Historic Art & Artifacts

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Goals

Restore historic works of art and historic artifacts owned by Newton as a community, for display in public spaces.

Projects

WPA Mural ($99,900 in CPA funds spent)
City Hall - Veterans' Wing Historic Artifacts ($19,000 potential CPA request)
Mayor Hyde Portrait ($4,700 in CPA funds spent)

WPA Mural

WPA Mural thumbnail Newton North High School
457 Walnut Street
Newtonville, MA 02460

Goals

Restore a three-part 1930s mural by Maurice Compris, dedicated to the memory of Lt. Stafford Leighton Brown, a Newton High School graduate who died in France in 1918 while serving as a reconnaissance and test pilot in World War I. The mural was first installed in the original Newton High School's "classical" building, but only the central panel was displayed at the Newton North High School built in the 1970s. All the restored panels are displayed at the current Newton North High School.

Full WPA Mural

Funding

$99,400	CPA funds spent ($15,500 of appropriated funds returned to Newton's Community Preservation Fund)
$3,000	Est. value of staff time contributed by Newton Public Schools and donations by Newton North High School Parent-Teacher-Student Organization (PTSO)
$102,400	Est. Total Project Cost

Contact

Cynthia Brown, Purchasing Manager, Newton Public Schools
100 Walnut Street
Newtonville, MA 02460
cindy_brown@newton.k12.ma.us
617-559-9050

Jennifer Huntington, Volunteer, Newton Public Schools
(Principal Emeritus, Newton North High School)
granx4@gmail.com
617-965-5063

Funding Process

12 September 2013 - Pre-proposal, including photographs
10 October 2013 - Minutes of CPC pre-proposal discussion
25 September 2015 - Full proposal (This large file may load slowly)
24 September 2015 - Newton Historical Commission declaration of local historic significance (required for CPA funding eligibility)
5 November 2015 - Presentation to CPC public hearing
24 November 2015 - CPC funding recommendation (incl. photos documenting the mural's original installation & current condition as of August 2015)
18 December 2015 - Final project budget
21 December 2015 - Board order (appropriation)

Project News

17-29 December 2015 - Invitation for Bids from historic art conservators
This contract was awarded to Hartmann Fine Art Conservation Services (Carlisle, Pennsylvania)
5 September 2017 - Newton North Newtonite article about the restored mural, installed in two locations at the school in June 2017
6 September 2017 - Hartmann Fine Art instructions for future care & moving of the restored mural
8 May 2018 - Final project report to the CPC:
- Project narrative and finances, including historical sources consulted
- Project images, including original dedication and 2017 re-dedication programs, restoration process, and one of the interpretive plaques installed at Newton North High School (This large file may load slowly)

City Hall - Veterans' Historic Artifacts

Veterans Artifacts 1000 Commonwealth Avenue
Newton Centre, MA 02469

Goals

Assess and make recommendations for the preservation of the historic artifacts and displays designed for and installed in the public spaces of the War Memorial/Veterans' Wing of City Hall.

Funding

$19,000	CPA funding requested
$355	Value of contributed City staff time

This funding request was withdrawn in May 2014.

Contact

David Olson, City Clerk
Newton City Hall
dolson@newtonma.gov
617-796-1203
City Clerk Website

Nancy Kougeas, City Archivist
nkougeas@newtonma.gov
617-796-1399

Funding Process

3 June 2013 - Pre-proposal
14 November 2013 - Full proposal, including photographs
2 December 2013 - 3 February 2014 - Attachments omitted from original proposal, including Newton Historical Commission letter declaring these resources historically significant, and therefore eligible for CPA funding project manager's resume
11 April 2014 - Additional attachments (community letter and complementary grant proposal for archives)
9 May 2014 - Proposal withdrawn, with option for resubmission

City Hall - Mayor Hyde Portrait

Mayor Hyde Portrait 1000 Commonwealth Avenue
Newton Centre, MA 02469

Goals

Restore for display the original 1870s oil portrait of James F. C. Hyde, who served as Newton's first mayor when the town became a city in 1873. Other paintings by this artist, Nahum Onthank, are displayed at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, the Massachusetts Historical Society, Harvard University, the Worcester Art Museum, and the New England Historic Geneaological Society.