5. NATURAL AND HISTORIC RESOURCES

Summary of Existing Natural and Historic Resources in Westborough

Strengths Concerns • Woodlands cover more than 41% (more than 5,600 • More than half of the Town’s remaining woodlands acres) of the Town. are unprotected from potential future development. • Over 1,900 acres of wetlands exist in the Town. • Continued growth will result in the loss of farmland, • The Town has several productive groundwater forest, and other open space. aquifers that meet the water needs of the local • Although the water quality of the Assabet River has population. improved greatly over the past decades, the river • Westborough has several attractive water bodies still suffers from excessive nutrient loading. including the Assabet and Sudbury Rivers, Lake • New development threatens water resources and Chauncy, Hocomonco Pond, and the Westborough other natural resources as a result of increased non- Reservoir. point source water pollution, habitat fragmentation, • The Town has over 400 historic buildings, sites erosion, and other impacts. and properties including a National Register • New development may alter the historic character of Historic District downtown. some sections of the Town. • The Cedar Swamp Archaeological District is the • As real estate values increase, there will be more second largest archaeological district in the state. pressure to develop marginal lands and to tear down and replace historic structures.

Westborough’s natural and cultural resources provide an important counterbalance to the Town’s developed areas. Undeveloped farms, forests, and wetlands provide clean water, clean air, wildlife habitat, and scenic views. Historic buildings, sites, and landscapes provide a glimpse into the Town’s agrarian and industrial past and help define the Town’s character.

This section describes Westborough’s many natural and historic resources. Major sources for natural resource information in this section include the Town’s 1996 Open Space and Recreation Plan, the Phase I Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP), the state’s Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, and geographic data from the Town and from MassGIS. Historic information is based on documents from the Massachusetts Historical Commission and Westborough Historical Commission, as well as interviews with representatives from these groups.

5.1 Existing Water Resources

The Town of Westborough includes land in three watersheds. The eastern half of the Town is within the Sudbury River Watershed, and forms the headwaters of the Sudbury River. The western half of the Town comprises the headwaters of the Assabet River Watershed. A small portion of the southwest corner of the Town is in the Blackstone River Watershed. As a community at the headwaters of two major river systems, Westborough plays an important role in regulating the water quality and streamflow in these systems.

5.1.1 Streams and Ponds The Assabet River begins in the western section of the Town, near the Shrewsbury border, and flows north and east along the Northborough border. Eventually, the Assabet River joins the Sudbury River in

Westborough Master Plan Page 51 Inventory and Analysis the Town of Concord, where it flows north to empty into the Merrimack River and finally the Atlantic Ocean. According to the Organization for the Assabet River, the river suffers from elevated nutrient levels and low dissolved oxygen readings, which impair the river’s habitat values. These conditions are generally the most severe in the upper sections of the river, where there has been little dilution of effluent from the Westborough Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). Both nitrogen and phosphorous are pollutants of concern, but phosphorous is especially problematic. The ongoing Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP) process (see Section 7.6.2) is intended to help address pollution problems emanating from the WWTP.

The Sudbury River begins in Cedar Swamp and flows east toward Hopkinton and Ashland. The river has had problems with water quality and low stream flow downstream from Westborough, and the entire river is subject to a fish advisory because of mercury contamination.

According to MassGIS, water covers about 630 acres, or 4.6% of the total area of Westborough. Most of this area consists of the Town’s five ponds: Lake Chauncy, Hocomonco Pond, Cedar Swamp Pond, Westborough Reservoir (Sandra Pond), and the SuAsCo Reservoir (Mill Pond). The SuAsCo Reservoir was constructed in the 1970s as a flood control project. The Westborough Reservoir is part of the Town’s public water supply.

5.1.2 Wetlands and Floodplains According to the CWMP, Westborough has a total of about 1,900 acres of wetlands, of which about 685 acres (36%) are unforested wetlands and the remaining 1,215 acres are forested wetlands (see Figure 5- 1). There are also slightly more than 2,300 acres of flood plains in the Town, which generally correspond to the wetland areas.

The three major wetland areas in the Town include Cedar Swamp, Crane Swamp, and Assabet Swamp. Cedar Swamp, located just east of downtown, is the largest of these resources and is designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern. The Sudbury River originates in Cedar Swamp. Crane Swamp, located northeast of Lake Chauncy and extending into Northborough, drains into the Sudbury River via the Wachusett Aqueduct. Assabet Swamp extends from the discharge point of the SuAsCo Reservoir north toward the Northborough border.

5.1.3 Groundwater Resources Groundwater resources in Westborough serve two important functions: providing base flow1 for the streams and rivers in the Town (including the Sudbury and the Assabet) and providing potable water for the Town’s residences and businesses. Figure 5-1 shows major groundwater resources in the Town, including high-yield aquifers, medium-yield aquifers, and public water supply wells. Westborough’s Aquifer and Watershed Protection District, also shown on Figure 5-1, is divided three zones—Zone I, Zone II, and Zone III—based on a 1995 hydrologic study. Zone I is the protective 400-foot radius around public groundwater wells, and, by state law, must remain in public control and essentially undeveloped. Zone II is the primary groundwater recharge area for the public wells, and includes areas that contribute ______1 Base flow is that portion of stream flow that is provided by groundwater infiltration (as opposed to surface runoff). During dry periods, base flow can supply most or all of a stream’s water, so base flow is critical to maintaining water levels during dry months. If base flow is reduced because of excessive groundwater pumping or reduced infiltration, low flow problems can result.

Westborough Master Plan Page 52 Inventory and Analysis water to the public wells under the most severe pumping conditions. The Zone III area is the contributing watershed that drains into the Zone II area. See Section 7.7 for additional discussion of the Town’s water supply system.

5.2 Water Quality Analysis

As discussed above, water quality is a concern in both the Sudbury and Assabet Rivers. In addition, although groundwater quality is now generally good throughout most of the Town, Westborough must be vigilant in protecting this resource in order to safeguard its public water supply.

As a result of national and state environmental laws implemented in the 1970s and 1980s, most of the point sources of pollution (i.e., pollution emanating from a pipe or a single identifiable point) have been identified and addressed. Nevertheless, the Westborough Wastewater Treatment Plant remains a significant point source of pollution. In addition, the potential exists for contamination from the Bay State Abrasives site in the town center and other contaminated sites to enter the groundwater. According to the Town, creosote pollution at the Hocomonco Pond Superfund site has been remediated, although groundwater cleanup efforts continue.

In the long term, however, “nonpoint source pollution,” or polluted runoff, is probably the main threat to water quality in Westborough. Nonpoint source pollution derives from many small, individual sources, including roads, farms, lawns and gardens, septic systems, parking lots, and other developed land uses. Nonpoint source pollution can adversely affect lakes, streams, and aquifers. Specific nonpoint source pollutants that are of concern in Westborough include the following: • Sediment: Sedimentation occurs when particles of silt, soil and sand are washed from exposed areas at construction sites, gravel operations, farms, landscaped areas, roads, and other altered areas. Sedimentation tends to increases the turbidity of lakes and streams, thus reducing its habitat and recreational value. In addition, sedimentation clogs wetlands and riparian zones, and reduces their flood storage capacity. • Phosphorous and Nitrogen: Phosphorus and nitrogen are major constituents of wastewater effluent (human wastes, detergents, etc.) as well as chemical fertilizers. Because phosphorous and nitrogen are both critical plant nutrients, increasing the amount of these chemicals in the environment can cause algae blooms, reduced levels of dissolved oxygen, and changes in aquatic and terrestrial species composition. This is what is now occurring in the upper Assabet River because of discharge from the Westborough Wastewater Treatment Plant. Nitrate (a form of nitrogen commonly found in groundwater that can contaminate drinking water supplies) is also a suspected carcinogen. • Metals: Various metals are commonly found in urban runoff. Many metals are toxic to plants, wildlife and humans, and may also increase water treatment costs for public water supplies. • Pesticides and Herbicides: Agricultural and horticultural chemicals derive not just from farms, but from lawns, gardens, and golf courses, which may use as much or more of these compounds per acre than farms. Most pesticides and herbicides are toxic to plants and animals other than those that they are specifically intended to kill, including humans. Many pesticides and herbicides are very persistent in the environment and tend to “bioaccumulate” in the food chain (i.e., concentrations of the toxins are magnified in carnivores, such as birds of prey).

Westborough Master Plan Page 53 Inventory and Analysis • Pathogens – Bacteria and Viruses: Biological contaminants derive from farms, urban runoff, septic systems, and improper waste disposal. These organisms can cause a host of public health problems, necessitate additional treatment for water supplies, and impair recreational resources such as swimming beaches. In addition, biological contaminants in runoff are a primary cause of closed fisheries and shellfisheries. Because Westborough is mostly sewered, the largest source of these contaminants, septic systems, is of less concern. • Salts: Salts are used to de-ice roads and parking lots, but can have serious ecological consequences if used improperly or excessively. Often, the presence of salt will kill certain plant species, while favoring other, salt-tolerant invasive species, such as the Phragmites reed. Salts can also reduce the quality of drinking water sources.

5.3 Habitats and Ecosystems

Westborough’s plant and animal habitats range from upland forests to low-lying wetlands, and from open farm fields to suburban backyards. The following sub-sections identify the Town’s various habitat areas as well as rare and endangered species and habitats.

5.3.1 Vegetation Westborough’s undeveloped areas consist mainly of steep-sloped woodlands and low-lying wetlands; most of the flat land that is not wet has already been developed. Forest covers approximately 41% of the Town and provides several benefits such as wildlife habitat, buffer zones, noise absorption, drainage regulation, temperature moderation and aesthetic enjoyment. As shown in Figure 2-1, however, the Town’s forests have been extensively fragmented, with a few exceptions. Approximately two-thirds of the Town’s forests are classified as hardwood forest, while one-third are softwood. Vegetation in the three major wetland areas consists of species such as black alder, white alder, ash, elm, white cedar, hemlock, red maple, black spruce, willow, water willow, blueberries, tupelo, poison sumac, spice-bush, larch, skunk cabbage, hellebore, laurels, sphagnum, azaleas, marsh marigolds, and butterbush.

5.3.2 Native Fish and Wildlife Species Westborough’s undeveloped woodland and wetland areas, laced with streams, ponds, and swamps, provides habitat for numerous fish and wildlife species. Species documented in Westborough include deer, rabbit, gray and red squirrel, raccoon, opossum, quail, trout, bass, pickerel, walleye, woodcock, skunk, several species of songbirds, birds of prey, waterfowl, reptiles, and small mammals like moles and shrews.

5.3.3 Rare and Endangered Species and Habitats The Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program (NHESP) provides an inventory of rare and endangered species and their habitats throughout the Commonwealth. NHESP-designated habitat areas are shown on Figure 5-2. This inventory includes the following classifications: • Estimated Habitat for Rare Wildlife: These areas consist of wetland and adjacent upland habitats used by state-listed rare animal species, and are regulated under the MA Wetlands Protection Act. Anyone proposing a project within an Estimated Habitat must undergo project review by NHESP. Westborough contains part or all of eight Estimated Habitats areas.

Westborough Master Plan Page 54 Inventory and Analysis • Priority Habitat for State-Listed Rare Species: These areas indicate the most important habitats for all state-listed rare species, including both upland and wetland species, and both plant and animal species. These areas are intended for land use planning purposes, and their status does not confer any protection under state law. Westborough contains part or all of six Priority Habitats areas. • Certified Vernal Pools: Among Westborough’s important habitat features are vernal pools, an isolated wetland inhabited by many wildlife species, some of which are totally dependent on vernal pools for their survival. Vernal pools are small, seasonal water bodies occurring in isolated basins, which are usually wet during the spring and early summer and dry up during the later summer months. Vernal pools typically lack fish populations, making them excellent breeding habitat for many amphibian species and larval and adult habitat for many insect species, as well as other wildlife. The wood frog (Rana sylvatica) and all species of mole salamanders (genus Ambystoma) that occur in Massachusetts breed exclusively in vernal pools. Areas in the immediate vicinity of the pool also provide these species with important non-breeding habitat functions, such as feeding, shelter and overwintering sites.

Certified vernal pools have been inventoried by local volunteers and certified under NHESP’s process. Westborough has seven certified vernal pools, as shown on Figure 5-2. Certified vernal pools that are located within Areas Subject to Flooding (as defined by the MA Wetlands Protection Act) are protected under the Wetlands Protection Act for their wildlife habitat value. Neither state nor local law protects certified vernal pools outside of Areas Subject to Flooding or uncertified vernal pools. Because vernal pools are temporary and seasonal, they can easily be developed unless they have been certified with the NHESP and have protection under the Wetlands Protection Act. The rapid rate of development in Westborough makes it imperative that vernal pools be certified and mapped so as to steer proposed development projects away from these critical habitat areas. • Potential Vernal Pools: In addition to officially certified vernal pools, NHESP recently inventoried “potential vernal pools” based on aerial photographs. There is a level of error to be expected with this type of study. Some vernal pools may be missed due to unfavorable conditions in the landscape topography, photograph quality, and forest cover. Some vernal pools that exist in forested swamps, bogs, and other wetlands would also not be noted. Westborough has well over 100 potential vernal pools. These areas are not protected by environmental laws until they have been verified and certified.

Table 5-1 identifies the State-Listed Rare Species that have been observed in Westborough.

Westborough Master Plan Page 55 Inventory and Analysis Table 5-1 Rare Species in Westborough

Taxonomic Most Recent Scientific Name Common Name Status Group Observation Amphibian Ambystoma laterale Blue-Spotted Salamander SC 1986 Reptile Clemmys guttata Spotted Turtle SC 1996 Crustacean Crangonyx aberrans Mystic Valley Amphipod SC 1986 Butterfly/Moth Callophrys hesseli Hessel’s Hairstreak SC 1988 Vascular Plant Arabis lyrata Lyre-Leaved Rock-Cress T 1931 Vascular Plant Ophioglossum pusillum Adder’s-Tongue Fern T 1948 Vascular Plant Platanthera flava var. herbiola Pale Green Orchid T 1934 Vascular Plant Prenanthes serpentaria Lion’s Foot E 1935 E = Endangered; T = Threatened; SC = Special Concern. Source: Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program.

5.3.4 Cedar Swamp ACEC An Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) is an area of outstanding natural and/or cultural resources that has been designated through a nomination and review process administered by the MA Executive Office of Environmental Affairs. The Westborough Cedar Swamp ACEC was the first ACEC designated in Massachusetts, in 1975. This ACEC consists of approximately 1,650 acres of vegetated wetlands. Important resource values protected include floodwater storage for the Sudbury River Basin, recharge to medium and high yield aquifers, and important habitat resources including an Atlantic white cedar swamp. Land within the ACEC would be subject to additional environmental regulations if any project were proposed that would alter or significantly affect the ACEC.

5.4 Historic and Archaeological Resources

Founded in 1717, the Town of Westborough has a long and colorful history. The Town’s numerous historic resources are reminders of the various periods in the Town’s past. According to the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC), the Town’s inventory of historic resources includes 399 buildings, 37 other structures, 11 areas, 3 historic objects, and 1 burial ground. The objects include a fountain and two monuments, while the structures include 15 historic bridges (several of which are railroad bridges), a gate, a powerhouse, and a tower. The following subsections discuss some of the Town’s most noteworthy historic resources as well as mechanisms currently in place to preserve these resources. Current initiatives and needs with regard to historic resources are also discussed.

5.4.1 Town History Westborough was incorporated as Massachusetts’ 100th town on November 18, 1717. Originating from an area of Marlborough called “Chauncy Village” and other surrounding lands near Lake Chauncy, the Town grew during the 18th century with additional lands annexed from the towns of Sutton, Shrewsbury, and Upton. As settlers came to the area in search of fertile farmland, the Town soon became characterized by dispersed agricultural settlement. Mills were eventually constructed along the Assabet River and Jackstraw Brook, and the Town flourished.

Westborough Master Plan Page 56 Inventory and Analysis

With the 1810 realignment and improvement of the Boston Worcester Turnpike (now Route 9), the route became an official turnpike, and along its Westborough section several popular establishments were created including the Wesson Tavern Common, the Forbush Tavern and Nathan Fisher’s store. The Town’s center of commerce shifted in 1824 with the arrival of a steam train through the present town center. As it did with many Massachusetts communities, the railroad ushered in a new industrial era in Westborough: until the early 20th century, local factories shipped boots and shoes, straw hats, sleighs, textiles, bicycles, and eventually abrasive products, across the nation. Westborough dairies supplied cities with milk and local greenhouses shipped out carnations, while the Town’s eight orchards found ready markets for their produce.2

Farming played a major role in Westborough’s development, with a total of 4,205 acres cultivated on 155 farms during the 1880s. By the 1890s, Westborough had earned the moniker, the “Milk Town” as milk from the Town’s 1,055 dairy cows was shipped to Boston by the local C. Brigham & Company, at the time the largest milk company in the world. Dairying remained important to the Town’s economy until the middle of the 20th century.

5.4.2 Westborough Historical Commission The Westborough Historical Commission (WHC) became a Town board at the 1978 Town Meeting. Since that time, the seven-member, Selectmen-appointed WHC has been charged with the responsibility of administering Article 28 of the Town’s Charter and Bylaws and assisting the Planning Board in administering Article 3337 of the Zoning Bylaw. Article 28 is a demolition delay bylaw that mandates that the demolition of National Register-listed buildings, as well as other buildings meeting certain requirements, be delayed by 90 days so that an adequate assessment may be made as to the proposed changes and the resultant impacts. Article 3337 regulates signage in and near the Town’s historic district and the downtown business district. See Section 5.4.6 for additional information on Articles 28 and 3337.

In addition to administering these articles, the WHC has been involved in many other historic preservation activities. These activities include working on Historic District designations and expansions; conducting archaeological surveys; preserving, restoring, and protecting historic properties, including managing several properties; site review to ensure that historic properties (structures/buildings) and known or potential archaeological sites are protected; and maintaining archives of files and photographs and a repository for prehistoric and historic artifacts.

The WHC has also initiated an extensive undertaking to examine and document the Town’s historic resources. As of 2002, 361 historic properties as well as the Lyman School property, Wessonville, and the Westborough State Hospital have been examined. All properties were evaluated through deed search, maps recorded and surveyed since 1795, and assessors records. Each Survey Form describes the location, age and pertinent historical information and a black and white photograph as a visual affidavit. The surveys are on file at MHC and WHC as legal evidence.

______2 Source: 1996 Open Space and Recreation Plan.

Westborough Master Plan Page 57 Inventory and Analysis 5.4.3 Historic Districts and Multiple Property Listings West Main Street Historic District Originally listed in 1987, the boundary of this National Register district was expanded in 1990 and again in 2002. The current district includes most of the land bounded by Milk, Main, Blake, and Fay Streets, plus extensions along West Main Street, South Street, some of the properties just south of West Main Street between the Rotary and the High School, and some properties east of Milk Street. The District consists of a well-preserved residential area that developed during the 19th century. Most house lots are regular ¼ acre lots and are uniformly set back from the sidewalk and street. Residences consist of a variety of single-family dwellings constructed between 1795 and 1900 and are of a variety of architectural styles including Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, and Colonial Revival. Public and commercial buildings in the District date from the mid-19th century through the early 20th century and are representative of professionally designed Greek Revival, Italianate, Victorian Gothic, and Classical Revival style architecture. The District represents the Town’s evolution from an early agricultural settlement to a diversified manufacturing town.

Massachusetts State Hospitals and State Schools This National Register Multiple Property Submission (NRMPS), added to the National Register in 1994, includes 14 districts within 19 towns, encompassing 111 properties. Westborough properties in the NRMPS include a portion of the Lyman School for Boys and properties associated with the Westborough State Hospital. The Westborough State Hospital site includes a total of 63 properties, some of which are located in Northborough. The total land area of the campus is 650 acres. The Westborough State Hospital of 1884 was designed to incorporate the original 1848-1876 building of the State Reform School for Boys, and not only represented an early case of adaptive reuse within the institutional system, but also preserved the hospital’s oldest component (the western end of the Main Hospital Building designed in 1848 by Elias Caster and James Savage). During rehabilitation of the old building, the state’s first congregate dining room was constructed to allow patients to interact within an environment similar to that of a large hotel. This model, which was designed to heighten the patients’ sense of normalcy, was adopted at most later hospitals. The Westborough Hospital was also unique in that it was the second state hospital in the nation to offer a treatment based on the principles of homeopathy, emphasizing rest, massage, hydrotherapy, and special diet, eschewing hypnotic medications. The hospital was also actively engaged in education, holding clinics for Boston University Medical School students as early as 1887, and establishing a nurses’ training school in 1890.

Lyman School for Boys Several portions of the Lyman School for Boys, located at Oak and Park Streets and Route 9, have been listed as a National Register District since 1994, as part of a Multiple Property Submission. In 1997, a Preservation Restriction was extended to these six listed properties. The campus, centered on the top of scenic Powder Hill, was the first campus in the state system to adopt the cottage plan, so buildings are dispersed on the south and west hill slopes. This plan avoided a large centralized structure in favor of dispersed “Family Houses” to encourage a more personal atmosphere. Four of the pre-existing dwellings remain on the Lyman School campus, including the individually listed Nathan A. Fisher House and Maples Cottage. In 1846, the General Court appointed a committee to study the need for a state institution for reformation of juvenile offenders after being petitioned by a group of concerned magistrates and citizens. Prior to this, juvenile offenders were generally confined in jails and prisons with

Westborough Master Plan Page 58 Inventory and Analysis hardened criminals. The former Lyman School was established as the Massachusetts State Reform School in 1847, as the first state-operated reform school in the country.

National and State Register Historic Archaeological Districts The Town has many archaeological resources, historical Native American trails, and areas where settlement dates back to the 1600s. Two such areas have been added to the National Register: • Cedar Swamp Archaeological District: This district straddles the Town’s border with Hopkinton and was added to the National Register in 1988. It is the second largest such site in the state. • Charlestown Meadows Site: A Preservation Restriction was extended to this site in 1995.

5.4.4 National and State Register Individual Properties Nathan A. Fisher House This two-story Federal style house of timber-frame construction is located on Turnpike Road (Route 9). The site was added as an individual listing to the National Register in 1980, protected by a Preservation Restriction in 1990, and included as part of a Multiple Property Submission in 1994. Nathan A. Fisher was an early Westborough merchant. Fisher and his brother-in-law, Joseph Lothrop, opened the Town’s first store in a section of Fisher’s house by 1826. Fisher and Lothrop later constructed a thread factory on the property, which was the Town’s first steam powered industry. In 1884, the state acquired the house and several adjacent properties to be used as part of the Lyman School, and the house was used for a time as a residence for school staff. This structure is presently being restored and will eventually house the Westborough Heritage Museum.

Maples Cottage Maples Cottage, located on Oak Street in the original 18th century town center, is a two-story Federal/Greek Revival design. The building has been an individual listing on the National Register since 1980, was part of a Multiple Property Submission adopted in 1994, and was the subject of a 1997 Preservation Restriction. William White, a prosperous farmer, built the structure that presently exists on- site circa 1830, reportedly from materials salvaged from the site’s previous structure, a home built in 1725 by Westborough’s first minister, Ebenezer Parkman. In 1884, the Commonwealth acquired Maples Cottage and surrounding farmlands for the Lyman School. This building was used as a staff residence until farming was phased out of the curriculum of the Lyman School.

Jonah Warren House This structure, located at 64 Warren Street, was constructed circa 1720-27 and has been listed on the National Register since 1998. The Jonah Warren House is one of the “finest and best-preserved examples of 18th century domestic architecture in Westborough.”3 The house has a long association with a number of prominent citizens in Westborough’s history, including Jonah Warren, Aaron Warren, and Hercules Warren Fay. Jonah played an important role in the Town’s early settlement. Aaron was a cordwainer (shoemaker) who shipped his wares to the South, paving the way for Westborough’s second major industry (after straw hat manufacturing). Aaron’s great grandson, Hercules Warren Fay, went on to ______3 MHC inventory form.

Westborough Master Plan Page 59 Inventory and Analysis become Westborough’s most distinguished man of letters, moving in the same literary circle as Henry James and William Dean Howells.

Joseph Lothrop House This house, at 208 Turnpike Road (Route 9), is a square-plan, Federal style house whose fine detailing represents the area’s major period of significance. The house was added as an individual listing to the National Register in 1980. Located in the original 18th century town center, the building has a significant historical association with the early development of the Town. John Lothrop built the house circa 1825. Lothrop and Nathan Fisher opened Westborough’s first retail store.

5.4.5 Other Historic Resources The following historic resources were previously deemed eligible for National Register listing, but at present are still not listed or require additional research to evaluate whether or not they are eligible for National Register listing: • Rocklawn Historic District (Old Flanders Road) • Eliezer Rice House (37 Maynard Street) • Conrail over Mill Pond (Boston and Albany Railroad Bridge No. 33.12.) • Whipple House (59 Fisher Street)

5.4.6 Existing Protection for Historic and Archaeological Resources Westborough currently has several provisions in place to preserve historic buildings and structures. These include the Demolition Delay Bylaw, Design Review Board, Sign Bylaw, Open Space Communities Bylaw, and Site Plan Review. • Demolition Delay Bylaw: Article 28 of the Town’s Charter and Bylaws establishes a demolition delay process that requires that any building built prior to 1900, listed on the National Register, included in the Historic District, or researched by the WHC and found to be historically significant, is subject to demolition delay of 90 days. During this time, the WHC will try to work with the applicant to find a feasible alternative to demolition, such as preservation or restoration. • Design Review Board: A five-person Design Review Board appointed annually by the Planning Board administers design review. Subjects of design review include landscaping, relation to the built environment, materials, textures, color, roof slopes and materials, scale, signage, external lighting, windows, open space, historic resources/heritage, and costs. See Section 2.2.5 for further discussion. • Signs Bylaw: Article 3337 of the Zoning Bylaw regulates signage in and near the Town’s Historic District and authorizes the WHC to issue a binding decision on whether or not a sign is appropriate for inclusion in the Historic District. This bylaw requires that all signs erected, altered or relocated within the Historic District or any zoning district within 2,500 feet of the downtown rotary must be consistent (in design, materials, lettering and color) with the historic character of that district. The WHC is charged with preparing the sign guidelines while the Planning Board is authorized to approve them. The Building Inspector is responsible for enforcing the Bylaw.

Westborough Master Plan Page 60 Inventory and Analysis • Open Space Communities Bylaw: The Open Space Communities Bylaw seeks to preserve, among other features, the Town’s historic sites and vistas. See Section 2.2.3. • Site Plan Review: Site Plan Review regulates site layout including access, utilities, drainage, lighting, grading, removal of trees, parking, and similar issues. See Section 2.2.5 for further discussion of Site Plan Review.

5.4.7 Future Plans for Historic Preservation The WHC has recently completed a Historic Preservation Plan for the Town. This document includes historic and archaeological profiles of the Town; a timeline summary of previous historic preservation activities undertaken by the WHC and the Town; a compendium of local, state, and federal regulatory measures and programs available to the Town for historic preservation; and identification of future preservation activities. Some preservation activities include the adoption of new bylaws, the expansion of existing historic districts, and the creation of new historic districts. Potential bylaws identified in the plan include a Scenic Road Bylaw and a Historic Landmark Bylaw that would protect distinctive structures and landscapes in the Town.

In 2002, WHC expanded the West Main Street Historic District to include a section of South Street to School Street as well as Charles, Central, and Cross Streets, Harrison Avenue, and parts of Ruggles Street. The Commission’s future plans include seeking a historic designation for “Vintonville,” an area accessible via South Street and known as the “Tree Streets,” i.e. Pine, Elm, Cedar, Beach, and Green Streets. The houses here were built by Otis Vinton from 1850-1870 for the migrant Irish and Italian workers who came to lay the tracks for the railroad and later the trolley lines. Another area identified for historic district designation is the area surrounding East Main Street, including High, State, Water, Lincoln, and Spring Streets. Nineteenth century merchants and manufacturers built the homes in this part of Town that include a variety of architectural styles.

Westborough Master Plan Page 61 Inventory and Analysis