Historical Commission

The mission of the Town of Wellesley Historical Commission is the preservation and protection of the tangible evidence of the architectural, aesthetic, cultural, economic, political and social history of Wellesley.

In fulfilling this mission, the Historical Commission does the following:

• Educates the community on the economic, cultural, and aesthetic values of historic preservation, through working collaboratively with Town boards, owners, developers, realtors, and residents, through our signature Historic Plaque Program, and through articles and letters in the local press;
• Advocates for local ordinances, bylaws, and public actions that encourage the preservation, restoration, and reuse of historic properties both public and private; and
• Addresses major development and growth issues, such as promoting smart zoning, encouraging renovation and adaptive reuse as alternatives to demolitions of historic properties, and providing technical assistance and support to ensure that growth can coincide with the protection of the historical assets of the Town.

The Historical Commission meets regularly to review applications under the Historic Preservation Demolition Bylaw. Meeting materials can be found here.