Takes Guts to Join This Club

From Dave Brigham:

Back in early March, on a cold, gray and blustery day like so many we had in New England over the winter, I ventured to Marblehead, Mass., to see some of the works of Debbie Shirley, an artist I follow on Instagram. She renders in paint many of the types of scenes that I photograph: neon signs, cool storefronts, diners, etc.

Her work was part of an exhibit at King Hooper Mansion, run by the Marblehead Arts Association. I would've gone to the show regardless, but when she sent me a message via IG that she planned to feature a small work based on a photo I'd made in Cambridge, Mass., well, I knew I had to go.

Her works were displayed in a small room with rich wood paneling, a perfect setting for her paintings. I was happy to meet her after chatting over IG off an on for a while. I found her to be quite pleasant, and I was thrilled to see in person the works that up to that point I'd only seen on my phone.

Before making my way to the exhibit, I walked around the charming seaside town for a bit. I made several photos, but I'm only featuring one site that I saw, because it's something that I'd never come across before.

When I saw this place, located on Pleasant Street, I thought it was an abandoned church, which seemed odd for a well-to-do town like Marblehead. But as I walked around it, I realized it was active as...something.

But I didn't suppose that it was a shrine to shuttlecocks, a giant room for racquets, a cauldron of cross-court shots.

Yes, I'm talking about badminton.

Established in 1932, the private Gut 'n Feathers Club "provides and maintains a setting in which our members can play and enjoy the sport of badminton within a supporting byob social environment," per the group's Facebook page.

As explained in the vintage video below, "If you want to be a badmiinton champion, you have to combine the dexterity of a dancer with the sleight of hand of a conjurer."

I enjoy playing badminton, although it's been years (probably decades) since I've done so.

As for the building, its original purpose was indeed as a house of worship. Built in 1881 as the home for the Universalist Church of Marblehead, it was put up for auction in the 1930s due to declining membership. "[T]he only bidder was the Gut 'n Feathers badminton club which had been looking for suitable headquarters," according to MACRIS. "The church edifice was renovated by removing the first floor and building one of the best springboard badminton floors in the country. The steeple was removed at the same time."

I have written about badminton once before on the blog: on March 27, 2019, I mentioned a former riding club building in Boston that was taken over by a badminton and tennis club in 1934, just two years after Gut 'n Feathers was established. That building was eventually converted to apartments.

The 1930s were tough on many people in the United States due to the Great Depression, but they were high times for badminton, according to USA Badminton. "Badminton’s popularity boomed in the 1930’s as educational institutions, YMCA’s, and hundreds of newly formed clubs offered badminton instruction. Spurring the sport’s popularity, in the 1930’s, was the avid play by several Hollywood personalities including James Cagney, Bette Davis, Boris Karloff, Dick Powell, Ginger Rogers, Joan Crawford, and Douglas Fairbanks."

Here's a list of current celebrities who enjoy smashing the shuttlecock.

Discovering a Bit More of Dover

From Dave Brigham:

Known best as the wealthiest town in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Dover is a very horsey town, of that there is no doubt. Located about 15 miles southwest of Boston, it's a beautiful rural town that I've explored a bit before (see bottom of this post for links to previous posts). While I'd driven through the "downtown" before, I'd never stopped to walk around. I found some cool stuff there, and elsewhere in the town. I even drove through the area where, many years ago, some folks sighted a humanoid creature that came to be known as the Dover Demon.

I couldn't resist the Caryl Farm Museum building. It's just so gorgeous and quintessentially New England.

Built in 1777, this Georgian-style house is run by the Dover Historical Society. It served as home to the Rev. Benjamin Caryl and his family, and subsequent generations, until 1928, when it was given to the town. Reverend Caryl served the town as minister for 49 years, according to the historical society.

"Unlike most surviving structures of the period, the house has never been basically altered or modernized, so it may be seen today in close to original form," according to the historical society. "On June 2nd, 2000, the Benjamin Caryl House was placed on the National Register of Historic Places."

Situated behind the house is the Fisher Barn, which also dates to 1777.

Again, from the historical society web site: "When it was learned that the Fisher Barn at 6 Centre Street was going to be demolished by a developer who had purchased the property, and that the barn was historically significant, the Society swung into action and put out a call for help. The Society and the Dover Historical Commission had decided to meet on July 28, 1999....The Commission did not believe that the barn had enough historical significance to stop the demolition order under the town by-law. Since the Society was looking for a barn, the two groups moved to save the barn which was scheduled to be torn down on August 6th.

"The news of the move swept the town, and volunteers came out of the woodwork on that Saturday to save a barn filled with historical trash dating back to approximately the same year as the Caryl House: 1777. The barn was taken apart systematically, and the tagged pieces were stored in the Park and Recreation garages on Whiting Road.

"Immediately after saving the Fisher structure, the Society formed a committee to raise the money to re-erect the Fisher Barn beside the Caryl House on Dedham Street - and to find someone to do the job. By the end of 2000, the 'Old Barn for a New Millenium' project was raising money and a contract had been signed with Early American Concepts to repair and rebuild the barn. On February 14, 2001, the Dover Highway Department dug the foundation hole for the barn and reconstruction began. Some 20 months later, on Old Home Day October 6th, 2002, the Society handed the Fisher Barn over to the Town of Dover."

From there, I headed west on Dedham Street to Centre Street, parked my car and began to explore the center of Dover.

The first building that caught my eye, unfortunately, did so because it was damaged.

The Dover Cafe & Deli suffered a fire on July 10th of last year. Evidently, the building had been home to a drug store prior to the pizza place. From this Facebook page devoted to the drug store/pizza joint: "A sad day today for all of us who loved our Drug Store. A fire broke out in the building around 4 a.m. There is damage to the store, but The Dover Fire Department with help from Sherborn, Westwood, and Medfield were able to extinguish the fire quickly. I feel for the owners of the now Dover Cafe and Deli today. I also feel for the owner of the building. This is truly a sad day in Dover History."

The Colonial Revival structure was built in 1922 as a grocery store, per MACRIS. The small wing was added in the 1930s. It was used by a printing company, as well as by the U.S. Post Office. The main building was converted to a drug store in the 1940s.

I hope the owner is able to rebuild or restore this historic building.

Continuing north on Centre Street, past the Charles River School, I checked out Highland Cemetery.

I don't always walk through cemeteries when I'm exploring a town, but I often find it's worth it. And I wasn't disappointed.

This little beauty is a hearse house, only the second I've stumbled across in service of the blog for the last 13+ years (see December 17, 2015, "Bring Out Your Dead"). Hearse houses were used to shelter the horse-drawn carriage that hauled coffins to the graveyard. This one dates to 1897, according to the plaque above the the garage door.

Exiting the cemetery, I made photos of the Soldiers Monument on the slice of public land between Centre and Dedham streets. They didn't come out well because of the angle of the sun, so on a return trip I tried again and had better luck.

Erected by the town in 1909, the monument is situated on a former training field that Dover's soldiers used for drills from the Revolution through the Civil War, according to MACRIS. The base is made of stones from Whitney Tavern, according to MACRIS, which doesn't give more detail. There was a Whitney Tavern located in Templeton, which is more than 60 miles northwest of Dover. The Wikipedia entry mentions that the tavern was "reduced in size" after it closed sometime in the 19th century, so it's possible that stones were hauled from there to Dover.

There was also a Whitney Tavern in Weston, much closer to Dover. That house, however, still stands.

I was surprised to see an American Legion hall in the center of town, as it doesn't fit my impression of Dover as a hoity toity place.

Chartered in 1919, George B. Preston Post 209 "was named after a town resident named George Bernard Preston (born December 29, 1897) who was killed in Toul-Bourcq, France on April 20, 1918," according to the Legion's web site.

A quick walk past a small stand of trees and you're standing in front of a very important building: Dunkin' Donuts. Oh wait, no, ah (checks notes), the old Dover Railroad Station.

Built in 1865, the station was in operation until some time in the 1940s. In subsequent decades, the quaint little building has been used as various stores, a realtor's office and a cafe. It has been a Dunkin' Donuts franchise for quite a few years. Some of the tracks that used to serve the station have been torn up, but there is a section just south of the donut shop that runs across Springdale Avenue and continues past the Dover Wine Company for quite a ways.

In a perfect world, this section of the long-abandoned Bay Colony Railroad tracks would have been turned into a path for bikes and pedstrians by now. There has been a proliferation of rail trails in Greater Boston and beyond in recent decades, many of them part of what is known as the Bay Circuit Trail & Greenway (see August 1, 2016, "I Rail Against Trails (Not Really, But I Don't Want Every Abandoned Set of Train Tracks Converted for Cyclists and Roller Bladers)"). I've read articles over the years indicating that there was significant pushback from residents of Dover who didn't want the hoi polloi invading their town.

Among the members of the BCT&G is the Bay Colony Rail Trail, which has opened paths in Needham, Newton and Medfield, which borders Dover. As for Dover, there have been discussions in town to construct a three-mile path from the location mentioned above on Springdale Avenue southward to Hunt Drive.

In April 2022, Friends of the Dover Greenway posted on its web site about hopes for the development of a path. I've edited the statement below:

"We are delighted to see our neighbors in Medfield working toward completion of converting their segment of the Bay Colony Railroad into a rail trail. Unfortunately, it has been difficult to move the Dover Greenway project forward...due to the MBTA and the Town of Dover being unable to agree to lease terms, and the MBTA unable to offer the lease to the Friends of the Dover Greenway. Recently, the Friends of the Dover Greenway and the Town of Dover administrators met to discuss options for converting our section of the Bay Colony Railroad to a rail trail. At this time, the Friends of the Dover Greenway are suggesting that the Town of Dover sign the standard lease agreement with the MBTA, similar to what Medfield and Needham have done. In speaking with Town of Dover Administrators, there is a commitment to revisit this process by year-end and highlight the options for moving toward implementation in 2023."

Well, 2023 is over and done with, and nothing has happened as far as I know. I'm not sure why Dover and the MBTA have been unable to agree on lease terms, when surrounding towns have completed such deals. At the bottom of this post, I will feature more photos of the proposed route of the rail trail.

Doing research after my adventure, I realized that I'd missed one interesting thing and ignored something that I shouldn't have. I took care of these things on the aforementioned return trip.

Across from Dunkin' Donuts on dead-end Spring Road is Dover's rebuilt town pound.

I didn't learn about this place until after my first visit, as I was scrolling through MACRIS. Town pounds were enclosed by stone walls and were used for holding stray sheep, pigs and cows until they were claimed by their owners, who were required to pay a fine in order to retrieve their livestock. I've only come across one other such landmark in my backside travels (see March 26, 2020, "A Sliver of Sterling").

Dover's pound was constructed in 1794 and rebuilt in 1965, and again in 2015.

A short walk away at the dead end of Spring Road is the Dover Town Garage, which was once the site of a type of factory that I'd never come across in my travels (and technically, still haven't, as it doesn't exist anymore).

Prior to my first visit for this post, I stumbled across mention of the E.F. Hodgson Company, which once manufactured prefab houses in a factory on this location. I did a little research, but for some reason decided not to make a photo of the spot. I made up for that on my return trip. Located hard by the old railroad tracks, Hodgson manufactured its "Wigwarm" houses here from 1892 to 1944, according to this Facades Confidential blog post.

Competing with larger, more well-known companies including Sears and Montgomery Ward in the prefab house market, Hodgson evidently did fairly well, although more so in Europe. From the above-referenced blog post: "The Wigwarm construction was a framed house, lighter than a standard timber frame construction, based on several timber sections fastened together with key bolts of special design. With just a blow of a hammer the wedge key tightened up the bolt, saving time during erection or dismantling. Frames were covered with a very heavy waterproof fibre or lining and then with a rabetted siding....Mr Hodgson didn't just prefabricate houses, he also sold...tool houses, dog houses, car garages...or, during war periods, barracks for the military. In the '20s and '30s you could see Hogson houses in places as Europe (Belgium and Italy), Israel, Africa and South America."

Hodgson moved from Dover, and in 1966 sold the property to the town. The town or the company demolished all but a few buildings, according to MACRIS, with the garage and its attendant office building evidently left standing. Dover's assessor's office lists the current garage build date as 1998, so I assume nothing remains of the factory.

I love learning about factories of times gone by, especially in rural towns where I least expect to stumble across their footprints. Years ago I explored Weston, another well-to-do town in Greater Boston, and was thrilled to learn about a former organ factory, traces of which simply do not exist, just as with the old Hodgson plant (see June 23, 2017, "A Walk Through Weston's History").

While the town garage is a utilitarian place of little architectual value or appeal, there are two lovely churches in the center of Dover. Just steps away from the old train station and up a small hill from the site of the former town pound is the Dover Church.

Built in 1839, this Greek Revival beauty sits on what is known as Meetinghouse Hill. Two previous houses of worship on this site had burned, which was a common occurrence in the 18th and 19th centuries. I mentioned this church in a previous post about an outdoor worship center the congregation maintains in a wooded area in another area of town (see link at bottom of this post).

Across Springdale Avenue is St. Dunstan's Episcopal Church.

Like its neighbor across the street, this house of worship rose in 1839, and was known as Dover Second Congregational Church. At some point a cupola was removed and the building was used as a Masonic Hall. These days, as you can see, a steeple rises into the sky.

Down a slight hill on Springdale Avenue, I was charmed by the horse-head hitching posts outside the aforementioned wine store.

Along Whiting Road, I was pleasantly surprised to find three neat old buildings. The first, home to Dover Automotive, dates to 1924.

Directly across the street is another garage owned by Dover Automotive, but this one has a cool history.

Built in 1838 as -- wait for it -- Dover Baptist Chapel, this Greek Revival building was originally located on land beside the Charles River near Fisher's Bridge on Center Street, according to MACRIS. It was used by Needham and Dover Baptists until 1860. It was moved to its current location in 1911, and used as a fire station until 1977.

Just south of the old chapel is 7 Whiting Road, which is currently home to Nu Top, a kitchen and bath cabinetry company, as well as Lift, a fitness center.

The Dover assessor's office indicates this building rose in 1926 and that it was at some point an auto repair garage.

From downtown, I drove a bit west along Springdale Avenue to Channing Pond, where I found a big blue chair.

(My baseball hat is there to give some perspective on the size of the chair.)

While tromping along Springdale Avenue near the pond, I spotted something I'd never seen or heard of before: a witness post.

Installed by the U.S. Army Corps or Engineers, the post is designed to indicate that a survey marker is located nearby. As this area is swampy, the survey marker is likely located in a spot that's difficult to find. As to why the Corps has surveyed this area, I couldn't tell you. I believe a natural gas pipeline runs through this area, so perhaps these things are related.

From the pond, I drove a little further west, to the point where Springdale Avenue intersects with Farm Street, which goes south, and Main Street, which heads north. There, I enjoyed a brief walk around Springdale Field, a nice expanse owned by the Dover Land Conservation Trust.

As you might expect in a town like Dover, residents (and, ugh, non-residents) use the 17-acre field to run their dogs and horses. The Norfolk Hunt Club, located in Dover, uses the site for a few "hunts" each year.

(Horsey jumpy things.)

From the serene setting of Springdale Field, I set out south-southwest along Farm Street, hoping against hope to summon a devilish spirit from the past: the Dover Demon.

From The Yankee Express: "On April 21, 1977, the small town of Dover, located just 15 miles from Boston, was thrown into world recognition. In this little quiet community, a strange creature was witnessed by several people over two days. William Bartlett, then 17-years-old, was the first person to see the Dover Demon. As he and two friends, Mike Mazzocco and Andy Brodie, drove along their local Farm Street just past 10 p.m., Bartlett witnessed a creature 'standing on a wall, its eyes glowing [in the headlights]. It was not a dog or a cat. It had no tail. It had an egg-shaped head.' Its body was thin with long spindly arms and legs. The fingers resembled tendrils as they grasped the broken wall."

Over the next 24 hours, two other teens, John Baxter and Abby Brabham, claimed, separately, that they saw the demon in the area.

Well, OK then! I love stories about are-they-real-or-were-the-witnesses-high creatures such as this, from Bigfoot to El Chupacabra, the Loch Ness Monster to the Yarp (the latter a creation of fiction writer Barry Hannah). I've never driven past the alleged locations of any of those creatures, but I can say I've been in the same energy space as the Dover Demon.

I drove along Farm Street to the intersection with Bridge Street, which is the general area of the first sighting. And, like apparently every adult and 99.9% of the teenagers living in Dover in April 1977, I didn't see any frightening creatures with glowing eyes and long, scraggly fingers.

Nonetheless, a well-known cryptozoologist interviewed the teens and believed them.

Again, from The Yankee Express: "Noted Maine native and Cryptozoologist Loren Coleman spoke to the teens within a week of the sightings and concluded they were credible. The Dover Demon was sighted at night, for two days within a 2-mile radius, near water. Some authorities passed the creature off as a foal or a moose calf. Still, it soon became apparent that none such animals had been spotted in the area and any such young animals were out of season. If a moose was wandering the site, it would have been easily seen and captured. Another aspect that shot holes in that theory was that the witnesses saw the creature standing upright and walking like a human."

The story of the Dover Demon is fairly widespread on the Internet. In 2008, Animal Planet aired a two-part episode of its "Lost Tapes" show about the alleged creature. I've posted the videos below. Fans of "The Blair Witch Project" may enjoy the concept.

Below is a photo I made from the point where dead-end Smith Street intersects with Farm Street, just north of Bridge Street. Nearly forty-seven years ago, perhaps the Dover Demon creeped along here, looking for stray dogs or small wildlife to devour whole.

I turned around the checked out the sign for Smith Street. It was unlike any other street sign I've ever seen (I've said that quite a bit in this post).

I assume this sign is really old. Anyone else ever seen a stencil-type street sign?

Continuing south on Farm Street, I eventually got to Hunt Drive, where I knew there were some remnant railroad tracks.

Above is the view north from Hunt Drive. Looking to the south, I got a nice surprise. Where I expected to find an overgrown, impassable set of tracks, I instead found a lush, inviting tunnel of trees.

I walked along for a few hundred yards, feeling, as I always do when I explore abandoned railroad tracks, like I was in an early episode of "The Walking Dead" (see November 30, 2015, "Walking Dead Tracks"). The light at the end of the tunnel is neighboring Medfield, which maintains a rail trail from the Dover line for 1.3 miles south.

As I've said before, I enjoy rail trails, and am opposed to communities that oppose them, but I also like stumbling across scenes like the one above every once in a while.

For more posts about Dover, see below:

December 30, 2017, "Rail Trail Mix," which discusses a portion of the Bay Colony Rail Trail in Needham, as well as the Cochrane Dam in Dover.

April 9, 2012, "Beyond the Mill," about Noanet Woodlands and the old Dover Union Iron Mill.

March 22, 2012, "Fresh-Air Salvation," about the Abigail Draper Mann Woodland Worship Center of the Dover Church.

March 17, 2012, "Scouting a Location," about a Boy Scout camp on Snow Hill Reservation.

March 12, 2012, "Fire On the Mountain?" about the Ralph MacAllester Fire Tower at Snow Hill.

I Seek Newton, Part XIII: Newtonville (Section 2)

From Dave Brigham:

In the first Newtonville post, I discussed and showed photos of the former Orr Block buildings and the Trio Newton complex that replaced them (see January 28, 2023, "I Seek Newton, Part XIII: Newtonville (Section 1, The Orr Block/Trio Newton)").

In this post, I will cover churches, both current and former; some one-time schools; apartment buildings; open spaces; a Masonic Temple; and much more. There will be one more Newtonville post, which will bring my "I Seek Newton" project to a close, as I will have completed all 13 of Newton's villages. By the way, I hope at least one person out there has caught on to my word play with I Seek Newton.

Divided by the Massachusetts Turnpike and the commuter/Amtrak railbed, Newtonville lost some 19th century houses, commercial buildings and a railroad station over the course of the railroad tracks being lowered, Washington Street being widened, and the pike being carved through into Boston. Still, I found plenty to check out.

I'll start with churches and former churches, because there are a handful of each.

St. John's Episcopal Church, on the corner of Lowell Avenue and Otis Street, was built in 1902 in the Neo Gothic Revival style. Additions in the Tudor Revival style were added later. The parish was established in 1898.

The rear wing is the home of Bowen Cooperative Nursery School, where (shameless plug alert!) I once did a reading of my children's book, A Wicked Good Trip!

On the opposite side of the Newton North High School complex from St. John's is the United Methodist Church of Newton, on Walnut Street.

The church itself was constructed in 1980, but it is attached to a former private residence that dates to 1912, according to MACRIS.

Frederick Perry built the house in 1912. "After World War II this house became part of the new Newton Junior College which was established in 1946 by the school committee and the city of Newton to expand educational opportunities for Newton youth and returning veterans," MACRIS indicates. "The Perry house, then known as Walnut Hall, was enlarged in 1966 by the addition of a modern wing which included classrooms, labs and offices. Walnut Hall, along with Claflin Hall...and several other buildings housed Newton Junior College until 1976 when it closed, due to declining enrollment and changing times. In 1979, Walnut Hall was sold by the city to the United Methodist Church of Newton. Renovations...included the addition of a pitched roof and pre-fabricated steeple to the wing of Walnut Hall to convert it for use as a church. Some of the stained glass windows from the former Newtonville Methodist Church were also included in the renovated building."

Due north on Walnut Street, on the other side of the turnpike, is the Boston Chinese Evangelical Church.

Built in 1895, this Romanesque Revival beauty was designed by Hartwell and Richardson, a well-known architectural firm in and around Boston in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The firm's buildings include the First Spiritual Temple in Boston, which I profiled in February 2020; the former Hyde School in Newton Highlands, which I included in my write-up of that village; and the Youth's Companion Building (aka the Pledge of Allegiance Building), which I featured in my post about Boston's Bay Village neighborhood.

The firm also designed Newtonville's Masonic Temple, which I will discuss below.

Known historically as the Central Congregational Church, this "dressed granite structure marks the prosperity of the congregation and the community as it replaced a wooden building at a cost of more than $100,000," MACRIS indicates. The Boston Chinese Evangelical Church took over this building in 2003. "The Newton Campus began with almost 200 worshippers, with worship services in English and Cantonese, and Sunday School classes for every age group," according to the congregation's web site. "Since 2010, we have added a Mandarin-speaking ministry."

The church also has a campus in Boston's Chinatown neighborhood.

In the above photo, notice the church's four-story square tower and its steeply pitched roof. Now look at the beautiful old residence in the photo below.

Located at the corner of Walnut and Watertown streets, this place features six condominium units, and was built in 1880, according to the Newton assessor's database. In the years since I began gathering information about Newton's villages, at some point I ran across a report relating this house to the Central Congregational Church. For the life of me, I haven't been able to track down that information since actually working on the Newtonville posts. I believe what I read was that the tower on the northern corner of this house inspired the architects (most likely William Richardson, who was a Newtonville resident) when they designed their church.

That's it for religious congregations situated in traditional buildings. There is another group of worshipers, Elevation Chapel, located in a building on Lowell Avenue that dates to 1974 that appears to have started life as an office building. Until recently, there was also a Swedenborgian Church congregation in a traditional church buliding on Highland Avenue. That group in October 2021 entered into an agreement to discuss a sale of the building to the New Art Center, a non-profit community arts organization that has been located nearby for more than 40 years. The center is located in another former church, which I will discuss below.

(The former Swedenborgian Church.)

I really like this Neo Gothic Revival church; it's like a quaint English village church. It was designed by Ralph Adams Cram, a New Hampshire native whose work includes buildings at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point; the Gothic Revival Church of St. George at St. George’s School in Rhode Island; the Gothic transformation of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City; and many more. The firm he founded, Cram and Ferguson, lives on today under that name (after many other iterations in the intervening century).

The Swedenborgian building, constructed of Roxbury conglomerate puddingstone and Indiana limestone (thanks, MACRIS), rose in 1893 alongside a parish house that experts estimate was built in 1888.

(The parish house.)

Cram was commissioned to design the church by the Swedenborgian Society, which had moved from Boston to Newtonville in the 1840s. The building replaced a smaller wooden chapel, which was moved to the rear of the property and may have been incorporated into the parish house or a side wing of the church, according to a document included in the MACRIS profile.

In recent years, the congregation was known as the Church of the Open Word. After signing the agreement with the Church of the Open Word in late 2021, the New Art Center conducted due diligence on the site. On March 7, 2022, the City of Newton appropriated $94,000 from its Community Preservation Act fund to the New Art Center to complete the plans and studies necessary to move forward with the restoration of the former church. I'm not sure of the status of that review, and of the sale of the building.

(Details of the former church, which will require some exterior renovation, as well as significant modifications inside in order to be transformed into an arts space.)

Below is the current New Art Center space, located in what was once the Newtonville Universalist Church on Washington Park, one of the true gem neighborhoods in the city.

Dedicated in 1873, the church was built by the Newtonville Universalist Society, "the outgrowth of a missionary effort in 1870 by members of the former Newton and Watertown Universalist Society (organized in 1827) and the former Watertown Universalist Church," according to a document from the Harvard Divinity School Library. The society and the church dissolved in 1937. Notice in the photo at that link that a steeple once towered over the building. It was lopped off in the intervening years. I'm not sure what use was made of the building between when the Universalists dissolved, and the art center took over.

The next former church is located at 391 Walnut Street, very close to the high school, and, I imagine, has some amazing interiors with really cool views through those big windows.

Completed in 1927 as the Newtonville outpost of the Church of Christ, Scientist, this beautiful Colonial Revival building was converted to condos at some point. "By the early 20s [the Newton congregation] had gathered sufficient funds to engage the firm of Densmore, LeClear & Robinson to plan a new church," according to MACRIS. "Edward Densmore, senior member of the firm, was responsible for a number of Boston buildings including the Salada Tea Company Building (1919) and the Park Square Office Building (1927)."

The final former church on this tour is the old Newtonville Methodist, which has a long history that includes several renovations and a time where there was a restaurant in the main sanctuary.

From our friends at MACRIS: "In 1863 [the Newtonville Methodist congregation] bought a brick church on Walnut Street at the corner of Newtonville Avenue, left unfinished by the Baptists. This so-called 'brick church' was completed in 1868 and substantially rebuilt in 1896. The congregation grew in these years and by 1911 a committee was formed to consider expanding the church. However, no action was taken until 1922 when plans were drawn up by the architectural firm of Woodbury and Stuart. According to the building permit the old building was extended on both sides and in the front. The exterior was refaced vith granite on brick and a five story school building was added at the rear. Dedication for the newly enlarged church was held on December 7, 1924."

In 1980, the Newtonville and Newton Centre Methodist congregations combined, becoming the United Methodist Church, which is profiled above. The Newtonville church building was sold in 1983 for commercial use. The former school rooms were turned into offices, and the sanctuary was converted to a restaurant (!). I know at one point the eatery was a Chinese restaurant, but I don't know if that was the original one. I believe the main sanctuary is now also offices.

A bell, manufactured by H.N. Hooper & Company of Boston, is displayed in front of the old church. I assume it hung in the belfry at some point.

Let's move from former churches to erstwhile schools.

The beautiful old Claflin School, located at the corner of Walnut Street and Washington Park, was built in 1891. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, it was designed in the Richardson Romanesque style. Like the United Methodist Church of Newton, the old school was also used as part of Newton Junior College at some point. It has been condominiums for many years.

That Claflin School was replaced by a newer one of the same name, which is also now residences.

Nestled in the woods above a small park along Lowell Avenue, the school was built in 1952. By 1988 it had been turned into Claflin School Studios, an artist studio/living space.

Down the hill of Lowell Avenue from the studios is Newton North High School, the latest iteration of which was opened in 2010, at a cost of nearly $200 million. That complex replaced one that dated to the 1970s, and which some folks said looked and felt like a prison. Before the '70s-era building was torn down completely, I made a photo of the exposed indoor pool, seen below.

Continuing the theme of "former" places, below is the Newton Senior Center, a Classical Revival building that started life in 1938 as the Newtonville branch library.

Built on the site of the former men-only Newton Club, the library was the largest in the system, due to its proximity to the high school. It was converted for use as a senior center in 1993. Big changes are coming to the building, which will undergo renovation and expansion and become known as the Newton Center for Active Living, or NewCAL. Read all about the project here.

The undisputed heavyweight of the main commercial drag of Newtonville is the Masonic Building.

Another Hartwell and Richardson beauty, the stunning temple was dedicated in 1896 after being commissioned by the Masons, the Dalhousie Lodge, the Gethsemane Commandery and the Newton Royal Arch Chapter, according to MACRIS. At its debut, the building featured retail/office space on the first floor, as is true today. The upper floors contained a public assembly hall, the first Newtonville branch library and the masons' quarters.

The building, which is still an active Masons lodge, is quite imposing, yet has fantastic details.

I would love to get inside. Do you think if I flashed my paternal grandfather's Mason credentials, they'd let me in and teach me the secret handshake?

In addition to all of the current and former churches, one-time schools and the behemoth Masonic Lodge, Newtonville features some really nice old apartment buildings. The one below is located on Highland Avenue, adjacent to the former Swedenborgian Church.

Built in 1892, the Joseph Swallow House was one of the few apartment buildings constructed in Newtonville before 1900, according to MACRIS. Joseph Swallow lived nearby, on Newtonville Avenue, and owned a stable in Boston, MACRIS continues. According to a Historic Newton brochure about Newtonville, this place was operated as Highland Villa, a private residential hotel, at the turn of the 20th century.

Between the Swallow House and Lowell Avenue to the west, there are numerous beautiful old homes in a variety of styles, dating to the late 19th century. Some of them have been renovated and expanded to include multiple units. The house at 50 Highland Avenue, shown below when it was up on jacks, will become another such project.

"The petitioner proposes to demolish a rear portion of the existing dwelling and the detached single car garage, renovate and expand the existing dwelling to accommodate two dwelling units, and construct a new two-unit structure to its rear, resulting in four single family attached dwellings in two structures," according to this City of Newton Planning and Development document from October 2021.

Back across to the eastern side of Walnut Street, we find my favorite Newtonville apartment building, located on Madison Avenue.

This building is my elusive crush. I love the entryway, the landscaping, the front door, the roof details, the interiors. But details are scant about this place. MACRIS hasn't written this place up, nor has the historical society. The assessor's database says this place was built in 1900, but you know how I feel about that date. There are eight units with hardwood floors, and parking in the back. That's all I know. Oh, 100 Madison Avenue - why do you tease me so?!

The final apartment building I want to showcase is on a dead-end off of Central Avenue.

1-6 Walnut Terrace was built in 1887...or 1910, depending on which source you believe. I'm going with the older date. I wish I could find out more about this place, which is tucked behind the Boston Chinese Evangelical Church.

To finish up this installment, I'm going to do something that I've done regularly throughout this series: break a village boundary. I've regularly forgotten things from one village and put it into another one's post - nothing ridiculous, just stuff that was close to the border line. In this case, I have to confess that the three locations below are actually in Nonantum, at least according to Google Maps. Hell, I LIVE in Nonantum if you consult that source, even though my zip code and the real estate report when we bought the house indicate that we live in Newtonville.

Anyway, borders are fungible, and the more important thing is that I cover as much of the city as I can.

So: Avery Woods.

Sandwiched between F.A. Day Middle School and the Albemarle Athletic Fields complex, Avery Woods came into the city's possession in 1959. Wool merchant Charles Avery, a Newton alderman from 1908-1911, bought the land in 1886, according to the Newton Conservators. The Avery family sold approximately 8.6 acres of this property to the City, stipulating that it be used for park and recreation purposes. Eventually, the parties reached an agremeent when Newton wanted to use part of the land to construct the middle school.

The wooded area isn't large, but is nice to explore, something my dog and I do regularly. There have been rumors over the years that a coyote has a den in there. Other sources tell me that one-time Newton resident Louis CK may have toked up in these woods back in the early '80s.

Anyway....

A short distance away, on North Street, is the former Captain Edward Fuller Farm house, which is thought to have been built in 1775.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this beautifully restored farmhouse was built by Captain Edward Fuller, who served in the Revolutionary War. The Fuller family arrived in Newton in 1644, when it was part of Cambridge. John Fuller (1611-1698) "eventually acquired 1000 acres of farmland and built a house somewhat to the north and east of the present house," per MACRIS. The land was passed down through the generations to Edward Fuller, who built this house on the grave of a previous residence. The home's former barn was converted to a separate residence in 1950.

As you might expect from a member of a family that had been in the area for more than a century, and apparently doing pretty well, Edward Fuller, "like his predecessors, held various positions of authority in the town," per MACRIS. "He is reported as surveyor of highways in 1763, tithingman in 1769, warden in 1776, and other posts. He served on several committees and assisted in the construction of the Waltham Bridge in 1762. He served in the Revolution in New York in 1777."

The Fuller family owned the home until 1886. The City of Newton Atlas Map of 1929 indicates this property was owned at that time by Samuel Thurber. On the map, just northeast of the old Fuller site is New England Creamery Products Company. Across North Street, on the western side, is part of the former Albemarle Golf Course. Opened in the 1890s, the nine-hole course spread across parts of West Newton and Newtonville (aka Nonantum), and owned and leased contiguous properties including land belonging to the Fessenden School, according to this National Register of Historic Places document. Fairways spanned either side of Cheesecake Brook, along what is now Albemarle Road.

The clubhouse was located on Crafts Street, near the intersection with North Street, approximately where the southern end of Fessenden Street is today. In an ad cited in "A Walk Through Time along Cheesecake Brook," published by the Newton Conservators and the Newton History Museum, Some Newtonville Homes, from 1913, touts that the clubhouse is located "five minutes by the electrics from Newtonville Square."

Love that.

There were fairways between Fair Oaks and Nevada Street, as well as between Nevada Street and the Charles River. At the northern end of Albemarle Road, where it intersects with Nevada Street, there is a short footbridge, which I have been led to believe is a remnant from the old course.

I walk or drive past this bridge on a daily basis, and I sure hope it's a leftover from the Albemarle course. During the 1930s, as land values rose in West Newton, Fairway Drive (off Watertown Street) was laid out on land previously used by the golf course, according to the National Register document cited above. By the mid-1940s, the course had closed, the City had acquired the land and Albemarle Park was developed on part of the old site.

To read the history of Albemarle Park, check out this 2005 Albemarle Park Master Plan, which was assembled by Judith Kokesh as part of the requirements for her Certificate in Landscape Design from the Landscape Design Institute of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University.

Say that five times fast.

To see an action shot from the course, check out this photo at Digital Commonwealth.

OK, that wraps up the penultimate post in the series. One more to go!

Here are the previous posts in the series:

September 10, 2022, "I Seek Newton, Part XII: West Newton (Section 3)"

September 3, 2022, "I Seek Newton, Part XII: West Newton (Section 2)"

August 27, 2022, "I Seek Newton, Part XII: West Newton (Section 1: The Barn Redevelopment)"

December 31, 2021, "I Seek Newton, Part XI: Newton Corner (Section 3)"

December 18, 2021, "I Seek Newton, Part XI: Newton Corner (Section 2)"

December 11, 2021, "I Seek Newton, Part XI: Newton Corner (Section 1)"

April 10, 2021, "I Seek Newton, Part X: Newton Centre (Section 3)"

April 3, 2021, "I Seek Newton, Part X: Newton Centre (Section 2)"

March 27, 2021, "I Seek Newton, Part X: Newton Centre (Section 1)"

November 15, 2020, "I Seek Newton, Part IX: Nonantum (Section 3)"

October 29, 2020, "I Seek Newton, Part IX: Nonantum (Section 2)"

September 24, 2020, "I Seek Newton, Part IX: Nonantum (Section 1)"

March 14, 2018, "I Seek Newton, Part VIII: Upper Falls (Section 3)"

March 8, 2018, "I Seek Newton, Part VIII: Upper Falls (Section 2)"

March 1, 2018, "I Seek Newton, Part VIII: Upper Falls (Section 1)"

March 7, 2017, "I Seek Newton, Part VII: Thompsonville"

December 5, 2016, "I Seek Newton, Part VI: Chestnut Hill"

September 26, 2016, "I Seek Newton, Part V: Oak Hill"

June 3, 2016, "I Seek Newton, Part IV: Waban"

March 23, 2016, "I Seek Newton, Part III: Newton Highlands"

September 20, 2015, "I Seek Newton, Part II: Auburndale"

May 21, 2015, "I Seek Newton, Part I: Lower Falls"