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Weston, MA -
Middlesex County
Official Town Website
School
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The Town of Weston is an attractive
suburban town on the perimeter of metropolitan Boston. Incorporated
in 1713, the town is located on a rugged upland plateau. Early
settlers discovered that the amount of useful agricultural land was
limited as was the water power potential in the town. But colonists
moving in from Watertown in the mid-17th century established
scattered farms in Weston and by 1679 a sawmill, several taverns,
some doctors and, according to the historians, "probably some
lawyers", had settled in Weston. By the 18th century residents were
profiting by the traffic on the Boston Post Road. Taverns of great
historic importance were established on the Road. The Golden Ball
Tavern, built in 1750, still exists in the town. Unfortunately,
commercial stagnation followed the loss of business after the
opening of the Worcester Turnpike in 1810 drew commercial traffic
from the Boston Post Road. Townspeople turned to boot and shoe
making, and the manufacturing of cotton and woolen mill machinery.
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By 1870, substantial country estates
were being built in Weston by Bostonians, establishing a prosperous
residential character for the town. Farming continued to be a
significant support for the local economy and an organ factory
opened in 1888 which employed some residents. The Weston Aqueduct
and Reservoir was built in 1903 and the Hultman Aqueduct followed it
in 1938 to bring Quabbin Reservoir water into Boston. In exchange,
Boston residents continued to build homes in Weston, many of them
architect designed. Such famous architects as McKim and Richardson
designed luxurious houses in the town, which witnessed a rapid
increase in population from 1920 to 1935 and then again after World
War II. The Boston oriented suburbanization has continued as a major
factor of the town's development. Residents are very proud of the
town's school system and the handsome homes in quiet, well-kept
neighborhoods, but tend to brush off the town's reputation as one of
the most affluent communities in the state. Weston has carefully
retained significant amounts of open space and maintains over 60
miles of hiking and horseback riding trails, playgrounds, ball
fields, golf courses and cross-country skiing areas.
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