West Newton, Massachusetts facts for kids

West Newton Village Center

West Newton is a cool and historic area located in the city of Newton. It's one of thirteen special neighborhoods, or villages, that make up Newton. You can find West Newton in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States.

West Newton is one of the oldest villages in Newton. Its main area, called the West Newton Village Center, is so important that it's listed as a National Register Historic District. This means it has special historical value! The postal code for West Newton is 02465.

Where is West Newton Located?

West Newton is in the north-central part of Newton. It shares a border with the town of Waltham to the north. Other Newton villages surround it: Auburndale is to the west, Newton Lower Falls is to the far southwest, Newtonville is to the east, and Waban is to the south.

Getting Around West Newton

West Newton has good ways to get around!

Train and Bus Services

The West Newton train stop is a convenient place for commuters. It's part of the MBTA Commuter Rail's Framingham/Worcester Line. You can also find the Woodland station on the Green Line D branch about a mile away.

For bus travel, West Newton is served by express buses like the 505, 553, and 554. These buses connect West Newton to Boston and Waltham.

Major Roads and Highways

West Newton also has easy access to big roads. The Massachusetts Turnpike (also known as Interstate 90) runs right through the village. You can also quickly get to Route 128 (Massachusetts)/I-95. Other important roads passing through West Newton include Route 30 and Route 16.

Exploring West Newton Square

West Newton Square is the lively heart of the village. It's a busy spot with many local businesses and fun places to visit.

Fun Places and Restaurants

One cool place is the historic West Newton Cinema. This small theater shows independent films and was originally called the West Newton Theatre.

If you're hungry, West Newton has lots of popular restaurants! You can find everything from the fancy Bluebird Cafe to tasty Sweet Tomatoes Pizza. Paddy's public house is another local spot. Blue Ribbon Bar-B-Q is a big favorite and brings in fans from all over!

Important Community Buildings

West Newton Square also has several important community buildings. The Newton Police Department and the local courthouse are both on Washington Street. The Chinese Community Center is located on Elm Street.

Years ago, the square also had a branch of the Newton Free Library and the Davis Elementary School. These closed in the 1980s due to money issues. Today, the old library building on Chestnut Street is used by the police, and the former school is now a community center for everyone to use.

Changes from Turnpike Construction

In the past, building the Massachusetts Turnpike caused some big changes in West Newton. Some buildings and areas were lost or changed. For example:

• The West Newton Fire House on Washington Street was removed.
• The original Boston and Albany Railroad Station in West Newton was also lost.
• Lincoln Park on Washington Street was affected, though the Lincoln Park Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King Jr. once preached, is still there.
• The Curve Street neighborhood, which was first settled by freed slaves, became much smaller.
• Tony's drug store had to move, changing its old-fashioned feel.
• A building called "The Block" with stores and apartments was removed.
• Many houses on Davis Court were also gone, though the street still exists for businesses.

Historic Places in West Newton

West Newton is home to many buildings and areas that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are recognized for their important history and architecture.

Here are some of these special places:

• Arthur F. Luke House: 221 Prince St. (added March 16, 1990)
• Brae-Burn Historic District: Brae Burn and Windmere Rds. (added March 16, 1990)
• C. A. Sawyer House (Second): 86 Waban Ave. (added March 16, 1990)
• C. G. Howes Dry Cleaning-Carley Real Estate: 1173 Washington St. (added March 16, 1990)
• Charles D. Elliott House: 7 Colman St. (added October 4, 1986)
• Charles W. Noyes House: 271 Chestnut St. (added March 16, 1990)
• Charles Maynard House: 459 Crafts St. (added May 4, 1996)
• Day Estate Historic District: Commonwealth Ave. and Dartmouth St. (added March 16, 1990)
• Dr. Samuel Warren House: 432 Cherry St. (added February 3, 1985)
• First Unitarian Society in Newton: 1326 Washington St. (added October 4, 1986)
• Galen Merriam House: 102 Highland St. (added October 4, 1986)
• George W. Eddy House: 85 Bigelow Rd. (added March 16, 1990)
• House at 170 Otis Street: 170 Otis St. (added October 4, 1986)
• Levi Warren Jr. High School: 1600 Washington St. (added March 16, 1990)
• Nathaniel Topliff Allen Homestead: 25 Webster St. (added February 9, 1978)
• Peirce School: 88 Chestnut St. (added 1979)
• Railroad Hotel: 1273-1279 Washington St. (added October 4, 1986)
• Second Church in Newton: 60 Highland St. (added March 16, 1990)
• Webster Park Historic District: Along Webster Pk. and Webster St. between Westwood St. and Oak Ave. (added October 4, 1986)
• West Newton Hill Historic District: Roughly bounded by Highland Ave., Lenox, Hampshire, and Chestnut Sts. (added October 4, 1986)
• West Newton Village Center Historic District: Roughly Washington St. from Putnam to Davis Ct. (added March 16, 1990)
• West Parish Burying Ground: River and Cherry Sts. (added December 13, 2004)
• Windsor Road Historic District: Windsor and Kent Rds. (added March 16, 1990)

Fourteen of these are pictured below.

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  Arthur F Luke House

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  C G Howes Dry Cleaning - Carley Real Estate

• 

  Charles D Elliott House

• 

  Charles Maynard House

• 

  Dr Samuel Warren House

• 

  Galen Merriam House

• 

  170 Otis Street

• 

  Levi F Warren Jr High School

• 

  Nathaniel Topliff Allen Homestead

• 

  George W Eddy House

• 

  Peirce School

• 

  Railroad Hotel

• 

  Second Church

• 

  West Parish Burying Ground

Famous People from West Newton

Many well-known people have lived in or have connections to West Newton! Here are a few:

• Mitch Albom, a famous author.
• Isaac Asimov, a science fiction author known for books like I, Robot.
• Sheldon Brown, a well-known bicycle mechanic.
• Richard B. Carter, who led the Carter's Ink Company.
• Matt Damon, an actor famous for movies like Good Will Hunting.
• Bette Davis, a legendary actress.
• Joe DeNucci, a notable person from the area.
• Ralph Waldo Emerson, a famous essayist and author.
• Mickey Fisher, a basketball coach.
• Nathaniel Hawthorne, Sophia Peabody Hawthorne, Julian Hawthorne, and Rose Hawthorne, a family of writers.
• Steven Hyman, a neuroscientist and former Provost of Harvard University.
• Julian Jaynes, a psychologist and writer.
• John Krasinski, an actor.
• Matt LeBlanc, an actor widely known as Joey from Friends.
• Jack Lemmon, a famous actor.
• Constance McCashin, an actress from Knots Landing.
• Mark Mahoney, a tattoo artist with many celebrity clients.
• David Mamet, a playwright, screenwriter, and film director.
• Mark Mancuso, a meteorologist from The Weather Channel (United States).
• Horace Mann, an important educator.
• Olga C. Nardone, who was a Munchkin in The Wizard of Oz.
• Don Nottebart, an MLB baseball player.
• Cyrus Peirce, for whom Peirce School is named.
• Osgood Perkins, an actor and father of Anthony Perkins.
• Rebecca Pidgeon, a film actress married to David Mamet.
• Morrie Schwartz, the subject of the best-selling book Tuesdays With Morrie.
• Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin.
• Edward Wagenknecht, a literary critic and professor.
• Frank E. Winsor, for whom Winsor Dam is named.
• Howard Zinn, a historian and author.