RECORDS OF THE KALMIA WOODS CORPORATION, 1951-2007

Vault A75, Kalm.,Unit 1

Plan of one of the houses from the Kalmia Woods Corporation.

EXTENT: 8 linear feet, 16 boxes and one volume.

ORGANIZATION AND ARRANGEMENT: Organized into six series: I. Pre-Kalmia Woods Corporation, 1951-1952; II. Kalmia Woods Corporation, 1951-2007; III. Property and Grounds, 1952-2002; IV. Water District, 1953-1996; V. Residents, 1953-2002; VI. Photographs, Newspaper Clippings, Ephemera, 1951-2007. Series II is divided into four subseries, and Series V is divided into five subseries (see series/subseries listing, below). All series are arranged chronologically with the exception of Series III, Property and grounds records, 1952-2002, which is organized in alphabetical order by topic; Subseries V.C., which is organized by topic with committee records first, followed by topics in alphabetical order; Subseries V.E. which is arranged in alphabetical order by resident's last name; and Series VI, which is arranged by type in alphabetical order.

HISTORY:  Kalmia Woods Corporation (KWC) is a non-profit organization that oversees the common land and residential activities in Concord’s first large real estate development, Conantum. KWC was founded in 1951 as the development was under construction. The purpose of the corporation, (as stated in the by-laws,) is to maintain, manage and improve the common land of Conantum and facilitate community activities. The development is made up of 100+ houses on 190 acres of land. The common land comprises a total of 60 acres. Residents utilize the common land for recreational activities and, over time, KWC has built ball fields, tennis courts, playgrounds and a boat landing. Each Conantum property owner is eligible for membership once an application is filed and the by-laws of the corporation are agreed to. Conantum was the idea of MIT economics professor, W. Rupert McLaurin, who envisioned lower cost housing for young couples. McLaurin sponsored the initial expense. Carl Koch, an architect, planned the houses and Joseph Kelley was the builder. Together, they formed New Towns Inc. a non profit corporation which later became known as Conantum Reality Trust. In the beginning, Conantum attracted young, liberal academics from diverse backgrounds. The Conantum houses had an anti-discrimination clause in their deeds. At first, the development was not well received by town residents. Town authorities refused to connect Conantum to their water system and so Conantum had to create its own water district for a short time. As time passed, Concord grew into a diverse community and Conantum became an accepted part of town.

SCOPE AND CONTENT:  This collection is primarily the records of the Kalmia Woods Corporation. It also contains other materials documenting life in the Conantum community. Records include legal documents, correspondence, bulletins, notes, circulars, directories, financial records and ledgers, ephemera including independent publications, visual and audio media. Bulletins to Conantum residents provided on a regular basis by KWC make up the bulk of the collection; they provide a broad view of community topics and concerns and touch upon specific issues not covered elsewhere in records (eg. Conantum Integrated Housing Proposal Summary and local reaction to rising real estate prices and taxes). The collection also contains administrative papers of the Board of Directors, including minutes, correspondence, and financial records; the records of the establishment of the organization, including the 1951 agreement of association and the bankruptcy papers from 1952; records related to the maintenance of, and issues with, the buildings and grounds of contantum; records and papers relating to the residents of Conantum, including relevent personal papers and ephemera; and records related to two related, but separated entities: the Conantum Garden Club and the Water District (see the Related Collections section of this finding aid).

SOURCE OF ACQUISITION:  The original aquisition of this collection was gift of Kalmia Woods Corporation via Robert Butman, September 9, 1999. Later donations were integrated into the original collection; they include records donated by Barbara A. Robb (2015), Nancy A. Bond (2005), David McClintock (2013), Heddie Kent, Anne Parish Larson. Debbie Slade, and Vivian Walworth.

RELATED COLLECTIONS: Charles L. Hanson, Jr. Papers, 1951-2000 (Bulk 1951-1971), William Munroe Special Collections, Concord Free Public Library (Vault A45, Hanson, Unit 1; finding aid at /special-collections/fin_aids/Hanson). Records of the Conantum Garden Club, 1953-[1997], William Munroe Special Collections, Concord Free Public Library (Vault A75, Kalm., Unit 3; finding aid at /special-collections/fin_aids/ConaGarClb), Kalmia Woods Water District Records, William Munroe Special Collections, Concord Free Public Library (Vault A75, Kalm., Unit 3; finding aid at /special-collections/fin_aids/kwwc). Wilber Y. Walworth Papers,1941-1949, William Munroe Special Collections, Concord Free Public Library (Vault Vault A45, Walworth, Unit 1; finding aid at /special-collections/fin_aids/walworth-w).

PUBLICATION BASED ON USE OF PAPERS:
     Butman, R.C. The Conatum Saga. 1995 43p maps, ads, photographs.
     Hnilicka, Lili. "Conantum-The Ideal Community." 16p undated.

NOTES/COMMENTS:  Records ongoing; future updating of collection likely.  Core of the collection was accessioned 11.25.2000; AMC 045. The Wilber Y. Walworth Papers were removed from these records during May 2016 processing of materials donated by Vivian Walworth.

PROCESSED BY:  Intern Manya Kapikian; finding aid prepared November 23, 1999. New materials integrated by Janaya Kizzie, June 2016.

SERIES/SUBSERIES LISTING:

 

Series I. Pre-Kalmia Woods Corporation, 1951-1952
Series II. Kalmia Woods Corporation, 1951-2007
     Subseries II.A. Administrative records, 1951-1992
     Subseries II.B. Board of Directors minutes and accompanying reports, 1951-2007
     Subseries II.C. Bulletins and notices, 1951-2003
     Subseries II.D. Treasurer's records and financial documents, 1951-2001
Series III. Property and grounds records, 1952-2002
Series IV. Water District records, 1953-1996
Series V. Residents, 1953-2002
     Subseries V.A. Publications, 1953-2002
     Subseries V.B. Garden Club Publications, 1964, 1967
     Subseries V.C. Conantum Social Committee and social life records, 1956-1974, 1991-1993, 2001
     Subseries V.D. Resident lists, surveys and interview, 1951-1996
     Subseries V.E. Resident papers, 1951-1953
Series VI. Photographs, newspaper clippings, and ephemera, 1951-2007

CONTAINER LIST

Series I. Pre-Kalmia Woods Corporation, 1951-1952:
  • Box 1, Folder 1: Information reports, 1951.
  • Box 1, Folders 2-9: House specifications and plans, 1951-1952. Includes sketches of interiors by Jay Wright Forrester and early architectural drawings with some notes.
  • Box 1, Folder 10: Inspection reports, 1951. Including correspondence and materials building inspection, maintenance and issues.
  • Box 1, Folder 11: Bankruptcy papers, 1952. Includes Conantum bankruptcy papers and notes of Jay Wright Forrester, then-owner of lot 53.
Series II. Kalmia Woods Corporation, 1951-2007:
 

Subsieres II.A. Administrative records, 1951-1992:

  • Box 1, Folder 12: Agreement of Association, 1951-1952 (photocopy).
  • Box 1, Folder 13 : Board of Directors member lists, 1951-1964, 1985-1992
  • Box 1, Folders 14-15: Correspondence, 1951 (including original act of incorporation) 1952-1966,1972 and undated.
  • Box 1, Folder 16: By-laws, 1955-1967 plus undated.
Subseries II.B. Board of Directors minutes and accompanying reports, 1951-2007:
  • Box 1, Folder 17: 1951-1955.
  • Box 1, Folder 18: 1955-1958.
  • Box 1, Folder 19: 1958-1962.
  • Box 2, Folder 1:1962-1968.
  • Box 2, Folder 2: 1968-1975.
  • Box 2, Folder 3: 1975-1977.
  • Box 2, Folder 4: 1978-1981.
  • Box 2, Folder 5: 1982-1984.
  • Box 2, Folder 6: 1985-1992.
  • Box 2, Folder 7: 1992-2001. Removed from binder during processing.
  • Box 2, Folder 8: 2001-2007 (April). Removed from binder during processing.
Subseries II.C. Bulletins and notices, 1951-2003:
  • Box 2, Folder 9: January 1951 – June 1951. Bulletins include some reports, announcements. Unnumbered, irregular issues: Concord cooperative issues January 1, January 17, February 1, January 26, February 2, February 10, February 15, February 16, February 23, March 1, March 2 (Information Bulletin), March 5; March 8, Prospective Concord Residents' Newsletter: March 12, March 15, March 22, March 24,April 26, April 30,May 11, May 15, May 16. 1951, May 18, May 29; June 11, June 14, June 26.
  • Box 3, Folder 1: July 1951 – December 1951. Unnumbered, irregular issues: July 13, August 1, August 8, August 14, August 16, August 22, August 23, August 19, August 30, September 12, September 19, September 26, October 3, October 10, October 17, October 24, October 31, November 1, November 7, November 14, November 21, November 22, December 5, December 19, December 20.
  • Box 3, Folder 2: January 1952 – December 1952. Unnumbered issues: January 6, February 6; March 3, March 20. Includes numbered issues 32-49
  • Box 3, Folder 3: 1953. Monthly bulletins. Issues 50-58.
  • Box 3, Folder 4: 1954. Monthly bulletins. Issues 59-68.
  • Box 3, Folder 5: 1955. Monthly bulletins. Issues 69-75. Includes Summer Playground News, 1955
  • Box 3, Folder 6: 1956. Monthly bulletins. Issues 76-84.
  • Box 3, Folder 7: 1957. Monthly bulletins. Issues 85-92.
  • Box 3, Folder 8: 1958. Monthly bulletins. Issues 93-101
  • Box 3, Folder 9: 1959. Monthly bulletins. Issues 102-109.
  • Box 3, Folder 10: 1960. Monthly bulletins. Issues 110-118.
  • Box 3, Folder 11: 1961. Monthly bulletins. Issues 119-129.
  • Box 3, Folder 12: 1962. Monthly bulletins. Issues 130-138.
  • Box 3, Folder 13: 1963. Monthly bulletins. Issues 139-148.
  • Box 4, Folder 1: 1964. Monthly bulletins. Issues 149-149.
  • Box 4, Folder 2: 1965. Monthly bulletins. Issues 159 (January), and unnumbered issues March, April, May, June, June 25, August, September, October, November, December.
  • Box 4, Folder 3: 1966. Monthly bulletins. Unnumbered issues: February, March, April, May, June, June 21, August, September, October, November, December.
  • Box 4, Folder 4: 1967. Monthly bulletins. Unnumbered issues: February, March, April, May, June, June 24, August, September, October, November, November (second issue, not dated).
  • Box 4, Folder 5: 1968. Monthly bulletins. Unnumbered issues: January, February, March, April, May, June, June 25, August, September, October, November, December.
  • Box 4, Folder 6: 1969. Monthly bulletins. Unnumbered issues: January, February, March, April, May, June, June 25, August, September, October, November, December.
  • Box 4, Folder 7: 1970. Monthly bulletins. Unnumbered issues: January, February, March, April, May, June, June 25, August, September, October, November, December, December 23.
  • Box 4, Folder 8: 1971. Monthly bulletins. Unnumbered issues: January, February, March, April, May, June, June 28, August, September, October, November, December.
  • Box 4, Folder 9: 1972. Monthly bulletins. Unnumbered issues.
  • Box 4, Folder 10: 1973. Monthly bulletins. Unnumbered issues.
  • Box 4, Folder 11: 1974. Monthly bulletins. Unnumbered issues.
  • Box 4, Folder 12: 1975. Monthly bulletins. Unnumbered issues.
  • Box 4, Folder 13: 1976. Monthly bulletins. Unnumbered issues: January, February, March, March (second issue, not dated), April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, December 13.
  • Box 5, Folder 1: 1977-1979. Monthly bulletins. 1977 has two July issues and is missing March, August, and December issues.
  • Box 5, Folder 2: 1980-1986. Monthly bulletins. 1980 is missing May and August issues. 1981 has two June issues. 1982 is missing April, May, August, November and December issues. 1983 is missing January, May, June, and November issues. 1984 is missing an August issue. 1985 missing March and September issues. 1986 is missing February, September and December issues.
  • Box 5, Folder 3 : 1987-1994. Monthly bulletins. 1988 is missing February and August issues. 1989 is missing May and June issues. 1990 is missing February issue. 1991 is missing February, March, June, July and August issues. 1992 is missing July, September, November and December issues. 1993 includes only the Kalmia Woods Corporation notice for January. 1994 includes only the Kalmia Woods Corporation notice for January.
  • Box 5, Folder 4: 1995-1998. Monthly bulletins. 1997 is missing August issue.
  • Box 5, Folder 5: 1999-2001. Monthly bulletins.
  • Box 5, Folder 6: 2002-2003. Monthly bulletins.
Subseries II.D. Treasurer's records and financial documents, 1951-2001:
  • Box 6, Folder 1: General financial correspondence, 1951-1992.
  • Box 6, Folder 2: Bound check book with check stubs, 1952.
  • Box 6, Folder 3: Ways and Means Committee of New Towns Incorporated ledger, 1951.
  • Box 6, Folders 4-6: Ledger, 1951-1957, includes Accounts Recievable, Cash Receipts, General Ledger, and an alphabetical list of homeowners.
  • On shelf: Kalmia Woods ledger, 1979-1987.
  • Box 6, Folder 7: Tax forms and Assessor's records, 1951, 1953, 1958.
  • Box 6, Folder 8: Treasury notes, 1963.
  • Box 7, Folder 1: Check stubs from BayBank, 1983-1993. Includes some itemized expenses.
  • Box 7, Folder 2: Treasurer's tax and banking forms, 1988-1998.
  • Box 7, Folders 3-4: Insurance records, 1990-2002.
  • Box 7, Folder 5: Ledger, 1992-1999. Documents expeditures and annual dues; includes a list of changes in ownership.
  • Box 7, Folder 6: Check stubs from Hudson National (late Community Nation), 1993-1999. In two spiral-bound volumes. Includes some itemized expenses. Removed from binder during processing.
  • Box 7, Folder 7: Tennis court loan agreements and tax forms, 1993-1998.
    RESTRICTIONS APPLY TO SOME INFORMATION IN THIS FOLDER.
  • Box 8, Folders 1-7: Treasurer's records, 1992-1999. Bulk receipts and disbursements. Includes the records of Jane M. Brooks, Treasurer 1992-2000. Removed from folders during processing.
    RESTRICTIONS APPLY TO SOME INFORMATION IN THESE FOLDERS.
  • Box 9, Folders 1-3: Treasurer's records, 1999-2004. Bulk receipts and disbursements. Includes the records of Jane M. Brooks, Treasurer 1992-1999, and Margaret Caglayan, Treasurer 2000-. Removed from folders during processing.
    RESTRICTIONS APPLY TO SOME INFORMATION IN THESE FOLDERS.
  • Box 9, Folder 5: Financial reports on 3.5 inch floppy disk, 2000-2001. Includes a database of Kalmia Woods Corporation members in Microsoft Access.
  • Box 9, Folder 6: Deed restriction records, 1976.
  • Box 9, Folder 7: Kraetzer land records, 1952, 1972-1977, 1995.
Series III. Property and grounds records, 1952-2002:
  • Box 9, Folder 8: Early house construction records, 1951-1952. See also Series I: pre-KWC house specifications records.
  • Box 10, Folders 1-8: Early property records of Frank McClintock, contractor, 1952-1954. See also Road construction records of Frank McClintock, 1952.
  • Box 11, Folder 1: Drainage easment correspondence and forms, 1952.
  • Box 11, Folder 2: Koch’s barn records, 1955.
  • Box 11 Folder 3: Mosquito control records, 1963.
  • Box 11, Folder 4: Land use opinion survey, 2002.
  • Box 11, Folder 5: Playground construction records, 1980. Includes photographs.
  • Box 11, Folder 6: Preservation records, 2002. Contains the 2002 report "Presentation of Recommendations for Preserving, Conserving and Enhancing the Unique Qualities of Conantum" by students at the Radcliffe Landscape Design Program.
  • Box 11, Folder 7: Road construction general records, 1952-1993.
  • Box 11, Folder, 8: Road construction records of Frank McClintock, contractor, 1952. Includes notes and correspondence. See also Early Property records of Frank McClintock.
  • Box 11, Folders 9-10: Tennis courts, 1953-1966, 1993.
  • Box 11, Folder 11: Trails, circa 1952.
  • Box 11, Folder 12: Trash, 1992.
Series IV. Water District records, 1953-1996:
  • Box 12, Folders 1-2: Reports and warrants, 1953-1983.
  • Box 12, Folder 3: Water negotiations/land court action, 1952-1978.
  • Box 12, Folder 4: Water tower demolition, 1982-1996.
Series V. Residents, 1953-2002:

Subseries V.A. Publications, 1953-2002:

  • Box 13, Folder 1: The Conantum Crier, 1952, 1953.
  • Box 13, Folder 2: The Conantum Saga, 1995.
  • Box 13, Folder 3: Conantum Saga Background Materials, [1952]-1995.
  • Box 13, Folder 4: "Contantum Voices: Conversations with settlers from the fifties," 2002.
  • Box 13, Folder 5: "Conantum The Ideal Community," mid- to late 20th century.
  • Box 13, Folder 6: "Contantum: A brief overview", late 20th century.
Subseries V.B. Garden Club Publications, 1964, 1967:
  • Box 13, Folder 7: "Conantum and Nine Acre Through the Changing Years," 1964.
  • Box 13, Folder 8: "Plants and Animals Found on the Common Land," 1967.
Subseries V.C. Conantum Social Committee and social life records, 1956-1974, 1991-1993, 2001:
  • Box 13, Folder 9: Conantum Social Committee records, ca. 1991-1992. Bulk annotated lists of residents, 40th anniversary materials, and financials.
  • Box 13, Folder 10-13: Celebrations, 1953, 1954, 1961-1965, 1969, 1991-1993, 2001. Includes early July 4th celebrations to 1970.
  • Box 14, Folder 1: July 4th celebrations, 1970-1974.
  • Box 14, Folder 2: Skits, 1965 and undated, mid-late 20th century.
  • Box 14, Folder 3: Talks, 1972.Papers gathered for a talk on the history of Kalmia Woods and Conantum, 1972 January 11.
Subseries V.D. Resident lists, surveys and interviews, 1951-1996:
  • Box 14, Folder 4: Resident lists, 1951-1953, 1968,1972, [1986]. Some undated.
  • Box 14, Folders 5-7: Resident directories, 1952-1996. Missing 1952-1955, 1961/1962, 1967/1968, 1974/1975, 1975/1976, 1976/1977, 1980-1984, 1986-1989, 1991/1992, 1994/1995.
  • Box 14, Folder 8: Resident directory cards, mid-20th century.
  • Box 14, Folder 9: Resident survey results, 1965.
  • Box 14, Folder 10 Transcripts from interviews of residents, 1986, 1992.
  • Box 15, Folder 1: Tapes of interviews, 1992.
  • Box 15, Folder 2: Surveys of residents, 1994.
Subseries V.E. Resident papers, 1951-1953:
  • Box 15, Folders 3-5: Kalmia-related papers of individual residents, 1951-1953. Jay W. Forrester papers, 1951-1953; Frank McClintock papers, 1951-1952; James E. Manson papers, 1951; Harriet D. Parish and Gene T. Parish papers, 1951-1967Robert N. White and Nuart N. White, 1952 (membership certificate).
Series VI. Photographs, newspaper clippings, and ephemera, 1951-2007:
  • Box 15, Folder 6: Newspaper clippings, 1951-1995.
  • Box 15, Folder 7: Real estate advertisements, [1952]-1987.
  • Box 15, Folder 8: Promotional Maps, 1950s. Includes photograph map.
  • Box 16, Folder 1: Photographs of an event addressed to Mrs. Robert Turkington, 1950s.
  • Box 16, Folder 2: Photographs from picnic, 1990s.
  • Box 16: Photograph albums, late 20th century. two photograph albums from Haddie Kent of a Conantum anniversary event.
  • Box 16: Photograph album, bound, "Conantum Picnic Vignettes" photographs taken by Robert C. Cowen, 2005 and 2007.
  • Box 16, Folder 3: Photographs of Conantum houses, early 21st century.

 

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Originally mounted November 23, 1999 Latest revison: New materials integrated, and html revised, by Janaya Kizzie, June 2016.
Not to be reproduced in any form, including image, without permission from the Curator of the William Munroe Special Collections, Concord Free Public Library, Concord, Mass.
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