A Better Alternative

The current building was constructed in 1938. It was purchased by citizen subscriptions, with the New Deal’s Public Works Administration (PWA) funding 45% of the project. It was the largest of the five branch libraries built in Newton between 1926 and 1939 and was representative of this period in Newton’s civic and architectural history.

The building was important enough that at its dedication in 1939, poet Robert Frost came to read his poem "Mending Wall."

There's a lot of information about the building in the 2012 “Newton Public Buildings Survey.” This document describes the history of the building, its architectural details and more. It notes that "The building is well designed and represents the work of architect E. Donald Robb and stained glass artist Charles J. Connick, both of whom are [sic] masters in their respective fields."

More recently, the building was "preferably preserved" by the Newton Historical Commission and given a demolition delay until March of 2022.

Here is a rendering (above: released last February) by the NewCAL Design Review Committee, of what a renovated building with an addition might look like:

This design keeps the current façade, while at the same time increasing the available space. But the design team abandoned it, developing a very different new version (see home page or petition page). They need to revisit the matter and go back to something like their earlier traditional version.

The NewCAL team will meet next on January 20. To get a Zoom link for that meeting, contact us by email at: info@betternewtonville.org or check back closer to 1/20/2022.