pollock, "The Rec Turns 100". The Grounds was one of the best known recreation sites in the United States. It was located a short distance upriver from Norumbega Park in Auburndale, Massachusetts. This area inspired the song, "Down by the Riverside".

Collection of documents related to the formulation and adoption of various versions of the City of Newton Charter brought to ballot on November 2, 1971. The Newton Charter Commission was charged with reworking the City's charter, which had been adopted by the General Court of Massachusetts as Chapter 283 of the Acts of 1897 when Newton's population was about 30,000. Since that time the charter had been modified, piecemeal, by special acts of the General Court and by Newton's acceptance of General Laws applicable to cities and towns generally. The Charter Commission analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the then current composite charter, envisioned future needs of the City, examined other municipalities' governmental structures, invited input from Newton officials, civic organizations and experts in order to create a new charter more suited to modern times.

Norumbega Park in Auburndale, Massachusetts was an amusement park opened on June 17, 1897 on the site of a supposed Viking settlement along the Charles River. It had a zoo, boat houses, restaurant, Vaudeville theatre, concerts, movies, canoe and paddleboat rides, penny arcade and dance hall. The Totem Pole Ballroom, which opened in the Park on May 24, 1930, was a popular venue for big bands, but declined after World War II, closed on February 8, 1964 and was destroyed by fire on November 10, 1965. The Park closed in 1965. A hotel was built on the property, but the former police boat house survives as a canoe and kayak rental business.

Collection of photographs of Newton, Massachusetts municipal buildings: buildings used by the police, fire department, department of public works, (for water, light, sewer, and heat management), stables, contagious ward, exterior views and classes in progress at Technical High School, other schools shown: Stearns School, Bigelow School, Underwood School, Pierce School, Claflin School, R. W. Emerson School, C. C. Burr School, Williams School, Newton Classical High School, Mason School, Thompsonville School, Technical High School, Wade School.

Celebration on the occasion of the Newton Free Library's twentieth year anniversary/birthday opening of its new building at 330 Homer Street on September 15, 1991, observed on September 15, 2011. Birthday greetings, good wishes, memories and testimonials are recorded in this guestbook-journal. City officials, current and past staff, library trustees, and patrons of all ages, from the very young to the elderly, record their thoughts. Nancy W. Perlow, Director, inscribes the opening entry. One library patron describes the day of the groundbreaking and how Mrs. Tashjian spoke of her great happiness.

Hand drawn pen and ink street map of Newton Centre, scale = 300 feet per inch with bordering streets - Boylston, Ward, and Walnut. It measures approx. 104 x 119 cm in an irregular shape made up of 3 parts pieced together. It shows the N.Y. & N. E. R.R. tracks and stations, Cochituate Aqueduct, Hammond Pond, Chrystal [Crystal] Lake, and Pearl Lake at the corner of Homer and Walnut Streets.

Collection of material concerning the demolition of the old Newton North High School (360 Lowell Ave., Newtonville, Mass.) built in 1973 and the construction and 2010 opening of the new building (457 Walnut St., Newtonville, Mass.). After ten years of planning the new school was completed at a cost of $197.5 million amid controversy over cost overruns, asbestos abatement on the construction site and political disputes.

ransparencies of site plan of proposed luxury apartment complex on 81.5 acres of land owned by the Chestnut Hill Country Club, Newton, Massachusetts for developer, Carabetta Enterprises, Inc. of Meriden, Connecticut by Eisenberg Haven Associates, Architects and Planners of Boston, Massachusetts, dated July 19, 1978.

City committees considered creating a high school in Newton in 1838 and in 1849, but no positive action was taken until 1857. A high school was built at the corner of Walnut and Elm Streets in Newtonville in 1859. In 1874 an addition was built. There were only 2 curricula - college and non-college, with most of the resources aimed at college bound students. Gradually experiments with business education subjects were introduced, but it was only in the 20th century that real vocational courses would flower. In 1897 the high school was rebuilt to include laboratories, lecture hall, library, assembly hall for 900 and about 30 classrooms. In 1905 the Technical High School was built on the opposite side of Elm Street from what was then known as the Classical High School. Around 1923 the two high schools merged under one name, Newton High School. In 1927 a third building was built to house an auditorium suitable for dramatic performances, and a gymnasium with showers and locker rooms. By 1930 a stadium was opened and named in honor of Alfred W. Dickinson. After World War II a Junior College was established within Newton High School, but declining enrollment showed that the college needed to create a separate identity, so it moved to the former Claflin School building. The present Newton North High School structure was built in 1973. As of 2009 a new building is being built to replace it on the same block.

The First Regiment of Massachusetts Light Infantry under the direction of Colonel Charles L. Holbrook held their annual camp duty in 1852 in a lot north of the Newtonville railroad depot. This collection includes 2 copies of an engraving that illustrated Gleason's Pictorial They show tents, soldiers, and spectators. The accompanying article lists the field and staff officers, the number of muskets mustered, number of troops, and notes that the 2 day camp was unmarked by unpleasant incident or serious accident.

Collection of material related to Wendy Hsu, who was born in Jiangsu Province, China on December 30, 1937 into an illustrious family. She moved to Taiwan with her family during the upheavals of the late 1940s. She married Kwan-san Hsu in 1966 and moved to Hong Kong, then to the Boston area in 1993. They had one son and 3 grandchildren. She was always highly involved in her schools and community in a leadership role. She tutored children in the Chinese language and was active in her church and Chinese cultural associations. She volunteered at the Newton Free Library where she helped create the Chinese book collection.

Collection of materials related to Newton Junior College accreditation and passing under the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts Board of Regional Community Colleges. Other documents related to term papers.

Front page of newspaper supplement of The Newton Circuit, vol. 3, no. 5, January 11, 1895 with photographs of Newton Mayor, Henry E. Bothfeld and Newton Aldermen, J. W. Hamilton, Henry D. Degen, Albert Plummer, Louis. E. G. Green, Thomas White, George P. Bullard, and Henry Tolman.

In 1884 Kate Carroll founded the Miss Carroll School which operated at 78 Temple Street in West Newton, Massachusetts until it became inadequate. The building was known as "The Little Red School House" and the "Brown Cottage." The present building at 147 Prince Street, West Newton, was built in 1902. Miss Rosalie Carroll succeeded her aunt as Principal and after Miss Rosalie's death in 1938, Miss Mary Barbour, who had been associated with the School since 1900, carried on until 1952. List of Principals: Miss Kate Carroll, 1884-1921 Miss Rosalie Carroll, 1921-1938 Miss Mary S. Barbour, 1938-1951 Mrs. Frederick E. Sears, Jr. 1951-1958 Mrs. Roscoe E. Brown, 1958 - An obituary from the Newton TAB newspaper, 11-10-04, for Kathryn "Kitty" Sears age 94 states that in 1948 she returned to teaching at the Carroll School in West Newton. In 1953, she and her husband bought the school which she ran until 1966. Her husband was Frederick Edmund Sears who died in 1982. From the City Directories, it appears that there was a school there well into the 1980s. In 1985 it was a Community Center for Children with Special Learning Disabilities. Later this Center became the Carroll School and moved to Lincoln, Massachusetts, but it never had any affiliation to Miss Carroll School, except that the Carroll School (learning disabilities) acquired the property in West Newton where Miss Carroll School had been on Prince Street. Collection consists of 11 photographs of Miss Kate Carroll, teachers, students, and exterior of the Temple Street and Prince Street school houses. Also includes cover note from donor of the collection and letter of thanks from the Newton Free Library.

The Lexington Normal School begun in 1839 became the West Newton Normal School in 1844, Framingham Normal School in 1853, State Teachers College at Framingham in 1932, State College at Framingham in 1960, Framingham State College in 1969 and Framingham State University in 2010. Noted educators Horace Mann (1796-1859), Nathaniel T. Allen (1823-1903), and Cyrus Peirce (1790-1860) were involved in the Model School of the West Newton Normal School. Collection consists of the Framingham State Magazine announcing its conversion from college to university, bibliography of material in the Newton Free Library historical collection and at the Nantucket Historical Association Research Library and Archives concerning West Newton Normal School, ERIC Web Portal abstract on a biography of Nathaniel T. Allen.

In the 1960s Meadowbrook Junior High School participated in an educational improvement program called "continuous learning". Some of the students were allowed to progress at their own pace in grade-less classes and to have greater choice over their curriculum. This collection of articles and letters to the editor relates to the complaints of the Concerned Parents Committee that the program was too experimental and would disadvantage the students when they applied to college. Also included is an article related to the naming of the Meadowbrook school as one of 36 in the U.S. to take part in a national "demonstration schools" project which chose the most thoughtfully innovative schools in the nation.

The Newton Women's Commission was established in 1997. It began by researching topics of concern to women in Newton: health care, finance, employment, housing, family care, education, training and community involvement. Its mission statement: The Newton Women's Commission advises the Mayor on matters related to the quality of the lives of Newton women and their families. It provides support, advocacy and resource referrals to women of all ages, socio-economic backgrounds, ethnic origins, and from every village in the City. It helps build awareness and appreciation of women's contributions to the community and society and provides opportunities for women to be part of networks that will achieve their goals. The papers of this collection largely relate to the organizing of programs sponsored by the group.

NewtonServes is a program which began as a part of Newton2000, a collaboration of planning, vision, and celebratory events that ushered in the new millennium . The first two years brought 1300 citizens to work on 50 community service projects and encouraged them to volunteer on a regular basis. The City of Newton's Office of Volunteer Services now coordinates the annual servathon and connects volunteers to non-profits, community service agencies, and city departments. This collection includes the volunteer day flyer and listings of volunteer opportunities.

The Charles River flows within most of Newton's villages. In the early days the town depended on the river for water power and for carrying off wastes, but in modern times its importance has shifted to recreation, water supply, and flood control.

Collection of various material from and about the Office of the Mayor of the City of Newton related to awards, ceremonies, budget and history of the Office.

Reports documenting the early history of the sewer system in Newton, Massachusetts.

Newton Free Library was the Regional Reference Service Provider for libraries in the Metrowest Massachusetts Regional Library System (MMRLS) from July 1, 2004 until June 30, 2010. When member libraries exhausted local resources they contacted Newton Free Library for backup reference by toll-free phone, fax or email. Newton Free Library was given funding by MMRLS to supplement staff and reference book budgets during the contract period. In addition to reference service the Newton Free Library also gave continuing education workshops to MMRLS member librarians on genealogy, online job searching, business and travel resources. The collection consists of promotional material which was distributed to the MMRLS librarians.

Thayer Warshaw, president of a family-owned automobile dealership in Lawrence, Massachusetts, returned to college at the age of 44 to become a teacher. He was hired to teach English at Newton North High School and created a course in the Bible as literature when he noticed that students didn't understand allusions to the Bible in major English literary works. His course became nationally recognized and imitated. This collection includes articles about Warshaw and his course and supporting material used in the classroom.

Begun in 1967 with 115 students and 8 core teachers from Newton High School, the program was designed by students (grades 10 through 12) who were responsible for the educational content and operation of the school. No grade point averages were given, but students received a diploma from Newton High School.

The graduating class of 1900 at Newton High School, Newton, Massachusetts, organized reunions in 1925 and 1950. The 5 boxes of this collection contain unbound graduation portrait photographs of the class members, correspondence and forms related to the administration of the 2 reunion and various biographical materials concerning the alumni.

Collection consists of book excerpt related to the role of Newton's Jackson Homestead in the underground railroad. Includes maps showing slave escape routes in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and parts of Vermont and New Hampshire.

Collection of material referring senior citizens, people with disabilities, single parents or the general public to services in the areas of personal finance, housing, employment, guidance, health, recreation, summer camps, classes, volunteer opportunities, etc. in or near Newton, Massachusetts.

The Newton Chamber of Commerce originally formed in 1915 and merged with Needham, Massachusetts to create in 1969 the Newton-Needham Chamber of Commerce. This collection includes material promoting the organization as well as Newton and Needham businesses.

Collection of Newton, Massachusetts public documents and newspaper articles pertaining to the building and renovation of Franklin School, originally located on River Street, West Newton beginning in 1871 and the new school on Derby Street, West Newton completed in 1939.

The Nathaniel T. Allen Homestead has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978. It was built in Greek Revival style around 1844 and was a stop on the underground railroad. The Allen family lived and ran schools there for nearly a century - West Newton English and Classical School, 1853- ; the Misses Allen School and the Allen School for Girls, 1915-1943 Nathaniel T. Allen (1823-1903) was noteworthy because he worked with Horace Mann, the first Secretary of the State Board of Education, to establish a model teachers' school, which later moved from West Newton to Framingham, Massachusetts. After the move, Mann left for Ohio and persuaded Allen to remain in West Newton and set up a private school. He was influential in promoting the importance of education and professionalization of teaching. Collection consists of the 1) West Newton English and Classical School's advertisement in the 1893 Newton City Directory, 2) a computer printout from the Newton History Museum describing the Allen Family papers, a history of the school and the house, and 3) the Newton Local Landmarks Program Report of 1997, describing the house and its history and recommending restoration measures in view of having it included as an official local landmark. At the time of the Report the building operated under a permit allowing 7 residential units.

Various census data sheets for Newton and other Massachusetts town and cities related to population, transportation, income, the elderly, employment, manufacturing, housing characteristics by city block, census tract data and tract comparability for 1960 to 1969.

Collection of material regarding the development, site search, construction, opening on September 15, 1991, and public reaction to the new main library on 330 Homer Street. Includes architect's contract.

Collection of material issued by the City of Newton Retirement Board: annual reports (1942-1948), Massachusetts laws governing the Newton Retirement System in 1948 and a pamphlet describing the privileges and obligations of employees under the provisions of the Newton Retirement System in 1928. Also includes the 1927 Report of the Pension Committee on the Proposed Retirement System for Employees of the City of Newton.

Collection of maps and trail descriptions for walking or biking on streets, in parks and conservation land, and on college campuses of Newton, Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

One rolled group photograph of the Frank Ashley Day Junior High School (100 Walnut Street, Newtonville, Massachusetts) graduating class of 1937 showing 206 students, names included.

The Newton School system began in 1700 with two schools and pupils (boys only) paid 3 cents a week to learn to read or 4 cents to learn writing and math. Horace Mann, Secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education, opened the first permanent teacher training school for women in 1844. In the 1870s there were 17 school houses in Newton with free textbooks and the Superintendent was paid $3,000. In 1919 it was pointed out that teachers were leaving because salaries were low and had not kept up with the cost of living increases. One teacher (the highest paid grade teacher) presented her expense sheet, showing an annual deficit of $280. Out of 83 grade teachers, 73 do outside work and 33 of 34 high school teachers supplemented their salary. Chapter 766 (1974) law states that all children, regardless of handicap, have the right to an education. "Looking Forward to School" outlines procedires and facts for parents of kindergarten children in 1944.

Newton citizens were active in providing services for people in Newton through the agencies of the Community Chest in the Boston metropolitan area. Collection consists of the 1936 directory of member agencies with grant amounts, officers and brief descriptions of the agencies, "The Good Neighbor", the November 5, 1938 campaign issue of the Community Chest newspaper, and one-page profiles of some Newton social service agencies.

During Community Relations Week, seminars were held at different city locations to assess the effectiveness of Newton's human service agencies. Speakers included Dr. Dan W. Dodson and Bayard Rustin.

Extensive newspaper article illustrated with photographs recounting the 86 year history of Newton Catholic High School, successor of Our Lady's High School, built in 1893. Also includes 1987 high school graduation exercise booklet listing 1987 and 1937 graduates.

Maps showing depot carriage and landau service fare rates fixed by order of the Newton Mayor and/or Board of Aldermen. Each of the 8 maps center on a different village of Newton (Newtonville, Newton Centre, Newton Highlands, Chestnut Hill, West Newton, Auburndale and Waban) ringed by concentric circles showing the fares based on distance, hour of the day and day of the week.

Donald Chisholm Hagar, 1900-1998, former president of Rapid Service Press in Boston, Massachusetts, was born in Newton Massachusetts and educated in Newton grammar and high schools. His papers relate to his school days and various class reunions.

In 1950 plans were completed and specifications were prepared for the addition to the Newton Free Library main building at 414 Centre Street by architect W. Cornell Appleton and contractor Tornabene Brothers. The limestone, brick and marble addition, which increased floor area by a third, was built in 1951 and dedicated on December 20, 1951. Cost was approximately $175,000.

The Newton Conservators, Inc. is a private, non-profit organization founded in 1961 and dedicated to protecting Newton's open space for wildlife and the community. It has been instrumental in creating major parks, enacting environmental ordinances for wetlands protection, energy conservation, road salt limits and tree preservation. This collection includes material related to the organization's programs and projects and maps of Newton park and conservation lands prepared by the organization.

Collection of material on the history of Mason-Rice School and biographical data on the eponymous education and civic leaders, David Haven Mason and Marshall Spring Rice.

The Luminaries Salon Series presented 13 Newton notables in informal settings at different times. Events (except one) were held in homes around the city and ticket prices ranged from $100 to 300, with $1200 for the series. Notables: Professor Jeffrey Sachs; US Rep. Barney Frank; filmmaker/mountaineer David Brashears; opera star soprano Dominique Labelle with her husband, tenor Mark Evans; playwright A.J.Gurney; US Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky; animator Jonathan Katz with ghostwriter Bill Novak; Nobelists: Dr. David Hubel (Medicine, 1981),Dr. Bernard Lown (Peace, 1985), Dr. Philip Sharp (Medicine, 1993), Dr. Susumu Tonegawa (Medicine, 1987); Lecturer Dr. Michael Hammer. Proceeds went to the Newton Millennium Foundation, an endowment fund.

An ongoing concern of Newton's municipal government and its citizens has been to provide adequate housing to low and moderate income households. This collection contains material from various organizations which have been involved in examining the extent of housing discrimination in Newton, identifying sale or rental properties and making them available without discrimination based on race, religion or national origin, publicizing substandard housing in an effort to improve conditions, and examining the practices of lending institutions.

Newton-Wellesley Hospital got its start in 1880 when citizens formed an association to build a hospital on the "cottage" plan. The corporation bought 9 acres on Washington Street in Newton Lower Falls and dedicated the hospital on June 5, 1886. A cluster of small buildings were built from 1886 through the 1890s. In 1908 Founder's Memorial was added, then larger buildings were opened in 1929, 1950, and 1971. Variously named Cottage Hospital, Newton Hospital and Newton-Wellesley Hospital. This collection of materials relates to the hospital's history, services, library, doctors and staff.

METCO is a one-way voluntary busing program through which black and other minority children from Boston are able to attend suburban schools. Newton was one of the first seven communities to participate. A collection of items relating to the initiation and history of METCO in Newton from its inception in 1966 to 2006.

The Newton Human Rights Commission was established in 1973 by City Ordinance. All commissioners and advisory council members are volunteers who live or work in Newton. They are appointed by the Mayor and approved by the Board of Aldermen. The commission is empowered to assist victims of human rights violations in the City and to enlist cooperation from racial, religious, ethnic, civic and other organizations to help eliminate discrimination and achieve harmonious relationships among disparate groups. They focus on issues relevant to the Newton community.

Collection of materials concerning the Newell family who moved from Colrain, Mass. to West Newton, Mass. leaving their farming roots to become successful industrialists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The collection assembles obituaries of George Franklin Newell (who invented the machine for cutting and covering boot and shoe web-strap and ran the George F. Newell Manufacturing Co. in Boston) and Joseph A. Newell (a resident of West Newton for 25 years and who was in the retail shoe business in Boston), a description of the three houses inhabited by family members in West Newton, and a summary of the contents of the family photograph album held in the Newton Free Library.

Collection of programs and publicity materials related to the recitals, recorded music and live concerts, dance programs and poetry contest presented at the Newton Free Library.

Collection of articles about Ernest Wight's 8th grade science class field trips to Halibut Point on Cape Ann and the fire that heavily damaged the school on December 26, 1979.

Residents of Newton, Massachusetts have had a long history of interest in theatrical productions even before the City's founding in 1873. This collection of play programs and related documents represent a range of amateur and professional theatre groups which have performed in Newton.

A letter from the president of the Madonna Del Carmine Society says, "When our forefathers came to this country they brought with them many strong and cherished traditions. They wanted to pass these on to their children and their children's children. This is how The Madonna Del Carmine Society was founded in 1935." One of these traditions is of the adoration to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. A flyer prepared for contributions indicates that "money raised from various functions is donated to the Church as well as to numerous organizations in need." Organized by and for Newton's Italian community primarily based in the village of Nonantum, the "Festa" parades and programs were planned in and around Hawthorne [sic] Playground, later known as Hawthorn Park. Held annually in mid-July, more recent publicity shows the dates for the 76th annual festival to be July 13-17, 2011 at Hawthorn and Pellegrini Parks in Nonantum.

Newton North High School, opened in 1973, had been built with asbestos fireproofing, which was banned by the E.P.A. in 1973. This collection describes the effects of asbestos exposure and recounts measures taken to build Newton community and government involvement to gather funds to encapsulate the hazardous material in the school.

Action for Children's Television (ACT), a national grassroots organization, was founded in 1968 in Newton to improve the quality of television programming for children and later worked to regulate advertising to children. It was responsible for many cases brought against the FCC, and their main achievement was the passage of the Children's Television Act of 1990. The organization was disbanded shortly afterward. The material in this collection relates to ACT's efforts to analyze advertising in children's programs, to condemn the marketing of sugary foods and misleading vitamin ads to children, and their receipt of a John and Mary Markle Foundation grant -- Action for Children's Television: Newsletter, Press Releases, Resource Book List.

Doris Carley founded a real estate company in Newton, Massachusetts in 1937 and began photographing every house in the city. This collection is a selection of 48 photographs of houses on Austin, Bowers, Central, Bellevue, Harvard, Hancock, Margin, Putnam and Richardson Streets which were later torn down to make way for the extension of the Massachusetts Turnpike in 1962. Also included are Carley Realty brochure and a press release and information sheet concerning an exhibit of the photographs and a reception by the Newton Historical Commission to honor Doris Carley. Architectural styles represented in the exhibit were Greek revival, Italianate, Mansard, composite styles such as Shingle Stick, Colonial revival, Cape Cod and Jordan Marsh "House of the Future."

Through the years Newton's public school system has been noted for its high quality. Various experimental programs were introduced in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s to improve student and teacher performance - among them were non-graded classes in the first 3 primary years at Hamilton elementary school and Jackson School, the "house plan" in the high schools, which divided big schools into smaller groups with their own housemaster, faculty, office staff, intramural teams, etc., Newton High School's "large group lecture" program, which grouped 90 to 210 students for lectures, then ran small 10 to 12 student seminars and regular classes on the subject matter, Newton South High School's quad style campus, Harvard University Graduate School of Education's internship program, which sent Harvard faculty to Newton summer schools to intensively supervise teachers-in-training, and Newton North High School's annual conference on psychological education. This is a collection of materials related to the above programs.

Collection includes photographs of 3 villages of Newton, Massachusetts. Auburndale (1900-1976): businesses, streets and squares, boathouse, Charles River, flood of November 6, 1915, railroad stations, parks, trees and utility poles, tree nursery, tablet marking the birthplace of scholar, teacher and composer, Horatio William Parker. Chestnut Hill (1900-1976): Chestnut Hill Mall facades and shoppers, businesses, streets, Chestnut Hill Reservoir and granite ledge. Newton Lower Falls (1910-1979): Community center activities, Hamilton School fair, businesses, streets, banks, churches, cemeteries, playgrounds, Charles River falls, dam, bridges, golf course, construction sites, Newton Free Library branch, fire station and firefighters, meetings and openings.

Collection consists of four photographs of decorative elements on the grounds of the Newton Free Library on 330 Homer Street - one photograph of the birdhouse donated in honor of Wendy Hsu, installed in September, 2006 on the east side of the library; three photographs of Nancy Schon's sculpture group, Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh and the Hunny Pot on the patio off the Children's Room.

Lillian Shapiro Radlo, an exemplary civic leader, was committed to Newton, Massachusetts, especially to its schools. During her career she was secretary to the Newton School Committee and administrative assistant to the Superintendent of Schools before becoming the School Department's public information and community relations specialist. She was active in the League of Women Voters, the Chamber of Commerce and the Democratic Party, for which she served as delegate to state conventions. She helped found Temple Shalom, 185 Temple Street, West Newton (dedicated in May 1956). She was instrumental in arranging a July, 1981 cultural exchange trip to China for the Newton Public School administrators and teachers to visit the Beijing Jingshan School, Beijing Normal University and nearby rural commune schools. After her death a group of her friends and colleagues created the Lillian Shapiro Radlo Forum to provide a stage to air controversial viewpoints, exchange ideas and show how a liberal education is vital to democratic society. The forums began on September 19, 1985 with speaker Madeleine M. Kunin, Governor of Vermont and continued with an annual speaker chosen from prominent writers, musicians, journalists, entrepreneurs, politicians, educators, historians, poets, scientists, and judges. Lillian S. Radlo was born on June 15, 1915 and died on May 7, 1984. This collection includes personal correspondence, press clippings and documents related to her civic, political, and professional career in Newton; newspaper clippings, bulletins, booklets, programs related to the dedication of Temple Shalom; photographs, correspondence, itineraries and guidebook excerpts related to the Newton Public School trip to China; correspondence, leaflets and program invitations related to the Lillian Shapiro Radlo Forum, Fund and Foundation and documents pertaining to the board membership and governance of the fund; obituaries and public comment at the time of her death. The above material is held in a leather case.

Collection of handout material created by Newton Free Library staff to acquaint the public with its services, departments, branches, policies, and special collections.

Newspaper supplements in the Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Community Newspaper Company West Edition celebrating the 100th anniversary of the running of the Boston Marathon.

Collection of materials related to the apocryphal Viking settlement on the Charles River around 1000 A.D. and the commemorative stone tower built in 1889 by Harvard Professor Eben Norton Horsford at the confluence of Stony Brook and the Charles River in Weston, Massachusetts, where Horsford thought a Viking fort had stood.

Collection of informal color photographs by unknown photographer of activities at the Newton Free Library Auburndale Branch: Branch Librarian, Chris Wrangler, at the Circulation Desk, farewell party for Branch Librarian, Margaret "Peg" Ellis on January 15, 2006, children's outdoor flower planting program, and a children's story hour in 1994.

Annual reports of the American National Red Cross Newton Chapter of 21 Foster Street, Newtonville, with black and white illustrations of the exterior of the chapter building and of various activities of the organization.

Collection consists of flyers, announcements and pamphlets relating to programs, events, contests, workshops, exhibits, courses and festivals held at the Newton Free Library.

Various census data sheets for Newton and other Boston metropolitan area towns and cities related to population estimates, census tract comparability and housing from 1970 to 1979.

Collection of material related to the connection between Newton, Massachusetts and the Fig Newton cookie, Newton's 100th anniversary celebration of the Fig Newton at Newton City Hall on May 7, 1991, the history of the invention of the cake and jam extruding machine, and the naming of cookies after Massachusetts towns.

Collection consists of Boston Globe article entitled "Would you bring these magazines home to your little sister?" in which persons representative of the Newton community were asked how they define pornography, whether "adult" magazines have any social value, and whether they would ban sale of magazines like Hustler, Swank, Jaguar, etc. The journalist, Andrew Blake, was spurred to write the article because of a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling which gave each community the authority to decide what is pornographic.

Collection of largely unidentified scenes in Newton, Massachusetts in the late 1800s or early 1900s. Scenes include houses, people, view of rivers, Weston Bridge, and woods, interiors of houses and churches. They appear to be the product of an amateur photographer.

Collection of images, many unidentified of locations in Newton, Massachusetts: houses, playgrounds, churches, synagogue, portrait of John C. Chaffin, family portraits, early automobiles, bicycles, an 1831 map of Newton, the Allen House restoration in West Newton, outdoor ceremony or pageant. The larger section of the collection covers the Newton Free Library on Centre Street and its Auburndale Branch and Waban Branch. Photographs of library events: poetry readings, book sales, speakers, art exhibits and branch delivery truck with driver Tim Shannon.

Collection of population and municipal statistics on Newton from 1950 to 1959. Also includes religious preference by ward.

One rolled group photograph of the John W. Weeks Junior High School (Hereward Road, Newton Centre, Massachusetts) graduating class of 1932 showing 251 students, names included."

Collection of black and white photographs taken by Dr. T. O. Loveland of Newton Corner, Nonantum Square and Centre Street from 1893 to 1898. Photographs are of railroad tracks, train depots, trains and locomotive, a railroad crossing, some unpaved streets, unidentified people, a horse and buggy and various buildings.

Junior high and high schools recommended fiction reading lists; by category with brief description of each book.

In 1982 and 1983 Rowena Fisher, coordinator, Robbie O'Rourke, designer, and more than 50 men and women volunteered their talents to create a quilt depicting the 13 villages of Newton and various historical events in the City. It was first displayed in Newton City Hall, then permanently located in the Newton Free Library.

Collection of materials regarding the dispute over conservation or development of this area in Newton Centre. Includes an ecological assessment by Dr. Lawrence Kaplan.

Collection of candidate publicity and campaign mailings for Newton municipal and Massachusetts state offices.

Since 1965 attempts had been made in Auburndale, Massachusetts to have brightly lit billboards removed from the Massachusetts Turnpike, which ran through the village. From 1976 to 1978 Betsy Singer Lewenberg organized a successful community campaign to bar advertising billboards from Newton.

Following the opening to the public of the Zoltan Kodaly Pedagogical Institute of Music in 1975 in Kecskemet, Hungary, The Kodaly Center of America was founded April 4, 1977 in West Newton at 1326 Washington Street. Zoltan Kodaly (1882-1967) had developed a renowned pedagogical method for teaching music to music teachers and educated generations of musicians. The Center in West Newton expanded its sphere of influence as far as Hollywood when two staff members played a part in the creative conceptualizing of a film. Bodie Miller had sent a videotape of the Kodaly concept to her friend Douglas Trumbull, creative director of Steven Spielberg's film, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," inspiring Trumbull suggest to Spielberg that the characters should use Kodaly's method of communicating through music. Floice Lindgren was sent to Alabama where the filming was taking place to give Steven Spielberg a crash course in the Kodaly method.

In 1976 Ronald L. Nuttall, professor and director of the Laboratory for Statistical and Policy Research at Boston College, conducted a survey to examine the issue of what should be taught in the Newton schools as rated by a random sample of adult citizens.

Letter to the editor from Newton Free Library Director, Virginia Tashjian, in the 1970s explaining why the library shelved the maximum number of fiction books in one alphabet, as opposed to separate sections such as mysteries, science fiction, western, fantasy, etc. A 1954 letter to Newton Free Library Directory, Harold A. Wooster, from Wesleyan University Librarian, Paul North Rice, recommending that the Newton Free Library change from the Cutter system to the Dewey Decimal System of classification.

Collection of material related to organizations in Newton engaged in screening, rehabilitation of TB patients, educating the public about the disease and smoking cessation.

Collection of photographs relating to the new main library at 330 Homer Street, Newton, Massachusetts: the site tour with architects Anthony Tappe and Associates and Kallman, McKinnell and Wood Architects, library trustees, library director and Newton mayor in 1986; the groundbreaking ceremony on July 27, 1989, an outdoor event with city officials, library staff, musicians and the audience; topping off ceremony on January 22, 1990 with architects, trustees, and staff; the building and lot during various stages of construction.

The first Newton Lower Falls branch of the Newton Free Library, Newton, Massachusetts, occupied former Fire Station #6 built in 1900. It was dedicated as a branch on April 2, 1923 in memory of Victor L. Dennis, the only man from Newton Lower Falls to die in World War II. In 1979 the branch moved to a space in the former Hamilton School complex at 545 Grove Street, designed by Hugh Stubbins. This part of the school was a section built in 1957. Floor area was 1,920 square feet, total lot size including playground was 319,658 square feet, walls made of brick, roof of tar and gravel. When the new Main Library was opened at 330 Homer Street in 1991, the Newton Centre, Oak Hill Park, West Newton, Newton Upper Falls, Newtonville, Newton Highlands, and Newton Lower Falls branches were closed.

A selection of brochures and a calendar capture Newton's two community orchestras. These items give a glimpse of the programming and performers for the Newton Symphony Orchestra and The New Phil, formerly called The New Philharmonia Orchestra. The 1981 calendar designed by Linda Cheren, with Elinor Persky, Art Consultant, contain black and white prints and photographs representing the work of local artists depicting musical celebrities known in the Boston area. Newton Symphony Orchestra conductors represented here are Ronald Knudsen, Music Director for the 1993-94 season and Jeffrey Rink, Artistic Director for the 2006-2007 season and Music Director for the 2007-2008 season. The New Phil maestro listed is Ronald Knudsen, Music Director on the 2007-2008 season subscription brochure.

Collection of articles related to test scores in Newton and other Massachusetts public schools of various grade levels: fourth grade reading, language arts and arithmetic scores from State tests of 1971, article on College Board test results of Newton high school seniors in 1977.

Two undated photographs of the Chestnut Hill Reservoir High and Low Service Pumping Stations and Low Service Pumping Station, computer printouts of the Reservoir's history with color illustrations.

Collection of material relating to the history of Newton's city seal, which first appeared in 1865 on the Annual Report of the Town's Officers. It depicts John Eliot (1604-1690) preaching to the Indians on Nonantum Hill. Includes photocopied image of the Seal.

Collection of materials relating to MUSE, Inc., a non-denominational ministry which sent professional performers to give concerts at Boston area nursing and retirement homes from1973 until about 1978. It was originally funded in part by the Union Church of Waban, Massachusetts.

Collection of photographs of Auburndale streets, commercial intersections, business facades, Newton Free Library Auburndale Branch and bookmobile.

Collection of photographs probably taken largely by the Noetzel photography studio run by William (Wilhelm) C. Noetzel, located in Newton Centre at 69 Union Street from about 1903 to 1929 and at 825 Beacon Street, Room 12 from 1931 to 1938. The collection includes various photographs of streets and commercial blocks in Newton Centre, train stations, churches, schools, unidentified Brookline firefighter in uniform, a hiker with Mount Rainier in the background, Samuel Francis Smith (author of "America") and his wife on the porch of their house, outdoor portrayal of the "Spirit of '76" and tableaux showing women in poses and with symbols representing the seven arts.

One rolled group photograph of the Newton High School (Walnut Street, Newtonville, Massachusetts) senior graduating class of 1918 with teachers (no names included).

The All Newton Music School was founded in 1911 by Elizabeth Fyffe, who, together with a group of public-spirited citizens of Newton, believed that music study of a high quality on all levels should be available to all and that instruction should not be expensive. Over the years of its expansion it has remained a nonprofit organization after its incorporation in 1914, and continues to dedicate its purpose to offering a musical education to all in the community.

Collection of various Newton mock-up maps created by the Newton Times for its newspaper articles appearing in the 1970s of Newton streets, bicycle routes, conservation land, open space, wards and precincts, Massachusetts 4th District, Tenth Middlesex District, Eastern Massachusetts Metropolitan Area of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts District Commission, Silver Lake in Nonantum, BayBank ATM locations, Newton Lower Falls renewal neighborhood, and traffic accidents.

Collection of material on Newton, Massachusetts' artists, photographers, artisans, arts education, arts organizations and foundations, and art events.

Collection of material describing indoor and outdoor recreational programs and facilities in Newton sponsored by the Newton Parks and Recreation Department, formerly Newton Recreation Department.

Collection of material related to proposed renovation of Newton North High School and Newton South High School in the early 2000s: Superintendent's Recommendation for High School Buildings Project includes rationale for renovation, comparison to other Massachusetts cities, 10-year enrollment projections, before and after description of the high schools with operating costs, project timetable, redistricting requirements; Information packet from Newton's Public Buildings Department, A. Nicholas Parnell, Commissioner, sent to relevant City officials with projected timelines for Newton North and Newton South renovation, expenditure spreadsheets (2001-2007), draft for Request for Quotation (RFQ) for designer services and project management services; City of Newton High School Project Debt Funding Proposal, representing Mayor David B. Cohen's financing plan for renovation of the two high schools.

Collection includes photographs of 2 villages of Newton, Massachusetts. Newton Centre (1900-1979): businesses, commercial blocks, streets, playgrounds, trees, woods, lakes, monuments, churches, historic houses, golf club, women's club, bubbler (drinking fountain), early car accident, football and ice hockey games. Newton Corner (1870-1970): trolley car, gazebo, Nonantum House, site of first ladies' seminary in the United States, Jackson Homestead musical event, businesses, parks, trees, brooks, streets, Massachusetts Turnpike, railroad station, fire station, Newton Free Library, banks, hotels, historic houses, churches, armory, memorials, set of photographs taken by the City of Newton Engineering Department in 1946 of deteriorating houses, streets, vacant lots, parking lots of Nonantum Square area preliminary to changes proposed by the City to create a throughway easterly to the Charles River Basin Parkway and a set of 1976 photographs of the run down neighborhood around Nonantum Square scheduled to be revitalized around 1979 during the urban renewal period, and a letter describing the picture, "The Misfortunes of Old Age : On the Way to the Poorhouse" (see N 070.4 H99M Compact Shelving). .

Collection of slides taken by Bud Lombardi and Charles Zolli of their family and friends at weddings, graduations, first holy communion ceremony, confirmations, family reunions, Easter Sunday and high school football games at locations in Nonantum, on Bridge Street, Colonial Avenue, Linwood Avenue, Silver Lake Avenue, at Newton North High School playing fields, and Milton Street, West Newton. Views of Raytheon building on Bridge Street, Our Lady Help of Christians Church, Silver Lake Cordage, and St. Bernard's Church in West Newton.

Collection of photographs of Crystal Lake (16 Rogers Street), views of lake from various points on bank and from the Andrews Estate, swimmers, people fishing. Four photographs of Linwood Avenue, Nonantum, family, neighbors, bocce ball players, donated to the library by John and Virginia Tocci. Photograph taken about 1980 of a group of people on porch of the Freeport House, an experimental group home for alienated youth, run by the Freeport Foundation, incorporated in March 1970. Views of the John Eliot Memorial Terrace, tribute to "the Puritan missionary to the Indians," who lived 1604 to 1690. It is located near the junction of Eliot Memorial Road and Magnolia Street on Farlow Hill and was built in the late 19th century. Collection of photographs of teachers and students participating in various adult education classes of Newton Community Schools at Horace Mann, Emerson, Mason-Rice Schools and Newton Art Center: belly dancing, jazz dance, calligraphy and quilting. Collection of photographs of Newton's first City Hall (1337 Washington Street, West Newton) and present City Hall (1000 Commonwealth Avenue, Newton Centre): exterior views of the building and grounds, aerial views, interior views of the executive chamber, aldermanic chamber, staircase, War Memorial with model of the battle between Old Ironsides and the Guerriere made by Theodore Pitman and S. J. Guernsey. Also photographs of Mayor Sinclair Weeks at the cornerstone ceremony for the War Memorial in 1931 and various group shots of Newton city executives and managers around 1960. Photographs of Echo Bridge, a granite structure (on the National Register of Historic Places) completed in 1877 in Newton Upper Falls, the crescent falls just below it, and various picturesque views of the Charles River, its rapids, with people canoeing, Cold Spring Grove, Cheesecake Brook, Islington Park, and in the villages of Newton: Lower Falls, Upper Falls, Auburndale, Waban, and Nonantu

Photographs of Newton Corner locations-panoramic view from Mt. Ida, houses, churches, memorials, fire stations and engines, train stations, photocopy of a street plan with businesses in Newton Corner around 1928-1930 drawn by H. Sylvester, Jr. in 1982.

Brochures for adult education classes at various institutions in Newton.

Beginning as the Catholic Guild for All the Blind, The Carroll Center has developed residential programs for the newly blind people at their renovated facility at 770 Centre St., Newton. Collection includes material on the renovated carriage house in 1981 and an issue of "Listen", newspaper of the Catholic Guild for the Blind, Vol. xiv, No.5, February, 1963.

Collection of photographs used or taken by the Newton Free Library Public Relations Department. Photographs document events at the library between 1990 and 2007: children's programs, volunteer appreciation breakfast, book sales, computer and ESL classes, interior and exterior of the Homer Street library and Centre Street library and branches. Most photographs are of individuals or groups of library staff, volunteers, Trustees, Friends, performers, artists, musicians, speakers, Newton city officials, politicians and celebrities. One photograph of the Newton police and fire dispatch room. For full list of people identified in the photographs, see inventory in phase box.

Various material related to Newton elections, polling places for the September, 19, 1972 state election, new ward lines established in 1971, the addition of Newton's 8th ward and precinct mergers in 1966, the right of resident students to vote, the 1971 official vote count, registered voter count on October 8, 1966.

Primarily biographical material about Henry S.C. Cummings, including his service as Master of Brookline Masonic Lodge in 1929 and as Secretary from 1935 to 1978. Author of "Living Thoughts" and "Masonic Thoughts", he died at the age of 79 on January 16, 1978. Obituaries for Henry S.C. Cummings and his son, Henry S.C. Cummings, Jr., who died in 1999 at the age of 70 are included.

Various election-related material including Newton City Clerk's Office fact sheet on function of the Office and brief history of Newton, mayoral and aldermanic voting cards for elections in 1929, 1931 and undated, presentation of candidates by the Republican State Central Committee around 1882, yes ballot for the question, should land be appropriated from the Public Common in Newton Centre for the widening of Centre Street, letter from Otis Pettee, N. P. Coburn, and Walter Allen of the Republican Executive Committee to Newton citizens protesting Democratic opposition to nomination of non-partisan "citizen candidates" for municipal office.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Boston finished building a LEED-certified duplex for two Newton families at 76 Webster Park in the summer of 2009. LEED certification complies with the U. S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system. The collection consists of the summer 2009 issue of "Building Hope", the newsletter of Habitat for Humanity, Greater Boston and a computer printout of Newton Mayor David Cohen's weekly press conference which announces the completion of the project.

Slides of Newton's villages: Newton Lower Falls, Newton Upper Falls, Auburndale, Newton Centre, Newtonville, Waban, Newton Highlands and West Newton. A wide range of scenes are represented-playgrounds, tennis courts, Farlow Park, planting linden trees, commercial buildings, apartment buildings, historic houses, shops, restaurants, Bigelow House, Bullough's Pond, Charles River and falls, the Cove of Auburndale; Newton Free Library on Centre Street, library branches in Upper Falls, Auburndale, Waban and the Chaffin House Boys and Girls Library in Newton Corner; schools - Horace Mann Elementary, Bigelow School, Newton North High School (1977), Claflin School Artists Center; churches-Newton Centre Church, St. John's Church in Lower Falls; streets, squares, Auburndale Playhouse, Newton Corner Gateway Offices; transportation-train stations, MBTA trolley cars, T stops and shelters, Massachusetts Turnpike entrances. Newton Free Library opening day festivities for the 330 Homer Street library on September 15, 2001: spectators, entertainers, city officials, library director and Trustees. Before and after slides of the Newton Free Library archival material sent to the North East Document Preservation Center as part of a preservation grant in 2004-2005.

The Newton Free Library Board of Trustees hold regular fundraising events. The Spring Fling (formerly named the Library Lovers' Ball) hosts a roster of guest authors and offers musical entertainment and a silent auction. The Annual Fall BBQ features Newton city officials as celebrity chefs. This collection includes material related to the programs of these and other library fundraisers.

San Donato, Val di Comino, Italy, a hill town between Rome and Naples is one of the sister cities of Newton, Massachusetts. It was so designated in 1980, because so many immigrants from San Donato had settled in Newton between 1850 and 1890. The other connection between the two cities is that Newton has a large number of Jewish citizens. During World War II San Donato residents saved several Jewish families, soldiers and individuals from the Nazis by destroying original identity documents and re-issuing counterfeit ones. This collection consists of material related to the sister city relationship between Newton and San Donato, the assistance given to Jews during World War II in San Donato, personal papers of Professor Jack Nusan Porter related to his research on the history of San Donato and the Holocaust, and a history of the cultural and charitable organization, Gruppo Etnico Sandonatese, created in 1989 in the Nonantum village of Newton to keep alive the links between San Donato descendents in Massachusetts and the Italian Sandonatesi.

Newton Community Schools, partially funded by the City of Newton and partly from nominal fees, was a volunteer-driven program to offer classes to all ages in a broad range of subjects: crafts, cooking, parenting, creative arts, gardening etc. The aim was to make full use of the public schools after hours. This collection included course listings in twenty schools.

Before 1870, several Newton citizen groups organized library societies to serve their neighborhoods. The Newton Centre Library Association was one of them. The main building of the Newton Free Library was opened in 1870, but as the library's collection and membership grew, there was need for more space. The original building on Centre Street was expanded in 1886 and in 1952. Demand for library services was so great that beginning in 1927 the City of Newton gradually started opening neighborhood branches in Newton Centre, Waban, Oak Hill, West Newton, Auburndale, Newton Upper Falls, Newtonville, Nonantum, Newton Highlands and Newton Lower Falls. Construction of the Newton Centre branch (1294 Centre Street) was completed in 1928 by Richie, Parsons and Taylor Architects and Engineers. Floor area was 6,836 square feet, total lot size 16,160 square feet, walls made of brick, roof of slate. When a new Main Library was opened at 330 Homer Street in 1991, the Newton Centre, Oak Hill, West Newton, Newton Upper Falls, Newtonville, Newton Highlands, and Newton Lower Falls branches were closed.

Collection of undated newspaper articles about military heroes from Newton who served in the American Revolution through the Korean conflict, with mention of the capture of Indians at the Battle of Bunker Hill and the founding of Bethel, Maine by the soldiers after that battle, songs of the Civil War, the Disabled American Veterans organization, the Franco-American War Veterans, Inc., and some statistics on the number of Newton residents who served in various wars and number of veterans buried in the Veteran's Lot of the Newton Cemetery as of December 31, 1962.

A small collection of the library's printed ephemera.

Beginning in 1980 the Green Company built the first of the 66 attached townhouse style homes called The Gables at 401-439 Dedham Street in Newton. The site was approximately 28.5 acres abutting onto 5 1/2 acres reserved for conservation purposes, with a perimeter of 3 1/2 acres of property guaranteed by Conservation Restriction. This Old House, the television program, was involved in the project. The collection includes an illustration of the overall site plan, the 5 floor plans (A through D) based on size of unit, and a computer print-out briefly describing the project.

In 1886 the Newton Free Library established a book distributing agency at Albert H. Sisson's drug store and coal office on Walnut Street. A Newton board of library trustees' policy would not permit the opening of a full village branch until the local community raised $1000 for equipment and initial expenses. In 1902 a fund drive in Newtonville raised $250. Four years later the Newtonville Improvement Association raised the remainder, and a new library branch was instated. It operated on the 2nd floor of the Masonic Building from 1906 until 1925 when it moved to the 1st floor of the same building and remained until 1936, then moved to the 2nd floor of Orr Hall. The library moved into its own building at 345 Walnut Street in November, 1939. The poet, Robert Frost, read his poems at the dedication on December 1, 1939. The modified colonial styled, 3-story building, 8,742 square feet in floor area, total lot size 25,909 square feet with brick walls and slate roof was designed by E. Donald Robb, architect. When a new Main Library was opened at 330 Homer Street in 1991, the Newton Centre, Oak Hill, West Newton, Newton Upper Falls, Newtonville, Newton Highlands and Newton Lower Falls branches were closed.

Father Thomas J. Carroll, Jr., an ordained Catholic priest, was involved in education of blind people starting with his term as chaplain to blinded veterans in 1944. He became director of Catholic Guild for the Blind, then in 1954 established St. Paul's Rehabilitation Center for the Blind, which was renamed Carroll Center for the Blind (770 Centre Street, Newton, MA) in 1972. Collection consists of a brief biography of Father Carroll, text of a speech about him by Dr. Tuck Tinsley, III delivered to the Blinded Veterans Association convention on August 13, 2004, and a catalog record of the Thomas J. Carroll Papers held at the Burns Library of Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA.

Various guides and brief histories of Newton, Massachusetts explaining how Newton got its name, how Newton is a city of villages, its connection to the Fig Newton and various directories with facts and descriptions of services and attractions in Newton for residents, prospective residents and tourists.

A section of Oak Hill Park village of the City of Newton, Massachusetts was developed rapidly after World War II to provide individual homes for returning veterans. The Oak Hill Park Branch of the Newton Free Library had first moved into a wing of Memorial School in Oak Hill Park in 1937. On February 10, 1955 a new branch was set up in Oak Hill Shopping Center, build by V. Ciulla. When stores closed in 1974 the branch relocated to an empty classroom of Memorial School, which was later bought by Solomon Schechter School. The branch stayed open there till 1991, when the City's new Main Library was opened at 330 Homer Street. At that time the Newton Centre, Oak Hill Park, West Newton, Newton Upper Falls, Newtonville, Newton Highlands, and Newton Lower Falls branches were closed.

Various documents from the Office of the Comptroller of the City of Newton including annual reports for 1949, 1950 and 1965, chart analysis from 1923 covering 1898 to 1922 statistics, loose ledger sheets covering the period 1927 to 1936 and 1958 tax data.

Collection of slides and photographs of various locations and events in West Newton, Newtonville, Newton Upper Falls and Newton Corner. Newton Corner - streetcar circa 1982, building being razed near the Paramount Movie Theatre circa 1989, businesses, post office, Massachusetts Turnpike entrance, Newton Presbyterian Church, a night fire fighting incident around 1992. West Newton - West Newton Branch of the Newton Free Library (25 Chestnut Street) boarded up after closure around 1981. Newtonville - Newtonville United Methodist Church (449 Newtonville Avenue), stores at Newtonville Square, Washington Street showing Cottage Doughnuts, Solomon & Tutin Company, Pewter Pot Hot Muffin House. Newton Upper Falls - Echo Bridge on the Charles River.

The Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) worked on a planning study of existing interceptor sewers in the southern part of the Metropolitan Sewerage District. The project was known as the Wellesley Extension Sewer Facilities Plan, whose purpose was to assess existing conditions in the MDC sewerage system and plan for the future. Problems had been sewerage back-ups, overflows into the Charles River and surcharging contiguous towns' systems. Newton relied on this system for 15% of its sewerage removal. The project began on August 17, 1981, and the final public hearing took place on September 14, 1982. This is a collection of drafts, interim drafts, public hearing transcript and public participation work plan. Included in the drafts are maps, graphs, tables and illustrations related to the environmental, social and economic impact on the community.

In 1971 the Newton, Massachusetts Board of Aldermen passed an ordinance setting up a voluntary recycling program in the City after a feasibility study had been started by aldermanic subcommittee and concerned citizens including the League of Women Voters of Newton. The Mayor's Advisory Committee on Recycling was then created. Curbside collection of recyclables and a recycling depot were set up by 1972 to handle glass, cans and newspapers. The League of Women Voters of Newton received a grant to publicize recycling in 1976 and another grant to prepare recycling "How to..." materials in 1980. The committee continued outreach into public schools and scout troops, regular columns and feature articles in local newspapers, contests, and award ceremonies to promote recycling. Aldermen passed an ordinance in 1981 making it illegal to throw away recyclables in the trash, and in 1983 the Massachusetts Beverage Container Law (M.G.L. C94, S.321-327) took effect mandating a refundable deposit on certain beverage containers. Newton's recycling program continued to expand to include yard waste for composting in 1986 and plastics in 1990. In 1995 Newton launched a campaign to recycle 50% of its waste by the year 2000. The recycling rate had gone from 2% in 1972 to 44% in 1996. The items in this collection are from the committees involved in the diffusion of information to the community and the implementation of policies decided on by the Mayor's Advisory Committee on Recycling.

On Friday, June 18, 1993 the Friends of the Newton Free Library hosted "Hats Off to Virginia," a tea held in Druker Auditorium to celebrate library director Virginia Tashjian on her planned retirement. Newton Free Library staff and Friends of the Library all donned hats for this festive occasion. Later, on Tuesday, august 17, 1993, a retirement luncheon was held in the Staff Room, dubbed, "The Storytelling Queen's Retirement Party!" On Sunday, September 19, 1993 from 2-5 p.m., the Newton community was invited to honor the library director at an event called "Salute to Virginia Tashjian," held on the library plaza. Mayor Theodore Mann, the Trustees of the Newton Free Library, State Representative (and future Mayor) David B. Cohen, other notables, and department heads attended along with residents of the community and library staff. Photographs also capture the exceptional library art exhibit, "Quilting Together," mounted at the time, from September 2-29, 1993. Artists represented were: Carol G. Bikofsky, Lenore Chused, Rowena Fisher, Julie Gonzalez, Sandra Keller, and Takako Masamune.

Collection of material related to birds in Newton, an exhibit at the Jackson Homestead entitled "Walks and Talks with Nature : Charles Maynard, Newton's Naturalist," and Massachusetts Audubon Society (Newton Local Area Program of 1977).

Collection of bi-annual calendars for recreational and cultural events in Newton, Massachusetts.

In 1980 a Newton Free Library (NFL) Reference Librarian, Susan Cain, began organizing the NFL Oral History Program: "A History of Trades and Craftspersons in Newton, 1920-1950." Interview subjects were chosen, senior history majors at Boston College and NFL librarians interviewed, and Northeastern University students indexed the audiotapes. The purpose was to record personal testimony about working conditions, family life, community events such as the advent of the telephone and automobile, the Great Depression, World War II, the building of major roads through the City, and hurricanes. The user's guides in this collection give the name of the compiler, interviewee, interviewer and table of contents of interviews with audiotape counter numbers.

Collection of material on the 25th anniversary celebration events of Weeks Junior High School, booklet on its goals and style of teaching in 1957, the nomination to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and Newton Community Development Foundation's plan to convert the building into apartments in 1982.

Voice of Women (VOW) was a Newton, Massachusetts based nuclear disarmament organization formed in 1960 which continued through the Vietnam War and beyond. Its members conducted teach-ins, sit-ins and protest demonstrations in Newton and the Boston area. It ran the Peace Boutique, which sold peace paraphernalia, then became a craft and gift shop and meeting place for peace supporters. Even after the peak of activity in the 1960s and 1970s the women continued their involvement in peace, civil rights, and protest against atmospheric nuclear testing. Around 2000 an effort was made by the Newton2000 History Committee, the City of Newton Women's Commission and VOW members to collect oral history about the women in the organization. This collection includes videotaped interviews of members and an introductory history of the movement. It also includes papers related to the VOW Oral History Project-programs honoring VOW members, fundraising sources, publicity covering the renewed interest in Newton's historical involvement in peace activism and the role of women.

Collection of materials constituting a lesson plan--description of a 12 year old Newton boy's life in colonial times with suggested questions, projects, vocabulary and maps of Newton and surrounding towns from 1644 to 1688.

Newton, Massachusetts is one of the most historically significant cities in the United States. As of 1990 132 Newton historical buildings and districts were in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). This collection includes material on Newton's architectural gems-an article on Newton locations on the NRHP and the exhibit booklet for "Newton Has Style: Three Hundred Years of Newton Architecture", a photographic show (February 3-27, 1981) at Boston College's Barry Pavilion on the Newton Campus. The booklet gives a brief history of over 91 buildings, blocks, roads, and districts in Newton.

Interior view of the Newton Free Library, Newton, Massachusetts includes the front doors, entryway, Circulation Desk, suspended ceiling lamps, other library furniture and shelving.

Collection of material on health, recreation, housing, education, legal, financial, etc. services for older people provided by city, state and federal programs and private agencies.

Collection of material relating to the recovery of the submarine, USS Grunion, which was lost in the Bering Sea in July 1942 and recovered through the efforts of the three sons of the commander, Lieutenant Commander Mannert L. Abele. All the sons grew up in Newton, Massachusetts. Includes the USS Grunion Family Memorial Weekend booklet, which documents the gathering of family and friends of the crew on October 10-12, 2008 in Cleveland, Ohio to remember and celebrate the lives of the 70 men lost on the submarine.

Businesses and shopping: photographs of various Newton stores, shops owners, clients, merchandise displays, most taken by Beth Ansell of the Newton Times newspaper from 1974 to 1979. Newton Fire Department: photographs of fire stations, firefighters, cataract, horse-drawn engines, engines on sled runners, drill practice. Fire stations pictured are in Newton Highlands, Newton Centre, Newton Upper Falls, West Newton, Newton Lower Falls, Newton Corner, Auburndale and Waban. Forestry Department: photographs from 1900 to 1922 of crews at the cement shed and spraying trees from horse-drawn wagons, various work sites, tree plantings, the Claflin elm and willow trees, various department vehicles, Forestry Commissioner, ice skating on Boyd Park pond, Mayor Hutchinson's orchard, Mayor Hatfield's orchard. Newton Hospital and later Newton-Wellesley Hospital (Washington Street, Newton Lower Falls): photographs taken from 1886 to 1925 of various hospital buildings and wards, doctors treating patients, classes of graduating nurses. Miscellaneous village photographs: house, grounds and automobile in Newton Highlands; houses, streets, churches, businesses, commuter rail station, pageant around 1911 in Newtonville; family photographs of children, wedding, businesses, automobiles, streets in Nonantum; businesses, squares, Plummer Block, riverside, Burnham Soluble Iodine Company in 1905 in Auburndale.

Collection of brief histories, reports and other documents relating to the history and development of the Newton Free Library and its branches from about 1870 to 2003.

The Newton Day Care Center was located in 1972 at the United Presbyterian Church on Park and Vernon streets in Newton Corner. Licensed by the Commonwealth under Newton Community Service Centers, Inc., the Center served children aged 2 years 9 months to 6 years. The director, Miss Edith Babkey, along with the Day Care Advisory Committee chaired by Mrs. Keith Willoughby, eventually expanded service in response to the needs of families in the 1970s. After-school care for grades 1-4 was in place throughout Newton by 1977. This collection includes guides to day care facilities in Newton and announcements from individual day care programs.

Various materials related to the status of illegal drug use in Newton, prevention education, and rehabilitation, especially in youth.

Construction of the Newton's new City Hall and War Memorial at 1000 Commonwealth Avenue began in September, 1931, and the dedication ceremony took place on November 11, 1932. Architects Allen, Collens and Willis of 75 Newbury Street, Boston built it at a cost of $650,000. Charles Collens was a Newton resident. This collection of material relates to the dedication ceremony of the new City Hall, general facts about its construction and other materials connected to the building.

Collection of annual reports and consumer pamphlets created or distributed by the City of Newton's Department of Weights and Measures to educate shoppers about the cost of commercial weighing errors and to explain the Department's role in regulating scales and other measurement devices.

Miscellaneous collection of materials related to Newton school students, teachers, officials, projects, and student transportation.

Collection of magazine, newspaper articles and supplements related to public and private schools in Newton and the state of education in the Boston western suburbs.

Collection of materials related to Boston College commencement of June 1928, its economic impact on the community, women's programs, parking issues and campus libraries.

Collection includes photographs of 4 villages of Newton, Massachusetts. Nonantum (1896-1985): residential streets, parks, playgrounds, skating ponds, senior citizen gardens, churches and church activities, public schools, businesses, school drill team, football league members, Silver Lake, Cole's Block and a fire station. Oak Hill Park (1977-1989): public schools, Dr. Henry Jacob Bigelow House (742 Dedham Street) designed by Henry Hobson Richardson, restored and made into 5 condominiums in the 1980s by This Old House, PBS television, Peabody Home for Crippled Children (Dedham & Brookline Streets) founded by Harriet M. Peabody in 1895 in Weston, Massachusetts, then moved to Hyde Park, Massachusetts in 1900, then to Oak Hill in 1922. The name was changed to New England Peabody Home for Crippled Children around 1926 after Mrs. Peabody left the state. It operated until 1961. Newton Upper Falls (1900-1976): businesses, snow scenes, streets, playground construction, mill falls, Hemlock Gorge, woods, Charles River. West Newton (1860-1976): golf game at Braeburn Country Club, first City Hall, churches, streets, parks, commons, commons construction, court house, businesses, snow scenes, cows at Ellis Milk Farm and Wauwinet cow barn, Odd Fellows Hall, baseball game, City of Newton Forestry Department horse-drawn sprayer wagon, Phineas Allen House, fire station.

Library service to Nonantum, a village of Newton, Massachusetts, began in 1870 when a horse-drawn wagon brought books weekly from the Main Library to the neighborhood. Before the Nonantum Branch acquired its own building in 1958, books were left at "agencies". The real estate office at Watertown and Cook Streets served this purpose. In 1908 the branch moved to Stearns Schoo, in 1913 to a store at Watertown and Faxon Streets, in 1929 to a former bank in the Columbus Building at Watertown and Adams Streets, and in 1937 to 316 Adams Street. A new branch was built in 1957 at 144 Bridge Street with a floor area of 8,920 square feet, total lot size 11,517 square feet, walls made of brick, roof of slate. The basement was used by an independent nursery school. Nonantum has a large number of residents of Italian origin. In 1975 the Centro di Cultura Italiana (Bilingual Italian Cultural Center) was established at the Nonantum Branch with a grant to promote awareness of contributions of Italians and people of Italian descent to American society. The Center sponsored lectures, concerts, Italian language classes, film, and children's story hours.

Collection of Newton, Massachusetts population data 1765-1870, 1900-2000.

Collection of materials related to Peirce Elementary School in Newton, MA.

Pine Manor College, originally Pine Manor Junior College, part of the Dana Hall School in Wellesley center, moved to a 78-acre (320,000 m2) estate in Chestnut Hill, MA in 1965. The estate, then known as Roughwood, was the residence of Ernest B. Dane. E.B. Dane was president of the Brookline Savings and Trust. Many of the school's buildings are original to the estate and have been renovated to accommodate the college. (Wikipedia) Collection of materials relating to architecture of the college buildings.

The Waban Branch of the Newton Free Library opened to the public in May 1930. Funding for the library was raised by the Waban Public Library Association, Inc., Waban Improvement Society, and the Waban Woman's Club. The architect was Densmore, Le Clear and Robbins of Boston. It has a floor plan of 6,375 square feet, total site area of 45,838 square feet, is made of brick with a slate roof and is located at the intersection of Beacon Street, Woodward Street and Pine Ridge Road. It operated as a branch library until June 2008 when a tight city budget forced the closing of Newton's last branches in Auburndale, Nonantum, Newton Corner and Waban. The Waban Branch reopened as an independent entity in September 2009 renamed the Waban Library Center, run by volunteers and some library professionals. The Waban Improvement Society is overseeing operations. The non-profit center serves as both a library and a community center offering WiFi, classes, exhibits, and programs. This collection includes a brief history of the library and newspaper articles about the Newton Free Library's Waban Branch and the Waban Library Center.

Collection of material regarding urban renewal activities of the City of Newton, Massachusetts between 1960 and 1971.

Fact sheet on Newton's water supply and a WCRB, 1330 radio transcript of a public relations program featuring Willard S. Pratt, Director of Public Works, Newton, Massachusetts, explaining the role of his department.

Boston Daily Globe and Boston Sunday Herald articles about the Boston Marathon with photographs of runners, Clarence H. DeMar, Tom Longboat, and Yun Bok Su, topography of the race course, and listing of Marathon champions 1897-1947.

Collection of material related to the history and financial condition of various banks in Newton.

Collection of material summarizing the history, development and philosophy of the branch system of the Newton Free Library, Newton, Massachusetts.