Two Watertown Historical Paintings Donated to Apartments at Coolidge School

Two paintings of historic scenes of Watertown recently got a new home. They moved out of Watertown Savings Bank's main branch in Watertown Square, but can still be seen by the public at the Apartments at Coolidge School in East End.

Joyce Kelly of the Historical Society of Watertown wrote up the following information about the paintings: 

In the 1970s, Watertown Savings Bank commissioned muralist Samuel Emrys Evans to create a series of paintings for the walls of the bank at 60 Main St. in Watertown Square representing Watertown’s history. Mr. Evans used the historic photograph archive of the Watertown Free Public Library and chose nine subjects to paint.

Watertown Savings Bank recently renovated the bank lobby, displacing the 4’ x 8’ paintings. Through the efforts of Carole Katz, Vice President of Marketing for Watertown Savings Bank and Joyce Kelly of the Historical Society of Watertown, most of the Evans paintings have been donated to the Town of Watertown.

Earlier this year, one of the paintings was placed at Brigham House, a town-owned building. Last week,with assistance from George Donahue, two paintings were delivered to the Coolidge Apartments, also a town-owned building. Property administrators Hallkeen Management and Mitchel Properties were pleased to make a new home for these two exceptional paintings: The Grist Mill in Watertown Square and Watertown’s Practical Inventions. They have been mounted in the second floor hallway by the Grand Staircase.

A booklet is being produced by Carole Katz and the Watertown Savings Bank with help from the Historical Society of Watertown depicting and describing the 9 paintings and their locations in town. A slideshow presentation about the paintings will be presented by the Historical Society in early 2013 at the Coolidge School auditorium. The public will be invited.