I Seek Newton, Part X: Newton Centre (Section 3)

From Dave Brigham:

I don't have anything flashy to kick off this final installment in my exploration of Newton Centre, so I'm giving you the artsy photo above. That's the doorway into 93 Union Street, which is part of the hulking Bray's Block, which dominates the southern end of the main retail area. In this post, I'll cover retailers, a former factory site, an aqueduct walking path and gatehouses, a squash/tennis club and much more. For links to the previous two Newton Centre posts, and all of the other Newton villages I've written about, see the bottom of this post.

Bray's Block (aka Bray's Hall) is located along Union Street, and was built in 1893 by Mellen Bray, who left a large footprint in Newton during his day, including the Bradford Court apartment building across the street. Upon its construction, this large, curved structure held a bowling alley, an indoor tennis court, a public meeting hall and retail space, according to a Historic Newton brochure. "This is an example of Classical Revival architecture and is especially noted for its many dormers, buff-colored masonry work, and copper clad roof."

There were "concerts, dances or lectures and fairs" on the upper floor, per MACRIS, "while the lower floor offered space for a bank, a grocery, a dry goods store, and a druggest (sic) among others."

Currently, there are numerous stores and restaurants on the ground floor, and office space in the upper floors. There are restaurants in the back of the building, too. Below is the rear of Bray's Block; the letters "P.S." are for Piccadilly Square, which is what this area (including the building across Union Street where Rosenfeld's Bagels is located), was dubbed back in the '70s by developer David Zussman.

Many years ago, I used to frequent the fantastic Mexican restaurant, Cafe Sol Azteca, which is at the rear of this building.

According to the Piccadilly Square web site, the restaurant's location was, prior to the 1970’s, a book binding operation with dirt floors.

In the back lot of Bray's Block is Union Street Restaurant, below.

Located in a stand-alone building behind Bray's Block, this is a great place to eat and drink, and catch live music upstairs. I've seen some cool bands and attended parties up there, and hope to do so again once the lockdown eases. This was where the original heating plant was for the buildings in this area, according to the Piccadilly Square web site.

Abutting Bray's Block is the Union Buildling, which dates to 1896.

Like Bray's Block, the Union Building was built as a combination commercial building and meeting hall. According to MACRIS, upon its completion, the building "contained space for 2 music teachers, a dentist and a photographic parlor." OK, then.

(Close-up of stores on ground floor of the Union Building.)

Just northeast of the Union Building is a one-story building of retail shops dates to 1917.

I love the alleys of Piccadilly Square. One leads to Sol Azteca and another restaurant, House of Tandoor, which serves Indian food. Another alley leads to a Russian eatery.

Cafe St. Petersburg has been in Newton Centre since 2005, after 12 years in its original home in neighboring Brookline. "Cafe St. Petersburg is frequented by artists, writers, musicians, actors, politicians from Russia and around the world. (Co-owner Natan) Slezinger is well-known in Boston community and is also a respected theatre producer in Russia," per the web site. The building dates to 1917. That seems appropriate for a Russian restaurant.

At the corner of Union Street and Langley Road stands Baramor, a gastropub that replaced Terry O'Reilly's, which is what was there when I shot the photo below.

The building dates to 1915.

A stone's throw away, along Beacon Street, is the former Murray's Liquors.

The building dates to 1927/1930, depending on the source. The storefront has been vacant for a few years now. I hope something moves in soon.

Moving west on Beacon Street, we come to the Stuart Building on the corner of Centre Street.

The building dates to 1928, and is currently home to Starbucks, Sandwich Works, a UPS Store, a Coldwell Banker realty outlet and many other businesses.

(Nice remnant from the olden times.)

Heading north from the Stuart Building along Centre Street there are several stores and restaurants in one-story buildings. At the corner of Centre and Pelham streets is Mosher's Men's Store, one of three clothing retailers along this row, including one with a Hollywood connection.

The Mosher's building and others along here date to the 1920s. The men's clothier has been in business since 1921.

(One of many menswear company plaques located on the side of Mosher's.)

Directly across Pelham Street from Mosher's is Alan Bilzerian, which sells both men's and women's clothing, as well as home decor. The company was founded in 1967 in Worcester; today it operates a store in Boston in addition to the Newton one. Next to Bilzerian is Mr. Sid, pictured below.

Established in 1967, Mr. Sid was founded by the grandfather of actor Jason Segel ("Freaks and Geeks," "How I Met Your Mother," "Forgetting Sarah Marshall"). It is still run by his family. The building is known historically as the Garb Drug building.

(Plaque outside Mr. Sid.)

Over on Sumner Street, across from Icon Hair Salon and the post office annex, stands a one-story retail building known as Centre Block.

The building dates to either 1926 (MACRIS) or 1920 (Newton assessor).

I've got two more retail sites I want to cover, and then I'll move along.

This is 552-560 Commonwealth Avenue, which dates to 1917. It is currently home to Atelier 564, an art gallery and framing store; pet grooming business Doggone-It!; a dentist's office and other businesses.

Across Commonwealth Avenue is the building below.

Built in 1916, this building is home to Blacker's Bakeshop, which opened in 2008; Inna's Kitchen, which opened in 2011 and provides catering and to-go meal services; and Mediterranean Grill.

Across Chestnut Terrace from the Atelier 564 building is the Newton Squash and Tennis Club.

Founded in 1902 as the Newton Centre Squash Tennis Club, it is located on property that had been part of the Augustus Hovey Estate (I have no idea who that is.). The original clubhouse has been expanded over the years, as has the number of courts. From the club's web page: "In 1905 the first game [of] Squash Racquets ever played in New England took place at the Newton Centre Squash Tennis Club. Mr. Austin Porter of Wellesley who brought the game from Philadelphia played with Mr. E. Ray Speare of Newton Centre. The game was immediately popular and in a short time had replaced the older game of Squash Tennis."

Newton Centre was never home to large-scale mills or factories, as was Nonantum. Along the eastern fringe of the village, however, there is a former mill site.

Located on Glen Avenue, this building dates to 1985 and is home to Health Equity International and perhaps other companies. A hundred years ago, though, there was something known as Burnham's mill on this site. Internet clues are scarce, but I found in a 1929 Atlas map of Newton a large building on this site, as well as several small ones, including one with what appears to be a smokestack. Charles Burnham is listed as the property owner; I found mention of Burnham's mill at this location in The Newton Graphic of February 1928. I'm not sure when the mill was built or when the business went under.

On the OpenCorporates web site, I found mention of the Old Colony Knitting Mill at this address. The company was in business from 1931 to 1990, per the web site. During at least part of that time, the building was home to Greenfield's Sweaterville, a clothing retailer, from what I've learned via The Newton Graphic of November 1973. The OpenCorporates listing indicates that "Sweaterville USA" was a trademark of the knitting mill.

I'm going to wrap up my Newton Centre series talking about aqueducts and gatehouses.

There are two old aqueducts running underneath the feet of Newton residents: the Cochituate and the Sudbury. The former brought water to Boston from 1848 to 1951, connecting Lake Cochituate in Natick to the Brookline Reservoir along Boylston Street, per Wikipedia. The latter was constructed between 1875-78, running from Framingham's Farm Pond to the Chestnut Hill Reservoir in Newton/Brighton. It was taken out of service in the late '70s and is used as part of a backup system by the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority, per Wikipedia.

There are sections of the old aqueducts that are walkable, featuring not only well-worn paths where you are surrounded by trees, birds, other animals and fellow humans, but also old gatehouses.

This Cochituate Aqueduct gatehouse is located steps away from the Mason-Rice School, as the trail courses through a wooded area behind houses on Chapin Road, on toward the Newton Centre Playground. The aqueduct eventually enters a tunnel at Waban Hill Reservoir.

Just west of the gatehouse, in woodland between Park Lane and Hancock Avenue, you'll come across one of the more whimsical spots in Newton: Jolly's Hollow.

Located on private property between the two aqueducts that prior owners had fenced off from path walkers, Jolly's Hollow is the creation of one Andree Desiree Wilson. "Andrée was the legendary 'gardener (from the sign above) who, during the 50 years she lived there, created this special place. Beginning in the 1990s, as Newton was becoming ever more subdivided, she and (husband) Richard began the extraordinary and arduous process that would eventually donate the Wilson Conservation Area to the city and put all but 0.4 acres of their remaining 1.9-acre parcel under a conservation restriction that protects this legacy in perpetuity," according to this article in the Newton Conservators newsletter. "One important condition of conservation land is that there be public access. Andrée passed away in 2016, and the property will eventually be sold. Now, in a joint effort by the Newton Conservators and the Wilson family, an official path has been created that runs up along the pine-covered hill."

I have walked this path only twice, but feel like I need to back out there to see how it looks with spring upon us.

A short walk from the Cochituate Aqueduct gatehouse pictured above is the Sudbury Aqueduct gatehouse shown below.

Located on Tyler Terrace, abutting the Mason-Rice School, the gatehouse is, like so many of its kind, a beautiful piece of architecture where one isn't necessarily called for. I'm not sure when it was built, but I suppose it was in the 1870s or 1880s.

For more of my explorations of these aqueducts and gatehouse and similar things, see: March 1, 2018, "I Seek Newton, Part VIII: Upper Falls (Section 1)"; June 3, 2016, "I Seek Newton, Part IV: Waban"; and November 11, 2011, "History Flows On, Part I."

That takes care of Newton Centre! Still to come: Newton Corner, West Newton and Newtonville. I have no idea which one I'll tackle next.

Below are the links to all of the previous posts about the villages of Newton.

I Seek Newton, Part X: Newton Centre (Section 2)

I Seek Newton, Part X: Newton Centre (Section 1)

I Seek Newton, Part IX: Nonantum (Section 3)

I Seek Newton, Part IX: Nonantum (Section 2)

I Seek Newton, Part IX: Nonantum (Section 1)

I Seek Newton, Part VIII: Upper Falls (Section 3)

I Seek Newton, Part VIII: Upper Falls (Section 2)

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

I Seek Newton, Part VII: Thompsonville

I Seek Newton, Part VI: Chestnut Hill

I Seek Newton, Part V: Oak Hill

I Seek Newton, Part IV: Waban

I Seek Newton, Part III: Highlands

I Seek Newton, Part II: Auburndale

I Seek Newton, Part I: Lower Falls