In 1928, a group of Waban neighbors envisioned a community reading room. It would provide its residents, particularly its children, with a quiet, comfortable place to enjoy reading and to foster a love of learning. This place would house the neighborhood’s growing collection of books of lasting interest to Waban. With this vision, and an undeniable sense of purpose and passion, the Waban Public Library Association was born. Over 550 Waban families, merchants, and organizations donated $63,500 (the equivalent of about $800,000 today) towards the construction of the library.
Completed in 1930 and placed on the Register of National Historic places in 1990, the Tudor Revival-style library is built of Harvard Brick, limestone trim, and a slate roof. It includes separate reading rooms for adults and children adorned with carved woodworking, leaded-glass windows, and a fireplace. With great pride and jubilant celebration, Waban gave the Waban Library to the City of Newton on May 2, 1930 to forever serve Waban and all of Newton’s villages. In the spring of 2008, however, the City of Newton closed the library due to financial constraints, clouding the future of this historic landmark.
Eighty years after the library’s inaugural opening, residents and merchants rally together once again. Private donations of funds and services are allowing us to reopen the doors of the renamed Waban Library Center (WLC). Building upon its history as a village reading room, the WLC today serves as a gateway for lifelong learning and as a hub for cultural, intellectual, physical, and social enrichment.
For the first time ever, the library offers an abundant selection of classes, exhibits, and programs. As a not-for-profit, privately funded organization, the WLC depends on donations and class registrations to cover basic overhead costs and its annual licensing fee with the City.
The WLC is your place. Enjoy our collection of books. Catch up with a friend. Behold works of visiting artists. Connect your laptop in our wireless environment. Learn a new language. Play an instrument. Attend a concert or lecture. Take a yoga class. Engage with your community.
Be a part of it – make a tax-deductible contribution, register for a class, volunteer your time. We need everyone’s support to help this historic place endure and thrive in the new century.
Interior of the Waban Library circa 1930
Interior of the Waban Library Center in 2009
