Town Profile
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.
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.
Geography
Eastern Massachusetts, bordered by Lincoln on the north, Waltham and Newton on the east, Wellesley on the south, Natick on the southwest, and Wayland on the west. Weston is 12 miles west of Boston, 27 miles south of Lowell, 29 miles east of Worcester, and 207 miles from New York City.
- Total Area: 17.34 sq. miles
- Land Area: 17.02 sq. miles
- Population: 10,200
- Density: 599 per sq. mile
Government
Municipal Offices Main Number: (781) 893-7320
Form of Government;Board of Selectmen, Town Administrator, Open Town Meeting. Incorporated as a town in 1713.
Museums
- Cardinal Spellman Philatelic Museum
235 Wellesley Street
(781) 894-8056 - Weston Historical Society
626 Boston Post Road
(781) 894-2872
Transportation and Access
Weston is situated in the Greater Boston Area, which has excellent rail, air, and highway facilities. State Route 128 and Interstate Route 495 divide the region into inner and outer zones, which are connected by numerous "spokes" providing direct access to the airport, port, and intermodal facilities of Boston.
Major Highways
Principal highways are State Routes 30, 117, and 128 I-95, the inner belt around Boston; U.S. Route 20; and the Massachusetts Turnpike, I-90.
Rail
Commuter rail service to North Station, Boston, is available from Hastings (travel time 30-31 min.; no MBTA parking) and Kendal Green (travel time 28-29 min.; 100 MBTA parking spaces). Freight rail service is available from the Springfield Terminal Railway. Contact number: (508) 663-1073
Bus
Weston is a member of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). Cavalier Coach Corp., provides commuter service to 4 locations in Boston.
Other
L.G. Hanscom Field, a joint civil-military airport, is located in neighboring Bedford. A Reliever Airport with Commercial Service (CR), it has a 5,106' asphalt runway and a 7,001' concrete and asphalt runway. Instrument approaches available: Precision and non-precision. There is fixed route bus service from Hanscom Field to the MBTA Red Line.
