Garden City or Celebrity City?

On October 16, 2010, President Barack Obama visited Newton to attend a private fundraiser. During his time here, the President stopped by a neighbor’s home to thank some young girls for a sign they had made to welcome him to the Garden City. After shaking hands with Obama one of the young girls remarked “I’m never washing [my hand] again! Never!”

This brush with fame was a moment these young Newtonians will likely never forget (though they will probably wash their hands again), and Newton has a long history of encounters with fame as well as being home to many noted artists, actors, writers, and musicians.

was famous for the many world-class musicians who played at the Totem Pole Ballroom. According to norumbegapark.com, an abundance of big-name musicians appeared there, “including Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Harry James, the Dorsey brothers, Lawrence Welk…Frank Sinatra…Dinah Shore…and the von Trapp family.”

In addition to these talented musicians, many actors and actresses have called Newton home. Actor Jack Lemmon grew up on Bartlett Terrace and attended Ward Elementary School before going on to star in major motion pictures like “Some Like it Hot,” “The Odd Couple,” and “Grumpy Old Men.” John Krasinski and B.J. Novak of NBC’s hit comedy, "The Office" both grew up in Newton, as did actors Eli Roth, Matt LeBlanc, Amy Poehler, and Kathryn Erbe.

When it comes to visual artists, Newton can boast about Gluyas Williams, who was a prominent cartoonist through much of the 20th century. His home was in West Newton, and one can see how his suburban lifestyle influenced his work, which depicted the humorous side of everyday life. One of his comic strips was called “Suburban Heights,” which seems like a direct reference to his neighborhood of West Newton Hill. Sculptor Nancy Schön, whose most famous work are the sculptures in the Boston Public Garden depicting the ducks from Robert McCloskey’s book Make Way For Ducklings, made West Newton her home as well.

Author and illustrator Virginia Lee Burton, who penned childhood classics like "The Little House" and "Katy and the Big Snow," spent the earliest years of her childhood in Newton. Samuel Francis Smith, who wrote the lyrics to the song “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” lived in Newton Centre for some time as well. The home he occupied burned down, but the vacant lot is now marked by a large stone monument.

Arts aside, there have been many political and social activists who have lived in Newton over the years. Horace Mann, architect of our modern public education system, was the first resident of West Newton Hill in the 1800s. Theodore Parker, the abolitionist preacher, came to Newton to get away from city life in Boston on occasion. And Timothy Leary, the Harvard professor who was on the leading edge of psychedelic drug experimentation, called Newton home for a few years as well.

These are just a sampling of the many notable names that can be associated with Newton. The city, with its lively arts scene, excellent public schools, and small-town feel, will likely continue to attract big names seeking a degree of suburban anonymity and quietude.