place

Waban Library Center

Former library buildings in the United StatesLibraries in Middlesex County, MassachusettsLibraries in Newton, MassachusettsLibraries on the National Register of Historic Places in MassachusettsLibrary buildings completed in 1929
National Register of Historic Places in Newton, MassachusettsNewton, Massachusetts Registered Historic Place stubs
Waban Library Center, Waban MA
Waban Library Center, Waban MA

The Waban Library Center is a library located in a historic building at 1608 Beacon Street in Newton, Massachusetts. The building is a modest 1½ story Tudor Revival brick building, with a gabled slate roof and raised end walls. A cross-gabled entry area projects from the center of the front facade. It was designed by Densmore, LeClear & Robbins, and built in 1929 with funds raised by subscription from Newton's citizens. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.Originally the Branch library of Newton Free Library was located here. In early 2009, it closed due to budgetary constraints, but re-opened in September 2009 as the Waban Library Center, a community-supported facility. The Waban Library Center, independent from the Newton Free Library, is completely staffed by volunteers and supported by the community. Building upon its history as a village reading room, the Waban Library Center presents itself as a gateway for lifelong learning and as a hub for intellectual, cultural, social and physical enrichment. It operates on a non-profit financial model.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Waban Library Center (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Waban Library Center
Beacon Street, Newton Waban

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: Waban Library CenterContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 42.327083333333 ° E -71.229444444444 °
placeShow on map

Address

Beacon Street 1608
02468 Newton, Waban
Massachusetts, United States
mapOpen on Google Maps

Waban Library Center, Waban MA
Waban Library Center, Waban MA
Share experience

Nearby Places

Staples-Crafts-Wiswall Farm
Staples-Crafts-Wiswall Farm

The Deacon John Staples House (also known as the Staples-Crafts-Wiswall Farm) is a historic house at 1615 Beacon Street in the village of Waban in Newton, Massachusetts. The first house on the site was built in 1688 by Deacon John Staples, a weaver and Newton's first schoolmaster. Staples and his wife had no children of their own, but raised several boys including Moses Craft, a relative of Mrs. Staples. When the Deacon died, Craft inherited the property. Craft rebuilt the house on the original foundation around 1750, constructing a colonial farmhouse two and a half stories high with five windows and two rooms across, and one room wide, with two chimneys running up the back, each serving two rooms. In 1768, he built an addition, adding a kitchen where the original Staples' house kitchen had been. Craft died in 1821 at the age of 85, leaving no will and an estate seriously in debt. As ordered by the judge of probate, the house and surrounding land was sold at auction. Moses' son, Moses Craft II, won with the winning bid of $5.50. In 1824, Moses Craft II sold the property to his cousin William Wiswall. It is believed that Wiswall was responsible for remodeling the house to give it a Federal ornament. David Kinmonth, a Boston merchant, bought the house in 1858 and remodeled it, giving Victorian overtones to its basic Georgian style. The house was remodeled again during the American Civil War. Ownership of the house changed hands many times during the 20th century. It was last sold in 2017 to a non-profit community music school, the Suzuki School of Newton and Suzuki Preschool, and continues to be an icon in the heart of Waban Village. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 as the Staples-Craft-Wiswall Farm and in 2015 was designated a City of Newton Local Landmark. Despite the many modifications that it has undergone, the house stands today on the original 1688 stone foundation, which is up to one meter thick in some places.