{"nrhp_refnum":"90000036","name":"Plummer Memorial Library","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"375 Auburn St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Newton","county":"Middlesex County","state":"MA","lat":42.34635913200003,"lon":-71.24931020599996,"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 brick branch library at 375 Auburn Street in the Auburndale village of Newton, Massachusetts, built in 1927 to designs by the Boston firm Smith & Walker.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is one of five branch libraries built in Newton's village centers between 1925 and 1939, reflecting the city's growing size and stature. It is also a well-designed example of Tudor Revival style applied to a small branch library. It retains integrity and meets criteria A and C.","narrative":"Plummer Memorial Library is a small brick branch library at 375 Auburn Street, on the southwestern edge of Auburndale's village center in Newton. Built in 1927 to designs by the Boston firm Smith & Walker, it is an L-shaped, one-and-a-half-story building in the Tudor Revival style. Brick laid in English bond is trimmed with limestone, and a slate gable roof carries half-timbering in the gable ends. A projecting gabled porch marks the entry, with a cupola above it on the roof ridge. Planning began in the early 1920s, and the cornerstone was laid in July 1927. The Plummer family and the city provided the land, and the community raised $47,000 for construction. It was one of five branch libraries built and donated to the city between 1925 and 1939, reflecting the city's growth. A children's wing designed by Edgar T.P. Walker was added to the rear in 1948. The library remains in use and in excellent condition.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Smith & Walker, Architects of Boston, in conjunction with E. C. Redstone; 1948 children's wing by Edgar T.P. Walker","architectural_style":"Tudor Revival","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still used as a library; condition described as excellent, with a 1948 children's wing and a replacement plate glass door.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:13:04.2641-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/23/7919/63791923/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/90000036.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/90000036/4dc26aa884-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/90000036/4dc26aa884-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"John Phelan","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Auburndale_Library,_Auburndale_MA.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">John Phelan</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:Auburndale_Library,_Auburndale_MA.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63791923","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plummer_Memorial_Library","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7205441"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/middlesex-county/plummer-memorial-library-90000036/"}