Historic District Commission

Overview

According to Massachusetts General Laws Part I, Title VII, Chapter 40C, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Local historic district designation offers the most legal protection for historic properties because most land use decisions are made at the local level.

The purpose of the Alford Historic District Commission is to promote the educational, cultural, economic and general welfare of the public through the preservation and protection of the distinctive outward appearance and characteristics of buildings and places significant in the history of the Town of Alford or its architecture, through the maintenance and improvement of settings for such buildings and places and the encouragement of design compatible with them.

The Commission was created in 1975 through a town vote and subsequently revived in 2014 as a way to protect the distinctive nature of these buildings and create support for their preservation among Alford’s residents. Read about the Alford Historic District Commission Establishment.