Goals

Survey and make strategic recommendations to preserve the historic records held by all 25 City departments, using an appropriate combination of facilities improvements and electronic scanning, and make these records accessible for research.

Funding

Contact

David Olson, City Clerk
Newton City Hall
1000 Commonwealth Avenue
Newton Centre, MA 02459
dolson@newtonma.gov
617-796-1210

Proposal Review & Appropriations

Survey

• 19 August 2010 - Survey proposal
  
  • Note: This proposal is cosponsored by Historic Newton (specifically, by the Jackson Homestead as the City department in that public-private partnership) and by the Newton Free Library.
• 14 October 2010 - CPC funding recommendation
• 15 November 2010 - Board order (appropriation)

Strategic Plan

• 3 June 2013 - Strategic plan pre-proposal
  
  • Background for strategic plan proposal from archives survey (see full text of survey report under "Project News" below)
• 14 November 2013 - Strategic plan full proposal (partial)
• 13 February 2014 - Additional required attachments, including: information about project sponsor's qualifications and management capacity, and community letters
• 26 February 2014 - Minutes of public hearing on full proposal
• 11 April 2014 - Additional attachments (email from City Engineer)
• 9 May 2014 - Proposal withdrawn temporarily by sponsor
• 22 January -12 February 2015 - Proposal resubmission & updates for the CPC
• 23 February 2015 - CPC recommendation for requested funding
• 16 March 2015 - Board order (appropriation of funding)

Project News

• 6 December 2011 - City Archives Survey - Final Report: The City of Newton: A Survey and Inventory of its Historical Records
• 14 January 2016 - City Archives Strategic Plan - Final Report

Goals

Preserve and digitize the oldest and most fragile engineering maps and plans that the City is legally required to retain. The project will provide backup records as part of disaster recovery planning, and reduce the chance of further deterioration caused by active use, and allow access to the data from these maps through the City's geographic information system.

Funding

Contact

Darrell Azure, Engineering Archivist
Newton City Hall
1000 Commonwealth Avenue
Newton Centre, MA 02459
dazure@newtonma.gov
617-796-1027

Proposal Review & Appropriations

• 15 October 2010 - Proposal, including:
  
  • Project manager's qualifications (submitted separately)
  • Photos
  • Letters of support
• 17 November 2010 - Public hearing presentation (includes photos, may load slowly)

On 18 May 2011 the Community Preservation Committee voted to reject this proposal and require a revised pre-proposal by whatever deadline applies to the fiscal year in which this project is identified as a priority in the City's Capital Improvement Plan.

Goals

Preserve digitally and physically, as appropriate, archival material held in the Special Collections of the Newton Free Library, and partially duplicated in the vaults of the City Clerk and collections of the Jackson Homestead/Newton History Museum.

Specific collections covered by this proposal include: city directories from 1868 to 1934; 19th-century photographs of Newton Corner, Nonantum, the Nathaniel Allen House and from the Newell family; the original draft ms. of Samuel Francis Smith's 1880 History of Newton; and 1845-87 materials from the Eliot Church.

Funding

Contact

Assistant Director, Newton Free Library
330 Homer St.
Newton Centre, MA 02459
617-796-1404

Proposal Review & Appropriations

• 16 October 2009 - Proposal
• Oct - Dec 2009 - Letters of support (incl. review/determination by Newton Historical Commission)
• 18 November 2009 - Public hearing presentation
• 7 January 2010 - Supplemental information requested by CPC (this long file may load slowly)
• 2 February 2010 - CPC funding recommendation
• 15 March 2010 - Board order (appropriation)

Project News

• September 2010 - Digitizing historic city directories: request for proposals
• April 2011 - Full text of city directories online (1868-1934)
  
  • In addition to names & addresses, directories list residents ’ occupations and information about the City budget, schools, clubs, religious institutions, and many other aspects of community life. Starting in 1889 you can use the “ house directory ” section to find out who lived in your house, how they were related to each other, and what they did for a living.
  • Don’t miss the advertisements, like the 1868 one for the drugstore at Centre & Elmwood, where “Foreign leeches will always be kept on hand.”
• 19 September 2011 - Request for revised scope (no additional funds requested)
• October 2011 - The historic documents, city directories, maps & photos preserved through this project are now online at Digital Newton
  
  • This online archive documents Newton's social, cultural and governmental past, with a special focus on the 19th through the early 20th century, a time when Newton was transforming from agriculture to industry and becoming a suburban Boston residential community. Please browse the collection online and leave your comments. Your input can help shape the future of this valuable community resource.
• 6 December 2011 - Project final report

Goals

Preserve archival material held in the vaults of the City Clerk and City Engineer by providing climate- controlled, fireproof storage facilities, additional shelving to improve access; and preserving documents in danger of deterioration or loss, both digitally and physically.

Funding

Contacts

David Olson, City Clerk
Newton City Hall
1000 Commonwealth Avenue
Newton Centre, MA 02459
dolson@newtonma.gov
617-796-1210

Proposal Review & Appropriations

• October 2006 - Proposal, both parts
• 9 November 2006 - Presentation, part 1 (PowerPoint)
• 21 February 2007 - CPC funding recommendation, part 1
• 17 April 2007 - Board order, part 1 (appropriation)
• December 2007 - Proposal, part 2
• 23 January 2008 - Presentation, part 2 (PowerPoint)
• 14 April 2008 - CPC funding recommendation, part 2
• 19 May 2009 - Board order, part 2 (appropriation)

Project News

• January 2009 - City Clerk's historic vital records online (including full text of birth, marriage, & death records)
• January 2009 - City of Newton's Historic Maps, including:
  • Town maps: 1831, 1848, 1855
  • Insurance/tax atlases with parcel boundaries, platted subdivisions (including some that were never actually built), building footprints & materials, and owners' names: 1874, 1886, 1895, 1907, 1917, & 1929
  • 1892 map of wetlands and streams
  • 1921 zoning map (Newton's first)