More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.
SPONSORED CONTENT: Below are the homes sold in Wellesley August 24th-September 13th, 2022, as listed in the MLS database. Although it’s been a slow period for home sales, most homes continue to sell at asking price or above despite rising interest rates.
Average List Price: $1,714,950
Average Sale Price: $1,753,858
Get involved in Wellelsey’s Town government as a Town Meeting Member.
Two candidates are needed to fill seats in Precinct A and one candidate is needed in Precinct F. According to Town bylaws, a Special Election will take place to fill these seats.
Interested candidates must be registered voters in the Precinct in which they’d like to run, and will serve until the next Annual Town Election.
Any resident may nominate a candidate for this position, or candidates may nominate themselves. Send nominations to Town Clerk KC Kato.
Nominations must be received by September 29, 2022 in writing or by email and include name, address, and email address if available. The nominee’s permission should be obtained in advance.
Individuals who fill these vacancies will participate in the Special Town Meeting that begins on Monday, October 24 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom.
The town website describes Town Meeting as, “the legislative body for the Town of Wellesley. 240 voting town meeting members are elected by precincts in the Annual Town Election on the first Tuesday of March every year except in years in which there is a Presidential Primary Election. Each precinct has 30 members elected to three year staggered terms.
The Annual Town Meeting begins on the last Monday in March and meets Monday and Tuesday nights until the business of the meeting is concluded. The length of the town meeting is dependent on the number of articles on the Warrant and the complexity of the issues to be discussed.”
MORE: Wellesley not ready to rethink Town Meeting quite yet
The Graves/Ceremonial Officer assists the Veterans Services Officer (VSO) with duties as needed. In addition, this individual is responsible for caring for and providing upkeep for veteran graves in the community.
Specific duties include:
Additional responsibilities are determined by the VSO. Contact the West Suburban Veteran’s District office for more information.
Here’s an example of the kind of ceremony the graves/ceremonial officer helps make happen.
The Wellesley Historic District Commission is seeking volunteers to fill two vacant seats.
The Commission is supported by the Planning Department and is responsible for reviewing alterations to buildings and structures within Wellesley’s local historic districts. Meetings generally take place on the first Tuesday evening of each month. Members are appointed by the Select Board to three-year terms.
The commission also presents annual awards to homeowners who have completed either successful historically sensitive renovations or built historically appropriate new construction that honor and respect Wellesley’s architectural history.
Any Wellesley resident may apply. Preferred candidates are members of the Wellesley Historical Society, American Institute of Architects, Board of Realtors, or residents or property owners in a historic district.
Submit a cover letter and resume with your qualifications to the Planning Department, 888 Worcester Street, Suite 160, Wellesley, MA 02482. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.
Please contact the Planning Department with questions.
SPONSORED CONTENT: Below are the homes sold in Wellesley August 3-23, 2022, as listed in the MLS database. Although it’s been a slow period for home sales, most homes continue to sell at asking price or above despite rising interest rates.
Average List Price: $2,025,667
Average Sale Price: $2,043,033
SPONSORED CONTENT: Below are homes sold in Wellesley July 21-August 2, 2022, as listed in the MLS database. Note, these are homes that went under contract an average of 60 days before closing. Spring prices were exceptionally strong, peaking in April, as was overbidding and multiple offers. It is still a strong sellers’ market, however, as interest rates have continued to rise, agents have definitely seen fewer multiple offers, and wild overbidding has come back down to Earth.
Average list price: $1,815,996
Average sale price: $1,873,284
SPONSORED CONTENT: Below are the homes sold in Wellesley July 1-19, 2022, as listed in the MLS database.
Average list price: $2,011,125
Average sale price: $2,155,917
It was this time last summer that the Wellesley Historical Society, as part of Phase 1 of a capital campaign, made the big move to pay off its $400k mortgage on the Stanwood House, the Society’s future offices and exhibit spaces located at 323 Washington St. The stately 5,000 sq. ft. historic building, built in 1916, was the home of notable physician Dr. Frederic Stanwood and his family throughout most of the last century. Dr. Stanwood also saw patients in a small examination room at the back of the house, and he served on the Wellesley Board of Health for over 40 years.
So if the building, purchased in 2012 for $1M, is owned free and clear, what’s stopping the Society from pulling up stakes from its current location at the Dadmun-McNamara House in Wellesley Hills and moving down the street? Wellesley Historical Society executive director Taylor Kalloch says Phase 2 of the capital campaign is all about the climate control.
“The HVAC system is the next big hurdle as far as overall building safety for the collections,” she said in a Zoom interview. “It’s definitely not collection-friendly at the moment as far as temperature and humidity goes. There’s no air conditioning and therefore also no way to dehumidify the building. For the collections we’re really striving to hit between 40% and 60% humidity in a 50-60 degree temperature range.”
In addition Kalloch says the basement, which will hold the bulk of the collection’s storage, needs significant work. Currently, heavy rains can lead to wetness in the basement, an issue that must be resolved before potentially fragile artifacts such as maps, photographs, art, and textiles can safely exist in the space.
The progress on bringing an old house built for 20th-century family living up to today’s standards as an archive repository has been slow but continual. As part of Phase 2 the first floor of the Stanwood House has been outfitted with overhead lighting. “We have LED track lighting. It’s super-functional for exhibit spaces,” Kalloch said. In addition, a picture rail has been added, the first floor rooms received a fresh coat of paint, an outdated bathroom was brought up to code and made accessible, and ramps have been installed. In addition, two expensive additions—UV blocking film on the windows, and purpose-built storage systems for safekeeping of historical collections— are needed before collections can be displayed.
“We have probably another half a million to $600k worth of construction to tackle in Phase 2,” Kalloch said, estimating that realistically it will take 18 months to two years to raise that kind money.
Until these changes are achieved the collections, including the famed 2,400 entomological specimens that are part of the Denton collection, will remain at the Dadmun-McNamara house.
Dadmun-McNamara, cramped as it is, does hold a couple of important advantages over the Stanwood House—windows that can hold air conditioning units, and a basement that stays dry during heavy rains and can ward off the damp with the aid of three dehumidifiers. It is Kalloch’s Sisyphean task to empty those dehumidifiers. Presumably the Stanwood House will get one of those fancy dehumidifying units that drains the water outside of the structure so as to relieve Society staff and volunteers of the dreaded daily bucket brigade chores.
Despite the challenges, Stanwood House can be used in certain capacities before the completion of Phase 2. “Eventually we’d like to hold some of our smaller educational groups. Book club could meet there, or we could get our board meetings back in person there. We could do small exhibit openings, things like that,” Kalloch said.
Once Phase 2 is complete, Phase 3 will kick in and the Society will work toward laying the groundwork to put together an endowment specifically to help cover the upkeep costs of maintaining a historic building. “Like any house, sometimes it feels like things break faster than you can fix them,” she said.
Are there any old-house dwellers in Wellesley who can relate?
The Wellesley Historical Society is actively seeking donations to help with the Stanwood House’s renovations. One way you can donate is to be a part of the Stanwood House Walkway Project. Community members, businesses, and organizations now have the opportunity to personalize an engraved brick that will become part of the classic red brick walkway from the sidewalk on Washington Street to the front steps of the Stanwood House, or of one of the future walkways on the property.
Proceeds from all purchases of personalized bricks will support Phase 2 of the renovations critical to making the Stanwood House a safe place to store and share its collections for generations to come. Bricks are $500 each. More information here.
The Wellesley Historical Society under the auspices of the Wellesley Scholarship Foundation has given out over 30 scholarships to graduating Wellesley High School seniors. “Our focus is education and connecting people with educational resources, and this is just another extension of that,” Taylor said.
This year’s awardees were Quinn Wayman and Dania Meyers, who each earned $1,000 to put toward their college expenses.
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The information contained, and the opinions expressed, in this article are not intended to be construed as investment advice. Pinnacle Residential Properties does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information or opinions contained herein. Nothing herein should be construed as investment advice. You should always conduct your own research and due diligence and obtain professional advice before making any investment decision. Pinnacle will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on the information or opinions contained herein.
