Vault A75, Kalm., Unit 1
Vault A75, Kalm., Unit 1
3 linear feet (5 containers)
ORGANIZATION: Organized into six series: I. Pre-KWC, 1951-1952; II. KWC, 1951-1995; III. Quality of Life/Community Issues, 1952-1953; IV. Water District, 1953-1996; V. Residents, 1953-1996. Subseries: A. Publications; B. Garden Club Publications; C. Community Activities and Social Life; D. Individuals VI. Photographs/Newspaper Clippings/Ephemera, 1951-1995
HISTORY: Kalmia Woods Corporation 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: Records include: 1951 agreement of association (both original and photocopy); Board of Director meeting minutes, 1951-1993, including accompanying reports from Treasurer, committees, and project groups; financial records, 1951-1964; draft sales agreement, 1951; deed restrictions, 1976; correspondence, 1951-1966; publications (Bulletin, 1951-1993; The Conantum Crier, 1953; The Conantum Saga, 1995; and background materials; "Conantum The Ideal Community"; Garden Club publications, 1964 and 1967); records relating specifically to residents, 1951-1996 (including resident lists, directories, transcripts and tapes from interviews, and survey related materials); records relating to residential quality of life and community issues, 1952-1993 (including mosquito control, road construction, trash collection); materials (including notes, clippings, financial records, and skits) relating to community activities and social life, 1956-1974; materials relating to the Conantum Water District, 1953-1996 (including articles on flouridation). Bulletin provides a broad view of community topics and concerns and touches upon specific issues not covered elsewhere in records (eg. Conantum Integrated Housing Proposal Summary and local reaction to rising real estate prices and taxes).
SOURCE OF ACQUISITION: Gift of Kalmia Woods Corporation via Robert Butman, September 9, 1999.
SOURCES BASED ON USE OF RECORDS:
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. Accessioned 11.25.2000; AMC 045.
PROCESSED BY: mk; finding aid prepared 11.23.99
Container List
| Box | Folder | Contents |
| Series I. Pre-KWC, 1951-1952: | ||
| 1 | 1 | Information reports, 1951 |
| 2 | House specifications, 1951 | |
| 3 | Inspection reports, 1951 | |
| 4 | Bankruptcy papers, 1952 | |
| Series II. KWC, 1951-1995: | ||
| 5 | Agreement of Association, 1951 (photocopy) | |
| 6 | By-laws, 1955-1967 plus undated | |
| 7 | Minutes and accompanying reports, 1951-1955 | |
| 8 | Minutes and accompanying reports, 1955-1958 | |
| 9 | Minutes and accompanying reports, 1958-1962 | |
| 10 | Minutes and accompanying reports, 1962-1968 | |
| 11 | Minutes and accompanying reports, 1968-1975 | |
| 12 | Minutes and accompanying reports, 1975-1977 | |
| 2 | 1 | Minutes and accompanying reports, 1978-1981 |
| 2 | Minutes and accompanying reports, 1982-1984 | |
| 3 | Bulletin/ notices, Jan 1951 – Jun 1951 | |
| 4 | Bulletin/ notices, Jul 1951 – Dec 1951 | |
| 5 | Bulletin/ notices, August 1951 – Dec 1952 | |
| 6 | Bulletin/ notices, 1953-1954 | |
| 7 | Bulletin/ notices, 1955-1957 | |
| 8 | Bulletin/ notices, 1958-1962 | |
| 9 | Bulletin/ notices, 1963-1967 | |
| 10 | Bulletin/ notices, 1968-1971 | |
| 11 | Bulletin/ notices, 1972-1975 | |
| 3 | 1 | Bulletin/ notices, 1976-1979 |
| 2 | Bulletin/ notices, 1980-1986 | |
| 3 | Bulletin/ notices, 1987-1993 | |
| 4 | Board of Directors, 1951-1964, 1985-1992 | |
| 5 | Financial records, 1951-1964 | |
| 6 | Deed restrictions, 1976 | |
| 7 | Kraetzer land, 1972-1977, 1995 | |
| 8 | Correspondence, 1951 (including original act of incorporation) | |
| 9 | Correspondence, 1952-1966 | |
| Series III. Quality of Life/Community Issues, 1952-1993: | ||
| 3 | 10 | Koch’s barn, 1955 |
| 11 | Mosquitoes, 1963 | |
| 12 | Playground, 1980 | |
| 13 | Road construction, 1952 | |
| 14 | Tennis courts, 1953-1966 | |
| 15 | Tennis courts, 1993 | |
| 16 | Trash, 1992 | |
| Series IV. Water District, 1953-1996: | ||
| 4 | 1 | Bulletin, 1953-1963 |
| 2 | Bulletin, 1965-1983 | |
| 3 | Water negotiations/land court action,
1952-1978 |
|
| 4 | Water tower demolition, 1982-1996 | |
| Series V. Residents, 1953-1996: | ||
| Subseries A. Publications, 1953-1995: | ||
| 5 | The Conantum Crier, 1953 | |
| 6 | The Conantum Saga, 1995 | |
| 7 | Conantum Saga Background Materials
[1952]-1995 |
|
| 8 | "Conantum The Ideal Community," undated | |
| Subseries B. Garden Club Publications, 1964, 1967: | ||
| 9 | "Conantum and Nine Acre Through the Changing Years," 1964 | |
| 10 | "Plants and Animals Found on the Common Land," 1967 | |
| Subseries C. Community Activities and Social Life, 1956-1974: | ||
| 11 | Celebrations, 1956-1960 | |
| 12 | Celebrations, 1961-1965, 1969 | |
| 13 | July 4th celebrations, 1970-1974 | |
| 14 | Skits, 1965 plus 4 undated | |
| Subseries D. Individual, 1951-1996: | ||
| 4 | 15 | Resident lists, 1951-1953, 1968,1972, [1986] |
| 16 | Resident directories, 1955-1969 | |
| 17 | Resident directories, 1971-1996 | |
| 18 | Transcripts from interviews of residents, 1986, 1992 | |
| 5 | 1 | Tapes of interviews, 1992 |
| 2 | Resident survey results, 1965 | |
| 3 | Surveys of residents, 1994 | |
| Series VI. Photographs, Newspaper Clippings, Ephemera, 1951-1995: | ||
| 4 | Newspaper clippings, 1951-1995 | |
| 5 | Real Estate advertisements, [1952]-1987 | |
| 6 | Photographs from picnic, undated |
c1996-c2006. Not to be reproduced in any form without permission from the Concord Free Public Library.
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