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West Newton, Massachusetts

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Coordinates: 42°21′N 71°14′W / 42.350°N 71.233°W / 42.350; -71.233
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42°21′N 71°14′W / 42.350°N 71.233°W / 42.350; -71.233

The West Newton Theater
in the heart of West Newton village

West Newton is one of the thirteen villages within the city of Newton in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States.

Among the oldest of the thirteen Newton villages, the West Newton Village Center is a National Register Historic District. The postal ("Zip") code 02465 roughly matches the village limits.

Location

West Newton is located in the north central part of Newton and is bordered by the town of Waltham on the north and by the villages of Auburndale on the west, Newton Lower Falls on the extreme southwest, Newtonville on the east, and Waban on the south.

Railroad Station

The West Newton train stop is located near a still-standing inn (now small shops) that served as a stagecoach stop. The station was destroyed in the construction of the Massachusetts Turnpike.

West Newton Square

West Newton Square, the town center of West Newton, is home to many local businesses and venues. These include the historic West Newton Cinema, a small theatre that shows independent films, which was originally called the West Newton Theatre.

Many popular restaurants are located in West Newton, ranging from the upscale French bistro Lumiere to Sweet Tomatoes Pizza and Coney Island Ice Cream Cafe. Blue Ribbon Bar-B-Q is another local favorite, and attracts fans from far and wide.

There are several civic buildings in West Newton Square. They include the Newton Police Department and the local courthouse, both located on Washington Street, as well as the Chinese Community Center on Elm Street. The square once had a branch of the Newton Free Library as well as the Davis Elementary School on Waltham Street. Both closed in the 1980s owing to municipal financial constraints. The library building on Chestnut Street is now a police annex, while the school operates as a community center.

Losses due to turnpike construction

  • West Newton Fire House, Washington Street
  • West Newton Boston and Albany Railroad Station
  • Lincoln Park, Washington Street, although the Lincoln Park Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King once preached, still exists.
  • The Curve Street neighborhood, originally settled by freed slaves before the Civil War and still inhabited by many black families and the largely black Myrtle Baptist Church, was considerably reduced in size.
  • Tony's drug store. Tony moved the business to a corner location out of the way of the turnpike, but to the detriment of the old-fashioned atmosphere. The new place was called the Newtondale Pharmacy.
  • The Block: at Washington St. and Davis Court. 1st floor was store fronts; the upper floors were apartments. When you went around to the back you could see all the back porches which overlooked a lot with railroad cars and Border Street.
  • Davis Ct: still exists as completely commercial, however, the houses scattered on the land are all gone; 5 Davis Court was a duplex.

Transportation

West Newton is served by the MBTA Commuter Rail (Framingham/Worcester Line) and is roughly one mile from the Woodland station on the Green Line D branch. West Newton is also served by express buses 505, 553, 554 that provide service to Boston and Waltham.

West Newton also has easy access to the Massachusetts Turnpike and Route 128 (Massachusetts)/I-95. The Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) runs through West Newton. Routes 30 and 16 also pass through the West Newton.

Places on the National Register of Historic Places

See also: List of Registered Historic Places in Newton, Massachusetts

Notable people

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