Wellesley was incorporated in 1881, so it comes as no surprise that the town has multiple historic homes and buildings—over 750 by the Wellesley Historical Commission‘s most recent count.
The Historical Commission allows the owners of a building constructed in 1919 or earlier to display one of the Commission’s nicely designed historic plaque in a prominent exterior place. We’ve got one, and we get many comments. (Most are complimentary, others are dubious.)
To apply for a plaque for your historic Wellesley home, take a look at the guidelines. Thanks to a 2015 grant from the Community Preservation Committee, qualified homeowners can get a plaque for only $25. That’s down from $150 back in the expensive pre-grant days.
Affixing a plaque to your home doesn’t do anything crazy like automatically put you in a historic district. You don’t have to follow any special rules when painting the exterior of your home or adding, say, an historically accurate outhouse. You need only abide by the same town rules those in shiny new have to follow. Come to think of it, those rules may have outlawed outhouses awhile back.
Not sure if your structure qualifies? Check out the eligible houses database.
If you can’t find your house, that doesn’t mean it’s not eligible. Contact chair@wellesleyhistoricalcommission.org for help.
