The Weston Historical Commission was created by Town Meeting vote in 1968 to serve as the town’s official body for administering the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The commission is the only Town of Weston authority charged with town-wide preservation responsibilities.
The seven commission members are appointed by the selectmen for terms of three years. They meet every three to four weeks at Town Hall. Upcoming meetings are posted on the Calendar of Meetings on the town website. Agendas and minutes are also posted on the town website under the Historical Commission heading.
The Commission should not be confused with the Weston Historical Society, a private, non-profit organization.
The commission has the following responsibilities:
- To create and maintain an inventory of historic assets, including houses, barns and outbuildings, commercial buildings, cemeteries, monuments, neighborhoods, and historic districts;
- To protect the above-named assets from neglect, deterioration, demolition, and development;
- To provide educational opportunities to understand the history of the town and the historic context of important preservation resources.
Presently, Weston’s inventory of Historic Resources, shown on the Historic Resources/GIS Map, includes one Local Historic District (Crescent Street), 10 National Register Districts, and 26 Historic Areas. Seven properties are individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Other properties are listed individually on the Weston Cultural Resources Inventory.
Ongoing responsibilities include administering the Historic Marker Program, which recognizes Weston’s pre-1945 architectural heritage, and administering the Demolition Delay program, designed to help protect the town’s historical buildings. The commission monitors preservation restrictions on local structures and provides homeowners and town agencies with historical and technical advice on appropriate restoration procedures.
The Weston Historical Commission sponsored a comprehensive survey of the town’s historical assets in 1993-94, jointly funded by the Massachusetts Historical Commission. The commission has sponsored lectures about Weston history and architecture, some of which are available in video form at the Weston Public Library. The commission invites you to explore this website to discover the variety of Weston’s historical resources and to understand town by-laws relating to historic preservation. Detailed information on the work of the commission can be found in its annual report to the town.