2025’s annual town meeting season brought some wins and some close losses for preservationists in communities across the Commonwealth. I’ve tried to round up as many votes as I can here. While I was involved with some of these projects during my time at the Massachusetts Historical Commission, others are new to me.
The proposed demolition of this house on Central Street spurred the creation of Andover’s second local historic district.
Andover: Congratulations to the Town of Andover, which adopted their second local historic district! This district protects a number of properties along residential Central Street, most of which are already part of a National Register of Historic Places District. In addition, voters turned down a challenge to the Town’s existing Ballardvale Local Historic District, leaving that district in place.
Ashland: Unfortunately Ashland was less successful in adopting their first local historic district. While the proposal received a simple majority of votes - 111 to 66 - local historic districts in Massachusetts require a two-thirds majority to pass, making the yes votes just seven votes shy of adopting the district. This district would have protected Ashland’s downtown area, where there is currently a proposal to redevelop a 19th century stone mill complex.
Duxbury’s Old Town Hall (left) was not designated a local historic district.
Duxbury: Voters in Duxbury failed to protect their Old Town Hall with a local historic district designation. As in Ashland, the 90 yes, 53 no votes did not quite clear the two-thirds threshold required. As the building is still owned by the Town, there were concerns that designating the property might limit the Town’s ability to use or alter the building in the future.
Holliston: The Holliston Historical Commission has been hard at work over the past year updating their demolition delay bylaw, and the changes were adopted by Town Meeting voters (Article 29). The new bylaw sets a review threshold of buildings constructed before 1950, and allows the Historical Commission to impose an 18 month demolition delay.
Marion’s Wharf Village remains unprotected after a local historic district failed to garner the necessary two-thirds vote.
Marion: Southcoast preservationists in Marion have been trying for several years to adopt a local historic district in the community’s Wharf Village area, a remarkably well preserved late 18th/early 19th century fishing village. However, like Ashland and Duxbury, voters did not clear the required two-thirds hurdle, with a final vote of 154 to 150.
Rowe: Town Meeting voters in Rowe tabled - or did not act on - a proposal by the Historical Commission to establish a demolition delay bylaw.
Sharon: Voters in Sharon protected a single property as the Town’s fourth local historic district (Article 28). The owner of the mansard house at 228 East Street requested the district, to protect their unique building.