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Departments: Historical Commissions

Hingham Historical Commissions

Our Office Provides the Following Services:

Historical Commission

• Demolition Application Review
• Historical Research on Hingham Homes
• Record Keeping of Historical Assets

Historic Districts Commission

• Certificates of Appropriateness
• Certificates of Non Applicability
  (each of the above precedes a building permit)
  

The Hingham Historical Commission

The Hingham Historical Commission is the town's agency responsible for identifying, evaluating and protecting the historic, architectural and archaeological assets within the town. The Historical Commission maintains a "certified" status through the Massachusetts Historical Commission, which in turn is linked to the National Park Service and the United States Department of the Interior. The Historical Commission

• administers the Preservation Projects Fund, a fund established to assist carrying out projects and programs important for preserving the historic character of the town.
• maintains the inventory of the town's historic assets, which currently includes information on over 1,500 properties. Updates are made to the inventory throughout the year as more historical properties are researched and additional information is added to properties currently listed.
• administers specific statutes that protect historic properties, such as the demolition delay by-law, and also gives advice through a variety of environmental review processes, particularly the Federal Section 106 historic review process and the Massachusetts Historical Commission State Register program.

Historic Districts Commission

The Historic Districts Commission is charged with preserving the historical and architectural legacy of the town by reviewing the appropriateness of all proposed exterior alterations and renovations of historic properties located within the town's seven local historic districts. The Commission also reviews the design of new construction within a District.

The Historic Districts Commission preserves the unique character of Hingham by serving as a design review board. The Commission consists of five members and five alternates, all volunteers appointed by the Board of Selectmen. The Historic Districts By-Law requires that the Commission include an architect, one designee each from the Planning Board and Historical Society, and a resident from an historic district. The knowledge and expertise of the Commission members in the areas of building and landscape architecture, history, and building preservation have proved invaluable to the owners of historic properties.

The goal of the Historic Districts Commission is to help homeowners make the exterior changes that they want given the options dictated by historical correctness. The Commission works with the property owner, the Building Commissioner's Office, the Planning Board, Board of Appeals, Conservation Commission, and other town offices to retain Hingham's rich heritage.