The City of Newton is on the traditional homeland of the Massachusett people who occupied this area long before the arrival of the first European settlers in the 17th century.

Up until the second half of the 19th century, a sparsely settled farming community was located in the area we now know as Newton Highlands. As late as 1870, fewer than 20 families resided here. Then the village developed rapidly over the next two decades. The name “Newton Highlands” was chosen at a meeting of village residents in 1873.

Lincoln Street was laid out in 1865, Hartford Street in 1871, and Erie Street in 1876. Estates were broken up, lots were surveyed and sold, and new houses constructed. Once improved commuter service was available, a broad cross-section of working, middle and upper class families were attracted to live in Newton Highlands.

Within a few blocks of the village center, you can still see a range of residential architectural styles representative of the late 19th century, including Italianate, Mansard, Stick Style and Queen Anne designs.

In addition to the original Hyde School (1895) and Annex (1908), the village center of Newton Highlands is defined by several other distinctive buildings. The Stevens Building was opened in 1888 on the site of a small wood frame building housing a grocery and livery stable. A large brick multi-story commercial structure, the Stevens Block holds a prominent position on Lincoln Street. Designed by architect Herbert C. Moseley in the Romanesque style, it is highly recognizable to shoppers in Newton Highlands. While some features have been altered, it retains the distinctive guilloche and floral motif in the center gable, made of terra cotta.

The Newton Highlands Congregationalists originally gathered in a simple wooden meeting house, dating to about 1872. The current granite and stone Gothic-style edifice was designed by George F. Newton and dedicated in September 1906. The Episcopal Parish of St. Paul church, built in 1883, was moved to its present site at 1135 Walnut Street in 1902.