{"nrhp_refnum":"90000024","name":"Newton Centre Branch Library","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1294 Centre St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Newton","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.32940751700005,"lon":-71.19469760899995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1990-02-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Community Planning and Development","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 1 1/2 story, L-plan brick branch library at 1294 Centre Street in Newton Centre, Newton, Massachusetts, designed in 1927 by Ritchie, Parsons & Taylor and opened in January 1928.","why_significant":"It is one of five branch libraries in Newton built by citizen subscription between 1926 and 1939, reflecting the city's rapid growth and the strength of its village system. It is also a good institutional example of the Tudor Revival style by the prolific local architect James Ritchie.","narrative":"Located at 1294 Centre Street at the west end of the Newton Centre village commercial center, this brick branch library was designed in 1927 by the firm Ritchie, Parsons & Taylor. It is a 1 1/2 story, L-plan building under a slate gable roof with raised end walls. The entry, set at the angle of the L, has a segmental arched stone surround in Classical Revival style, and a large bank of windows with a transom faces the street. Fundraising among Newton Centre and Chestnut Hill residents began in 1926, a permit was granted in 1927, and the library opened on January 15, 1928. It was one of five branch libraries in the city funded by citizen subscription between 1926 and 1939, a pattern that reflects Newton's growth and the continuing importance of its villages. The design is also regarded as a good institutional example of Tudor Revival work by James Ritchie, an architect who also designed the Police Station and Court House and several public schools. The library remains in use and in good condition.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Ritchie, Parsons & Taylor","architectural_style":"Tudor Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Present use is library; condition is listed as good, with no major alterations and no outbuildings.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:04.065635-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/21/7919/63791921/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/90000024.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/90000024/027385eaab-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/90000024/027385eaab-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"User:Magicpiano","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NewtonMA_NewtonCentreBranchLibraryBuilding.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">User:Magicpiano</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NewtonMA_NewtonCentreBranchLibraryBuilding.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"76002137","name":"Woodland, Newton Highlands, and Newton Centre Railroad Stations, and Baggage and Express Building","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/massachusetts/woodland-newton-highlands-and-newton-centre-railroad-stations-and-baggage-and-ex-76002137/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63791921","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton_Centre_Branch_Library","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7020161"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/newton-centre-branch-library-90000024/"}