Baptist Home for Children of Missionaries

The first meeting that would lead to the organization of The Woman’s Baptist Missionary Society was held here at First Baptist Newton in 1871. In 1880, under the leadership of Mrs. Augusta Hovey and Mrs. Mary Colby, the Society constructed the Baptist Home for Children of Missionaries at 1136 Centre St. Newton Centre (see map No.1). The Society supported the home until the mid-1930s (see map No.2). The home cared for numerous children of missionaries serving in Myanmar, India, China, Japan, and the Philippines. The children who were part of the First Baptist family, received their education at the Mason Elementary School, and later attended Newton High School. Among them were WWI aviation ace, Waldo Heinrichs, and Ralph O’Neal West, Class of ’14 and Editor-in-Chief of the Newton High School yearbook. West died in WWI and was buried in France.