Feeling Newton Awe – Welcome to the first installment of my Making Newton Home Roadmap, here on Villlage14. As I shared last week, I have come to believe my local history explorations have grounded me to my beautiful community and helped me nurture a sense of home for my family. I hope to share stories that generate a sense of Newton Awe and put special local historical people, places and traditions on the map for fellow “Newts” who want to deepen their connection to our great Garden City.
The convergence of Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson and a skillfully repurposed public building inspires a sense of Newton Awe for me. Newton’s Senior Center on Walnut Street in Newtonville has been a senior center for as long as I have lived in Newton. When you walk into the main hall, you can feel a palpable sense of wisdom from both the seniors who socialize here today, and the original purpose of the building. Dedicated in 1939, the structure was the Newtonville branch of The Newton Free Library until it was closed in the early 1990’s and reopened as a senior center in 1993.
The construction of the Walnut Street library in the late 1930’s, at the end of The Great Depression, must have been the wonder of its day. Charles Connick, a world-renowned stained glass artisan, lived just up the hill in Newtonville and would have experienced the construction project in his daily local travels. Born in Pennsylvania, Connick established his studio in Boston and ultimately chose Newton as his home in 1920. He lived here until his death in 1945.
Daily encounters with this huge construction project may have spurred Connick to seek inspiration from literary carpenters, poets, when he stepped forward to create two large stained glass medallions for the building’s transepts, as his gift to his adopted hometown. Connick chose to illuminate verses from two timeless New England poems in these large medallions: Robert Frost’s “The Mending Wall” and Emily Dickinson’s “ There is No Frigate Like a Book”.
Both large medallions are breathtaking visual interpretations of the poems and must be seen from inside the building to fully appreciate their wonder. Tucked in a glass bookcase near one of the windows, black and white photographs tell the story of the library’s dedication in December of 1939 and magnify the sense of Newton Awe. From the Newton Senior Center History on The City of Newton website:
In December of 1939, on a cold winter night, an excited group of some 400 residents of Newton gathered in the newly constructed building at the corner of Walnut Street and Highland Avenue to witness the dedication of a new branch library in Newtonville. The new library was located where the Newton Club, a social organization, had been. Mayor Edwin O. Childs presided over the ceremonies and a trio from the All Newton Music School provided music for the celebration. The guests listened as the 38-year-old Robert Frost read through his poem, “The Mending Wall.”
Close your eyes and imagine yourself in the room on that cold December night. You are listening to Robert Frost’s iconic voice and admiring Charles Connick’s artistry with about 399 other Newts. You are feeling Newton Awe!
@Kathleen – beautifully done, thanks for sharing this. I had no idea Robert Frost was there for the dedication and did a reading. I think you’re very perceptive on what it must have been like: a deep and dark December indeed. Folks were still suffering the effects of the Depression, Hitler had just invaded Poland a couple of months before, initiating the awful train of events that would engulf the entire world. Imagine 400 people turning out for the dedication of a library, to listen to some guy read poetry. I have heard recordings of Robert Frost, and it’s wonderful stuff, though they were recorded late in his life, so it would be interesting to know if any recordings exist from his younger years. Thank goodness we’ve been able to save some of the Branch library buildings – what a shame they had to close. I was in the Auburndale branch a couple of years ago, and what a delightful space it is for the local community.
Lovely!
Connick also did two of the sanctuary windows in the First Unitarian Society in Newton: one celebrating music and the other education. The education window honors Horace Mann and Cyrus Peirce (for whom Peirce School is named), both of whom were founders of FUSN and West Newton residents. Connick is famous for the vibrant blue stained glass that he used in his windows. On a recent visit, Senior Services Director Jayne Colino drew the curtains for me so I got to see the windows at the Senior Center in all their glory. They are spectacular.
Thank you all for the encouraging words! Please stay tuned for the next stop on my roadmap:) I have a little dream: I want to create a passport that will guide “Newts” through the 13 villages to discover awe-inspiring features of our local history, and thereby generate a feeling of “Newton Awe”. Just as The World has “Seven Wonders”, I want Newton to have at least 13 wonders to behold.
Kathleen, l love the “boxes” the one in West Newton particularly. I hope that you will pursue your idea of the “13 wonders of Newton”. One I would recommend is the Cheesecake Brook that runs from West Newton through Newyonville and into the Charles River. When I was a child much more of it was uncovered and I hope the portion that remains open will never be altered. Thank you so much for amazingly creative ideas that teach and illustrate our history. I love Newton because I am continually amazed by the talents of people like you who share their gifts and make Newton the special
Kathleen and Rev Haywood – if you have not explored them you should really take a look at the extensive collection of historical photographs of Newton and other materials that our beloved Newton Free Library has made available on line. Cheesecake Brook being one subject, but also others. Some of it is buried inside of more general books or collections, but it is wonderful and will help you quickly and easily blow an entire morning in a wink of an eye.
H L Dewey, thank you I will take your advise and go to the library and reminisce with the pictures of the brook. When I was a kid we would enter the brook at the opening just south of the Warren Jr. High ball field and come out at Hicks St. at the Boston and Albany tracks near Hicks street. We are blessed to have so many natural treasures in Newton.