OUR BUILDING'S HISTORY
Gayle Smalley
17 July 2005

Opening Words:
From an 1862 letter to Mary Peabody Mann, the widow of Horace Mann –
My Dear Mrs. Mann-
The immediate cause of the donation was this: The Normal School, which was originally established at Lexington, had been, or was about to be discontinued; and the project, ridiculed and opposed, was likely to be abandoned. At this time, your husband came into my office, and in his very striking manner, said –“If you know any man who wants the highest seat in the kingdom of heaven, it is to be had for fifteen hundred dollars... a schoolhouse at West Newton could be purchased for that sum; and … if obtained [it] would enable the friends of education to convince the State of the importance of Normal Schools… I gave him the money, directing him to take the deed in his own name.” – Josiah Quincy, Jr.

Our building stands upon the land purchased by Horace Mann in 1844. This morning we celebrate the inspirational history of this site.

Part I -- 1906 onwards
The First Unitarian Society laid the cornerstone for this building in September 1905. Construction took almost exactly one year, and the building was dedicated in September 1906.
The first part of my presentation this morning concerns this congregation’s use of this site...there is so much to say…it has to be somewhat anecdotal.

Let’s begin with some of the ways we use it today -- Sunday services, concerts, interfaith services; fairs and fundraising events; holiday celebrations, brunches and dinners; religious education for children and adults; seminars and speeches; weddings; funerals and memorial services; baby dedications; annual meetings.

Looking back at clippings from the local newspapers, we can see that things haven’t really changed --

Newton Graphic, October 19, 1906:
The annual reception to Rev. and Mrs. Julian C. Jaynes by the West Newton Unitarian Society was held Wednesday evening in the new parish House…The young men of the church acted as ushers and the reception was held in the Sunday School room. An orchestra behind a screen of palms and ferns rendered music throughout the evening.

Newton Graphic, February 22, 1907:
An informal singing meeting of the Junior parish was held Sunday evening at the Unitarian church. Rev Mr. Jaynes made a short address on the Lend A Hand movement.

Newton Villager and Transcript, April 5, 1956;
The Couples Club of the West Newton Unitarian Church will meet at 8’o’clock Friday evening…with the Rev. William B. Rice, D.D. of the Wellesley Hills Unitarian Church as guest speaker. Dr. Rice will tell about his work as chaplain to the Charles Street jail, Boston.

On the evening of September 11, 2001, many of our members gathered here for comfort, in a joint service with Congregation Dorshei Tzedek and Second Church. And that Friday at noon, we rang our tower bells and opened the doors to the public. Although I haven’t located particular information, surely members must have gathered here to mark disasters, and the beginning and the end of wars.

Sunday services always have been the anchor. How many Sunday services have taken place here in 99 years? Assuming a 10 month schedule (not even including July and August) let’s say 43 services each year, times 99 – that makes 4,257.

And how many weddings and funerals? I can’t begin to guess….but I’d like to share a memoir that is posted online…This is a Julian Jaynes story – the red-haired minister who served this congregation for 37 years, and who is credited with (or blamed for) the choice of gothic style for this building…. This story is about his daughter Ethel’s wedding, which took place in 1914. The church was packed -- it was the minister’s daughter’s wedding. The maid of honor wrote this account –

I wore a heavy pearl necklace! At the familiar chords, we started to march down the aisle, six bridesmaids and ushers behind me; at about the tenth pew, pop went my string of beads, scattering in every direction! The entire wedding-party demonstrated superb self-control and did not wink an eyelash, though stepping warily, while kind guests on the aisle seats gathered most of the pearls after we had passed.

Ethel Jaynes soon died, after giving birth to twins. The account continues –

Every seat in the big Unitarian church was filled for the funeral where only two years before it had been decorated with white satin ribbons and bright flowers for the wedding…Rev. Julian Jaynes insisted he would conduct the service as he had for the wedding. He collapsed and sobbing on the pulpit, had to be led away.

On a much happier note, there has been a tradition of hospitality at this site. I’d like to mention a few examples.

Temple Shalom...the congregation now located on Temple Street…its first scheduled worship services took place right here in our sanctuary. In 1950, a group of residents joined together to begin the first Reform temple in Newton. This was during the baby boom – and the group included many young families with children. Anita Winer, one of the original members, told me that the recent war still remained on everyone’s mind. Some of the members were veterans. After careful consideration, the new congregation chose a name - “SHALOM” ...meaning peace.

Our congregation offered worship space and Second Church provided religious education classrooms. The first service was held September 8, 1950, a few days before the Jewish New Year. Our minister John Ogden Fisher welcomed the new congregation. Rabbi Mandel preached on “Stranger Within the Gate.”

Temple Shalom worshiped regularly at FUSN for one year. Two young men were bar mitzvah-ed in this sanctuary. The congregation moved to the Temple Street location in 1951, first to an existing house at that site. Five years later they built and dedicated a new building. If you look at their website today, it says --"From the outset we have had a close relationship with the First Unitarian Church, where our services were originally held…"

Project Head Start – the early education program began nationwide in 1965. Its goal was to break the cycle of poverty by providing nurturing education and other services to preschool children of low-income families. In Newton the locally sponsored program got underway in 1967 after our congregation donated space. Head Start classes took place daily in our sunny upstairs hall; today we know it as the “Head Start Room.” About 30 three and four year old children participated each year. Head Start continued at our site for many years…I want to say decades, although eventually the program moved to a more accessible site.

In recent years, Congregation Dorshei Tzedek, a Jewish Reconstructionist congregation, has shared our facilities. They held weekly worship services here until a few years ago; now services are held at Second Church’s chapel, although the offices and religious education program remain here. That community now includes 160 families. This past spring, Dorshei turned 13...and they joyfully celebrated the congregation’s own Bar Mitzvah!

Part II -- pre-1906
In the Opening Words, I quoted a letter describing Horace Mann’s purchase of this site. Now let me give a little context.

The Fuller family was prominent in the early days of Newton. In fact, the Newton North High athletic grounds are located on the site of the old Fuller homestead. Judge Abraham Fuller was active in town affairs in the mid- to late 18th century. As Town Clerk he is credited with a little change to the town’s name - under his authority it evolved from “New Town” to “Newton.” When he died in 1894, his will left 300 pounds to the Selectmen of the Town of Newton to begin an academy.

After a long delay in the payment of the legacy, in 1835, Fuller Academy was built upon this site. Did you see the sketch that appears on your order of service?

As it happened, the Fuller Academy was used only briefly as such. For a few years, the building was used for town meetings (Newton was still a town!); however, the academy simply never got off the ground…another private school used it briefly, but the selectmen offered it for sale.

Horace Mann, financed by Josiah Quincy, Jr., bought the building in 1844. He moved the first Normal School (or teachers’ college) to this site. It had begun in Lexington, so actually this was its second home. Even so, this was the site of the FIRST teachers’ college in the United States, and the FIRST teachers’ college for women in the world.

I shouldn’t digress, but I want to make sure we all know something about Horace Mann – As the first Secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education, he advocated for compulsory attendance, a secular curriculum, mandatory taxation in support of schools, formal training for teachers, public high schools, and school libraries. It’s hard to understand, but in the mid-nineteenth century, each one of those ideals was very radical.

Under Horace Mann’s direction, the Normal School taught methodology to the young women who were training as teachers. One of the important features was a model school, with local children attending as pupils. The model school attracted thousands of visitors to West Newton - teachers, School Committee members and others came to witness demonstrations of the new methods of instruction. The Model School principal was Nathaniel Allen; he was assisted by the young women students at the Normal School.

(In the interest of full disclosure, I need to point out that while the Normal School students took their lessons at this site, the Model School classrooms were located across Washington Street.)

Although the Normal School had floundered during the first few years in Lexington, it flourished in West Newton. After about ten years, the Normal School moved to Framingham – today it’s known as Framingham State College. Nathaniel Allen, who had been principal of the Model School, stayed in West Newton. Once the Normal School had vacated the Fuller Academy, he opened his own school at the site.

The Allen School had a long and substantial history. It continued on this site from 1854 until the end of the century. It was widely known as the Allen School, although the proper name was “West Newton English and Classical School.”

Nathaniel Allen operated his school on the belief that the object of education was the formation of strong, self-reliant, well-rounded character. Even today, the Allen School is identified with many innovations in instruction and curriculum. It was coeducational; it was racially integrated – both radical departures from the norms of the time. The Allen School emphasized logical thought processes and inquiry skills over rote learning. The students wrote in daily journals – and some of the journals survive at the Jackson Homestead Museum. The students who were fortunate to be enrolled at the Allen School went on field trips, gathering botany and mineral specimens. The curriculum included a kindergarten and physical education, including swimming, dance and team sports. Students came from all the countries in North and South America, as well as Europe and Japan.

Although this part of the presentation concerns the pre-First Unitarian use of the site, it is equally about the origins of our congregation. When the Normal School moved to West Newton, Horace Mann and his family moved to Chestnut Street. Nathaniel Allen and his extended family followed. Both men were founding members of this Society, which came together in 1848, during the period that the Normal School operated in West Newton.

Nathaniel Allen was the oldest living member of this congregation when he died in 1903. The Allen Window at the back of the sanctuary was given by his family and his students. The window depicts the five ideals that were his life works – of course, education is one; the others are peace, freedom, courage and truth. Horace Mann is depicted in the Public Education Window on this (west) side.