Newton Free Library

Blue Books of Newton

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Presented here are directories, which usually include a folding map of Newton, list of residents by name and by street address with illustrated advertisements and business directory, clubs and societies, location of fire boxes, seating plan of theatres and concert halls in the area including Boston and Cambridge. Earliest editions include summer residence and "at home" days.

The City of Newton owns a wealth of historic materials that speak to the community’s social, cultural and governmental past. These materials reflect the civic life of and provide insight into Newton from the 19th through the early 20th century, a time when Newton was transforming from agriculture to industry and becoming a suburban Boston residential community.