HomeMy WebLinkAbout1964-03-HDSC-rpt.pdf Report of the Committee to Study the Historic Districts
This report submitted to the Annual Town Meeting, Town of Lexington,
Massachusetts, March 1964, has been prepared under the authority of
the following vote adopted at the Special Town Meeting on January 28,
1963 :
VOTED: To create a committee consisting of one member of the
Historic Districts Commission, one member of the Plan-
ning Board, one member of the Board of Selectmen and
one member of the Board of Appeals, such members to be
designated by the Chairman of the respective Board and
Commission, and one voter of the Town to be appointed
by the Moderator, to make a study of the Historic Dis-
tricts in the Town, including the consideration of
whether or not it is desirable to create additional
Historic Districts or to extend or enlarge existing
Historic Districts as established by Chapter 447 of
the acts of 1956, as amended, and to report to the 1963
Annual Town Meeting; and that the sum of $50.00 be
appropriated for the expenses of the committee and that
said sum be raised therefor in the current tax levy.
At the 1963 Annual Town Meeting this vote was amended to extend the
time for a report to the 1964 Annual Town Meeting.
The Committee has made studies of the Town's present Historic Districts
and other areas deemed to be of sufficieht .importance to be considered
for expansion of our Districts . Through the genfrosity of Mr. Edwin
B. Worthen the Committee has been furnished with historical records
of many of the existing buildings and sites in the areas under study.
Detailed maps covering the areas of most concern to the Committee
have been prepared.
curing the summer of 1963 the Committee made field trips to all the
yeas under consideration and examined the exteriors of many build-
ngs not now in our Historic Districts . The Committee has found
hat there are along Massachusetts Avenue and adjacent streets a sub-
stantial number of houses that were built during the period 1800 to
1860 and a few Revolutionary Period houses which are not in either
the Munroe Tavern or Battle Green Districts . Many of these houses
have been well maintained by their owners and are of an architectural
style that can be considered to be within the purposes of our Historic
Districts Act . These purposes are :
"To promote the educational, cultural, economic and general
welfare of the public through the preservation and protection
of historic buildings, places and districts through the de-
velopment of appropriate settings for said buildings, places
and districts and through the maintenance of said buildings,
places and districts as landmarks of historic interest. "
Based on our work to date we have concluded that further study should
be made of the areas and hotses adjacent tc the present districts and
the East Lexington area of Massachusetts Avenue . The Committee feels
that before making any definite recommendations for expansion of our
uistricts to the Town Meeting, it should hold meetings with the pro-
perty owners in areas involved and with other interested citizens so
that they would have the opportunity to express their ideas on such
proposed changes . This procedure was followed by the Planning Board
prior to the action by the Town Meeting in 1956 at which the Meeting
voted to petition the Legislature for the Special Legislative Act
ander which our Historical Districts are now established .
The committee recommends that this report be accepted as a report of
progress , the Committee to continue its study and to report to a sub-
sequent Town Meeting, b it thrxn thh. 1 f3z;ul.,1 Tnwr. May} 5r,p .
Respectfully submitted,
Donald P. Noyes Robert E. Meyer
Otis S. Brown, Jr. Charles T. Abbott
Wilbur M. Jaquith, Chairman