The Newton 9-11 Memorial Committee and the City of Newton cordially invite all to the annual 9-11 Commemoration on Thursday, September 11, 2025, at 6PM at the Newton 9-11 Memorial, on the front lawn of the Fire Department Headquarters (1164 Centre Street, Newton Centre). In case of rain, the event…
Posts published in “History”
To celebrate the Newton Free Library’s 150th anniversary, join the Library and Historic Newton on Wednesday, September 10 from 6PM-7:30PM for a tour that takes you to places where writers — including Robert Frost and Harriet Beecher Stowe — visited Newton. Learn more about authors who studied literature at Newton’s…
The Newton Conservators will host a tour of Cold Spring Park with Friends of Cold Spring Parkfounder and president Alan Nogee on Saturday, September 20, from 10AM to 12 noon, to learnabout its natural wonders, threats, and intriguing history. Alan will also discuss what makes anatural plant community invaluable for wildlife, climate mitigation,…
The History Book Club of Historic Newton will meet to discuss The British are Coming by Rick Atkinson on Thursday, September 25 at 7:30PM. Read the book in advance and join the meeting, which is held on Zoom and free and open to all. To receive book club updates and…
Join Historic Newton on Sunday, September 28 from 12PM-4PM for Hayfest — a day of fall-themed historic activities at Jackson Homestead (527 Washington Street). Learn how Autumn was celebrated in the 19th-century at Jackson Homestead. Butter churning, candle dipping, apple cider pressing… oh my! Refreshments will be available. All ages…
On Wednesday, July 23, City Councilor Stephen Farrell met with the Public Facilities committee to support the proposed renaming of the 19 roadways of Oak Hill Park in honor of fallen veterans. Currently these roadways are named for letters of the alphabet. Councilor Farrell highlighted the historical significance of renaming…
At 5PM on Wednesday, July 16, it was hot and still sunny as the 90th start of the five-day St. Mary of Carmen festival — Festa — began in Pellegrini Park on Hawthorne Street. Members of the St. Mary of Carmen Society gathered in their assigned places after three weeks…
Wednesday, July 16, is the beginning of the 90th annual St. Mary of Carmen Society festival, known as Festa, in Nonantum. The festival celebrates the enduring Italian heritage of “The Lake” — as the neighborhood is called in the community, many of whose ancestors emigrated from the San Donato area…
There is still much to be learned about the true meaning of liberty even after this year’s Fourth of July festivities concluded. On July 13, Historic Newton, in collaboration with Newton Cultural Development, will explore Independence Day through the eyes of Frederick Douglass, who escaped slavery and was a famed…
Yesterday as I was walking back to my car after attending a wonderful City of Newton family Fourth of July celebration in the Newton Bowl park with my 7-year-old granddaughter and my dog, we passed an overgrown lot at 1181 Centre Street. I thought that it seemed a bit odd…
In colonial Newton, the public school mission was clear: protect children against Satan by teaching them to read the Bible. After the Civil War, the school day still began with devotional activities, but there were more demands on the curriculum. The government wanted civics and heroic American history to unite…
Music, food, dancing, and community– Newton’s fifth annual Juneteenth celebration brought together a melting pot of generations, cultures, and emotions on the lawn outside of the Hyde Community Center on the sunny afternoon of June 19. Juneteeth, celebrated on June 19th, recognizes the day that enslaved African Americans were informed…