Chestnut Hill Village Associates

The CHVA. (Chestnut Hill Village Associates) neighborhood association was incorporated Nov. 1938 “to promote the well being of the Chestnut Hill Village Community”.  In celebration of 75 years in existence, the CHVA published a book celebrating their 75th anniversary of Chestnut Hill Village Associates, Inc.

The land, on which Craftsland Road was built belonged for many years to the Craft family who lived over on Crafts Road.  In 1929 it was sold to a would-be developer and as might be expected, the title passed through foreclosure, tax takings and insolvencies.  In 1935 , it was acquired by the Northern Building Supply Co. Inc. with an intention to develop the property.  That year the very irregular boundary with the M.D.C.’s Lost Pond Reservation was straightened out. By 1939 there  were already 14 houses built on a roughly graded way known as a private way called Craftsland Road, starting at Arlington Road Extension to the dividing line between Brookline and Newton.

The owners of the already built houses and the unbuilt lots, petitioned the Town of Brookline to lay out a Street under the Betterment Law. The Town of Brookline officially on Jan 3, 1939 named it CRAFTSLAND ROAD.

In 1988 a  C.H.V.A. committee was formed to set up a celebration of the CRAFTSLAND ROAD 50th  Anniversary in year 1989. Chestnut Hill Village Associates, Inc. celebrated 75 years of incorporation in 2013, making it the oldest neighborhood association in the Town of Brookline.

As part of our 50th Anniversary celebration we copied all of the Association’s archives onto archival paper and donated them to the Brookline Room at the Main Public Library. In addition to our long-standing Annual Meeting and our yearly neighborhood block party, we have recently initiated a Back-to-School Pizza Party for our elementary school aged residents.

Watch a video describing Lost Pond, which is a natural feature of the C.H.V.A neighborhood.