On June 7th, members of the Upper Falls Neighborhood Area Council and local volunteers shone a spotlight on the hidden history behind several buildings in Upper Falls that many Newton residents pass by without a second thought. Speakers were stationed at 14 historically significant stops along the walking tour path, which began at Little Luke’s Cafe in Pettee Square and ended near the Echo Bridge Mall.
With a team of both teens and adults, the Upper Falls Neighborhood Area Council organized this event with the hope that every volunteer – no matter their age – could bring their unique skills and interests to the table. Some volunteers followed tour groups, taking photos to be used later in a commemorative video, while others spoke at the tour’s various featured locations.
Four years earlier, the Upper Falls Neighborhood Area Council hosted a similar tour (see this video).
On this tour, an unassuming site such as the current Telegraph Building suddenly became seemingly full of drama when speaker Paula Kelleher revealed its past identity as Gamewell Fire Alarms. At that time, Gamewell helped manufacture state-of-the-art emergency tools – Boston was the “test site” for a new alarm system, which used modified Morse code telegraph technology to provide emergency services with the exact location of distress. Kelleher, whose uncle was an employee at Gamewell, engaged audiences as she readily answered questions ranging from general to the most minute.
Other tour locations allowed residents to not only examine relevant, historically accurate materials, but also to contrast buildings’ past and present interior appearances. Speakers first narrated the history of Elliot Street, highlighting its popularity at the turn of the 20th century and status as a center of commerce and grain production. Next, the focus shifted to the Mary Immaculate of Lourdes Church, where Irish and Italian mill workers attended services. Soon after that, tour attendees began to filter towards the church, using their new knowledge of Mary Immaculate’s past as a way to enhance their understanding of its present. The past continues to make an appearance at the church, where – in keeping with its original tradition – mass is regularly held in Latin.
Not all tour locations were public buildings, however. Homeowners on historic High Street shared colorful stories about the origins of their private residences, including their various repurposings throughout the years. The home at 44 High Street, for example, went through a variety of transitions: Originally serving as a woodworking barn, it changed to a photography studio before becoming a lively meeting place that resembled something of a bar. The current owner described finding old beer bottles buried deep beneath the soil in their backyard – a hint at the location’s past life.
Another home, at 68 High Street, opened its doors to residents to showcase its historic Victorian-style architecture. Its current owners reported that the house had been passed down through only one prior family before reaching their ownership, emphasizing their house’s preservation of its original historic style. Owner Judy Malone Neville remembers a time when many houses in the neighborhood were forced to remodel, saying that she “used to go around on trash night and pick up… old-fashioned banisters and light fixtures” and was surprised by the sheer quantity of historic homes in her area.
Just as Neville’s home was able to modernize while still retaining elements of its historic architecture, Echo Bridge – one of the premier locations on the tour – has been able to achieve the same goal. While new black metal guardrails have been installed to ensure walkers’ safety, Echo Bridge still retains its original, now-rusted railings. The original railings showcase a Boston Water Works rosette that gives a nod to its past years and underscores its main purpose as a transportation system for water. Upper Falls Neighborhood Area Council member Lee Fisher read aloud an excerpt from the nomination papers to place Echo Bridge on the National Register of Historic Places, stating that the bridge is “graceful and handsomely constructed… [and] adds to the rugged beauty of Hemlock Gorge. It has integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship. Its purpose was only to carry an aqueduct across the river, but its design was carefully conceived to contribute to its magnificent site rather than to detract from it.”
The tour also included locations such as the Tzu Chi Foundation (formerly the site of Newton’s first church) and The Mall at Echo Bridge (formerly a hub for mills and manufacturing) before looping back to its original starting point at Little Luke’s. Residents, volunteers, and speakers alike left the event with a greater understanding of Newton’s history, as well as its connection to the city’s present.
