Local History Resources
Belmont Land Trust
Founded in 1999, the Belmont Land Trust emerged from a lengthy planning effort between the Town of Belmont and McLean Hospital to preserve remaining undeveloped areas of Belmont. A group of local preservationists established the Trust to protect the town’s scenic, historic, and natural character, inspired by The Trustees of Reservations, the first U.S. land trust.Since its founding, the Belmont Land Trust has helped conserve nearly 25 acres and established wooded areas in residential neighborhoods. In partnership with local property owners, civic associations, and conservation groups, it has worked to preserve Belmont’s historic assets, including collaboration on the Western Greenway Trail and partnerships with organizations like the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Recognized with a David R. Johnson historic preservation award in 2011, the Trust continues to protect open spaces and educate the public, fostering appreciation for Belmont’s natural heritage.
Waverley Trail
The Waverley Trail, a 0.7-mile path along Trapelo Road in Belmont and through the Beaver Brook Reserve, was recognized as a National Recreation Trail by the U.S. National Park Service in 2015. Originally conceived by Belmont resident and conservation historian Jim Levitt in 2005, the project gained support from the Belmont Land Trust, led by President Neal Winston and others. Donations from local citizens and businesses funded the project, with Cambridge-based Roll, Barresi & Associates designing interpretive panels and signs.
The Trail was inaugurated in 2007 with an Arbor Day celebration attended by community members and officials, featuring a student choir and media coverage. In 2009, the Trail added more interpretive panels and hosted a ceremony highlighting the legacy of Waverley’s conservation efforts, including speeches from prominent conservation leaders.
The Trail has attracted visitors, including international delegations from Chile and China, who drew inspiration for conservation initiatives in their own countries. Over the years various student groups have visited the trail. New educational opportunities with local students are always encouraged and explored, and resources for Trail guides are available for future educational activities.
Digitized Historical Belmont Newspapers
We are very pleased to announce that thanks to our Community Preservation Act Grant, our collection of local historical newspapers has now been digitized. This collection includes:
- Belmont Bulletin Mar. 8, 1890 – Feb. 26, 1898
- Belmont Tribune Nov.14, 1902 – Apr. 14, 1916
- Belmont Courier Jan. 2, 1889 – Dec. 1, 1917
- Belmont Patriot Jan. 5, 1918 – Dec. 28, 1918
- Belmont Citizen Mar. 29, 1919 – Mar. 31, 1988
- Belmont Herald Jan. 5, 1945 – April 1, 1988
- Belmont Citizen Herald April 7, 1988 – 2015
From within the library, you may access our entire collection of Historical Belmont Newspapers, 1889-2015. From outside the library you may access Historical Belmont Newspapers, 1889-1962. View our online guide to Getting Started With Digitized Newspapers.
The library’s collection of historical newspapers is also still available on microfilm in the library. In microfilm, the Belmont Citizen Herald is available from April 7, 1988 to the current year, minus one.
More Digitized Collections
Thanks to our membership in the Digital Commonwealth, the Massachusetts hub of the Digital Public Library of America, we are able to have selected portions of the library’s historical collection digitized.
Belmont Residents Lists from 1911-2009 are available in the Internet Archive. Note that Residents Lists for some years were missing, or deemed too fragile to digitize. If you wish to view a year that is not digitized, please call the Belmont Historical Society at 617-489-2000 ext. 2878 to determine if a print copy is available in the Claflin Room.
Belmont High School Yearbooks from 1922 to 2016 can be viewed in the Internet Archive. Note that most, but not all years, were available to be digitized. Print copies of BHS yearbooks are held in the Claflin room.
Claflin Room
The Claflin Room, (formerly the Belmont Room), housed important items of local history. The Belmont Historical Society oversaw the care and maintenance of the room, and has since moved operations to the Beech Street Center; their hours are noted on their website. The Belmont Historical Society can be reached at [email protected] or by phone, 617-489-2000 ext. 2878.
Obituary Research in Belmont
Find the date on which an obituary appeared in the Belmont Herald, using our Belmont Herald Obituary Index, January 1, 1945 – April 1, 1988.
Obituary Index, Organized by “Known as” Name
Obituary Index, Organized by “Former” or “Maiden” Name
The dates indexed begin with January 1, 1945, the first issue of The Belmont Herald newspaper, and end with April 1, 1988, the last issue before it merged with The Belmont Citizen newspaper. You can search for the actual obituary using our digitized newspaper collection, or the microfilm collection at the library.
Please ask a member of our Reference team (617-993-2870 or Ask a Librarian) if you would like help searching the Obituary Index. If you do not find the name you are looking for in the Belmont Herald Index, see Vital Records below.
The Belmont Library thanks the many library volunteers who spent hours scrolling through reels of microfilm looking at pages of newspapers for death notices. The project began in 2007 and ended in 2015.
Vital Records (Births, Deaths, & Marriages)
Belmont Town Clerk
The Town Clerk’s Office keeps records of births if the parents were Belmont residents, deaths of Belmont residents, and marriages if they filed their intentions in Belmont. Staff will give simple information over the phone; or a certified document ($20.00) must be requested in writing. These records will give a date of death which helps pinpoint in which issue of the Belmont Herald or Belmont Citizen to look for an obituary.
Ellen O’Brien Cushman, Town Clerk
Town Hall
455 Concord Avenue
Belmont, MA 02478
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Telephone: 617-993-2600; FAX: 617-993-2601
Email: [email protected]
Visit the Belmont Town Clerk’s Website for more information.
Cemeteries in Belmont
The Belmont Cemetery and Highland Meadow Cemetery (Dedicated October 20, 2007) are the two cemeteries in Belmont. The Belmont Cemetery is located at the intersection of Grove Street and Huron Avenue. Highland Meadow Cemetery is located at 700 Concord Avenue. Going up Concord Avenue from the Police Station/Town Hall, the cemetery land begins on your left. The entrance is opposite Somerset Street.
Cemetery records are kept by the Cemetery division of the Department of Public Works. Staff will give burial information over the phone. There is a fee for written genealogical requests – $10.00 (up to 5 people).
Belmont Cemetery Division
121 Grove Street
Belmont, MA 02478
Hours: Monday – Friday; 7:00 A.M. – 3:30 P.M.
Telephone: (617) 993-2710 FAX: (617) 489-0344
Visit the Town’s Parks and Cemetery Division Website for more information.
Massachusetts Vital Records to 1850
The Vital Records to 1850 series was compiled and published in the early 20th century for many municipalities in Massachusetts. These volumes include birth, marriage, and death information and are transcribed from town and church records, cemeteries, and private sources.
Oral History Recordings
The Belmont Story Project (BSP) is a local, oral-history recording project, modeled after NPR’s StoryCorps. BSP encourages Belmont resident’s to share their stories, preserving them for future generations. To find out more, or schedule an appointment, contact Library Staff at 617-993-2870.
The Belmont Story Project is a collaboration of the Belmont Council on Aging, Belmont Historical Society, Belmont Media Center, the Belmont Citizen-Herald, and the Belmont Public Library.
More Local History
Titles by Belmont authors
Books about the history of Belmont
Belmont, the Town of Farms, a slideshow created and narrated by Jane Sherwin for One Book, One Belmont 2009. July, 2009.
For assistance with local history questions, contact Library Staff at [email protected] or 617-993-2870.