West Street Historic District CommissionPreserving the unique character of Reading

West Street Historic District Commission

An introduction

West Street Historic District CommissionPreserving the unique character of Reading

Historical Reading

• Public school in operation since 1693• Parker Tavern, built in 1694, is our oldest building• Dr. John Brooks, a Revolutionary War Captain

became the ninth governor of Massachusetts

West Street Historic District CommissionPreserving the unique character of Reading

Why a Historic District?

• To preserve the distinctive characteristics of buildings and places significant to Reading’s history

• Maintain and improve the settings of those buildings and places

• Assure that new construction is compatible with existing buildings

West Street Historic District CommissionPreserving the unique character of Reading

Why West Street?

• Site of the first settlement on today’s Reading

• Showcase of modest and diverse houses built from the 1700s, through the Victorian era, to the post-WWII suburban boom

West Street Historic District CommissionPreserving the unique character of Reading

Why West Street?

• Reading Minutemen mustered here, at the Dragon Corner, before marching to Concord to engage the British on April 19, 1775

West Street Historic District CommissionPreserving the unique character of Reading

Where is the West Street Historic District?

• West Street from County Road to Fremont Street

• 86 to 269 West Street

• 4 and 12 County Road

• 3 Lewis Road

• 111 Scotland Road

• 95 and 98 Howard Street

• 302 Woburn Street

• 3 Wescroft Road

West Street Historic District CommissionPreserving the unique character of Reading

Historic District Commission Guidelines

• The Commission has established a set of guidelines for homeowners contemplating changes to the exterior of their homes

West Street Historic District CommissionPreserving the unique character of Reading

What the guidelines are not meant to do:

• Prevent change• Freeze houses as they are

West Street Historic District CommissionPreserving the unique character of Reading

What Guidelines are meant to do

• Ensure that future alterations and new construction respect the heritage and compatible with the historic architecture and streetscape

• Balance individual creativity with a continuity in the district’s physical and cultural character

• Enhance the entire district

• Enhance the entire town

West Street Historic District CommissionPreserving the unique character of Reading

Changes subject to review include..

• Exterior HVAC

• Light fixtures

• Garden Houses/Storage Sheds

• Non-vegetative Landscaping– Fencing

– Walls

– Driveways

• Roofing

• Roof decks

• Siding

• Skylights

• Street Furniture

• Swimming Pools

• Temporary Garages

• Trellises

• Windows

West Street Historic District CommissionPreserving the unique character of Reading

Changes NOT subject to review include…

• Chimney caps

• Paint color

• Flagpoles

• Sculpture Mailboxes

• Window Boxes

• House Numbers

• Gutter & Downspouts

• Interior changes

• Vents

• Outdoor furniture

• Trees, bushes, plants

• Solar panels

• Storm windows & doors

• Satellite antennae

• Temporary signs or structures

• Terraces and walks

• Sidewalks

West Street Historic District CommissionPreserving the unique character of Reading

Getting Started

• Before beginning any exterior work, or even before applying for a building permit, owners of property in the Historic District must submit one of the following

– Certificate of Non-Applicability

– Certificate of Appropriateness

– Certificate of Hardship

West Street Historic District CommissionPreserving the unique character of Reading

We’ve made it easy with one simple form