1294 Centre Street
Newton Centre, MA 02459

Most recently occupied by City of Newton Health Department, so some documents below refer to the building as "Newton Health Department."

Goals

Hire a structural engineer, preservation/conservation consultant, energy auditor, and coordinating architect to inspect this former branch library and prepare plans and estimated costs for the restoration and rehabilitation of its exterior envelope. This building, which was designed and built between 1927 and 1934 with funds donated by Newton citizens, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Funding

Contact

Commissioner of Public Buildings
52 Elliot Street
Newton Upper Falls, MA 02464
617-796-1600

Planning & Development Dept.
Newton City Hall
1000 Commonwealth Avenue
Newton Centre, MA 02459
617-796-1120

Proposal Review & Appropriations

• October 2004 - Proposal for preservation & rehabilitation assessment
• November 2004 - Public hearing presentation with photos (large file, may load slowly)
• 13 January 2006 - CPC funding recommendation
• 6 March 2006 - Board order (appropriation)

Project Background & News

• 1988 - Successful nomination to the National Register of Historic Places
• 1997 - Updated historic buildings inventory form (for the National Register)
• 6 March 2008 - Final report from CPA-funded assessment: (several large files, may load slowly)
  • Part 1: Overall recommendations
  • Part 2: Photos
  • Part 3: Window details, annotated floor plans & elevations
  • Part 4: Building envelope evaluation: consultant's report
  • Part 5: Building envelope evaluation: consultant's photos
  • As of Fall 2009, the Public Buildings Dept. estimated the cost of implementing this report's recommendations at $497,325.
  • For updated estimates, see below, as well as the City's current Capital Improvement Plan
• March 2012 - Historic Building Report from the CPA-funded series of similar reports for all historically significant City Buildings
  • Covers: overall historic significance, historically significant features, treatment recommendations
• September 2012 - Citizen Joint Advisory Planning Group Report (possible re-use plan)
  • Near the end of this report, the Public Buildings Dept. estimated the cost of addressing the building's basic needs as $1,585,000.
• May-June 2015 - Request for [Statements of] Interest (RFI) in the re-use/re-development of this building
  • Summary of responses received to this RFI

124 Vernon Street
Newton Corner, MA 02458

Goals

Preserve and rehabilitate Greek Revival building originally constructed as a single-family house in 1845, including work on roof, wood gutters, trim, clapboards, doors, windows & insulation.

Funding

Contact

Director, Newton Free Library
330 Homer Street
Newton Centre, MA 02459
newtonreference@minlib.net
617-796-1400

Proposal Review & Appropriations

November 2002-March 2004 Initial Funding

• 1 November 2002 - Initial proposal
• 3 February 2003 - Supplemental information: potential other funding sources, future maintenance
• 7 April 2003 - CPC recommendation
• 14 July 2003 - Board order (appropriation)
• 1 March 2004 - Newton Historical Commission approval

January-April 2005 Supplemental Funding

• 19 January 2005 - Supplemental funding request
• 8 February 2005 - CPC recommendation
• 4 April 2005 - Board order (appropriation)

August-September 2005 Additional Supplemental Funding

• 24 August 2005 - Second supplemental funding request
• 25 August 2005 - CPC recommendation
• 19 September 2005 - Board order (appropriation)

Project News

• 18 August 2003 - Memorandum of Understanding for historic preservation of Newton Corner Library building
  
  • Later superseded by Newton's expanded CPA ordinance, which gives the Newton Historical Commission the final authority to approve or disallow future changes to the historically significant features of any City building that has received CPA funding.
• 27 August 2003 - Timeline for preservation project
• 2003 & 2007 - Before & after photos from preservation project
• June 2006 - Historic Landscape Report for Farlow & Chaffin Parks; includes historical background on Newton Corner Library building, formerly part of the Chaffin Estate
• 9 March 2012 - Historic Building Report for former Newton Corner Library, one in a series funded by the CPA program as the City Historic Buildings Survey
  
  • This report assesses the building's historic significance and makes recommendations for preserving its historically significant exterior & interior features.