Thirteen Villages & One Goal... Newton Upper Falls

Newton Upper Falls is a very fine example of a what an early American mill village of the early 1800’s was like.  Much of it stands today as it did two centuries ago.  The old houses, buildings, churches, and street layouts, for the most part, still exist.  The Newton Upper Falls community has always treasured this extraordinary neighborhood.

Upper Falls. Image, Makers of the Mold.

Echo Bridge over Hemlock Gorge. Photo, CC.

We have always appreciated the architectural heritage of the village, with its abundant and beautiful simplicity of design, its history and its small-scale quality. We love its topography and natural features, such as its hilly terrain, rock outcroppings and its breathtaking Hemlock Gorge, where the Charles River spills over a mammoth dam between the hills of Upper Falls, Needham and Wellesley.

Upper Falls is a village with a lot of character, in part, because of the vintage appeal of our shops and eateries. Lively places like Dunn Gaherins Pub and The Biltmore are housed in historic buildings.

Dunn Gaherins Pub. Photo, CC.

The Biltmore. Photo, Hidden Boston.

Residents of Upper Falls are known for their pride in the village, and for their notable village spirit. In June of 2013, village business and civic leaders organized the first-ever "Feast of the Falls", a wonderful community celebration.

Upper Falls Village Crossroads. Photo, CC.

Feast of the Falls. Photo, Evan Westrate.

Challenges Facing Upper Falls

The village is currently facing a wave of demolitions of historic buildings of all types, and teardowns of existing affordable houses. A shortsighted decision by City Hall decades ago to close the village's elementary school has had painful repercussions to this day.

Millworker Cottage. Photo, Makers of the Mold.

This has happened on Williams Street, Ossipee Road, Ohio Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue.  Village residents are currently working to have the entirety of the village incorporated into the Upper Falls Historic District.

Historic & Smaller Houses At Risk

Recently, developers have discovered Upper Falls, and have been demolishing the small-scale housing stock that lies just outside the protected Upper Falls Historic District.  Other developers are demolishing even the historic millworker cottages that are outside the protected Upper Falls Historic District, and replacing them with McMansions.  

A SurvivingMillworker Cottage Today.

Historic Wetherell House Facing Demolition. Photo, NVA.

The Wetherell House Demolition

The most notable house at risk is the 1835 Greek-Revival Jacob B. Wetherell House at 192 Elliot Street.  This house has ties to three historic Upper Falls families, those with the names Wetherell, Pettee and Ellis.  All were founders and important contributors to the village of Upper Falls. 

In July of 2013, a developer applied for a demolition permit for the Wetherell House and the circa 1920’s house next door, with a plan to construct two massive, two-family townhouses on the land.  The developer stands to make a couple of million dollars by demolishing our history. 

The Newton Historic Commission’s vote on the plan was a 2-2 tie, which was interpreted as a vote not to preferably preserve the Wetherell House. Concerned Upper Falls residents hired a lawyer who succeeded in temporarily suspending the demolition through a complaint to the Zoning Board of Appeals, on the basis of the mishandling of the demolition review process by the developer and the Newton Historical Commission.  The matter went to the Superior Court, where a judge ruled in favor of the developer.  The Wetherell House was demolished on June 30, 2014.

Upper Falls Children Need an Elementary School

In the early 1980’s, City Hall decided to close our local elementary school, along with the library it contained.  Our children have been bussed to three overcrowded receiver schools at considerable expense to parents and the school system.  We are currently trying to convince City Hall to establish an elementary school in Upper Falls to serve the large number of children on the south side of Newton.

No village elementary school means Upper Falls children are bused to other villages' schools.

Former village elementary school, now condos.