Print
Share page with AddThis

History of the Wales Historical Commission

The following SUMMARY OF WALES HISTORICAL COMMISSION HISTORY was assembled in February, 2020.

March 8, 1969: Town Meeting, Article 24

  • To see if the Town will vote to establish an Historical Commission for the purposes of preservation and development of the historical assets of the Town of Wales, said Commission of five members to be nominated from the floor of this meeting and to be appointed by the Board of Selectmen, or take any other action relative thereto.
  • Vote Passed, and the following five members were nominated from the floor: Alberta Sebolt, Harriet Royce, A. Sylivia Worth, Ada Merchant, Wilfred J. Anair, Sr.

April 1, 1969: Members were appointed to the Commission.

July 30, 1969: Special Town Meeting, Article 6

  • Report of the Historical Commission was read and accepted. Following this, the Town Clerk notified Boston of the appointment of a Commission on August 15, 1969.

April 15, 1970: Special Town Meeting, Article 5

  • Town voted to accept Section 8D of Chapter 40: “There is hereby established, under the provision of the General Laws, Chapter 40, Section 8D, an Historical Commission of the Town of Wales for the purposes and with the rights and duties provided by law, to be composed of five members, residents of the Town, appointed by the Selectmen for the terms of three years, except that initial appointment shall be one member for one year, two members for two years, and two members for three years.”

The Wales Historical Commission submitted Annual Reports, included in the Town Annual Reports, for the following years. Each report details the activities for that year.

  • 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990.

After 1990, Commission Members were appointed and listed in the Town Annual Reports until 2000.

In 2001, the appointment listing in the Town Annual Report changed from “Historical Commission” to “Historical Society.” After this, there appears to be little mention or record of the Commission being active.

In 2019, new members were appointed and the Commission has restarted.

Major accomplishments of the Commission during this active period were, in no particular order:

  • Saving of Old Town Hall, and continued maintenance and repairs to the building.
  • Submission of a Draft National Register District Nomination for Wales Center that was not moved beyond the first step to being formally registered.
  • Microfiche of the Gardner Book
  • Photographs of the buildings and properties in town.
  • Research on Mill Site history.
  • Research, photography, and submission of historic resources to the Massachusetts Historic Inventory for most of the following properties on the list as of February 2020:

  • Inv. No.

    Property Name

    Street

    Year

    WAL.A

    Wales Center

    		  

    WAL.67

    Switzer, Oliver House

     Church St

    c 1880

    WAL.68

    Shawville Mill Superintendent's House

     Church St

    c 1874

    WAL.69

    Shawville Mill Double Worker Housing

     Church St

    c 1875

    WAL.70

    Shawville Mill Double Worker Housing

     Church St

    c 1875

    WAL.71

    Thompson, Charles M. House

     Church St

    c 1880

    WAL.72

    Shawville Mill Double Worker Housing

     Church St

    c 1874

    WAL.907

    County Road

     County Rd

    c 1731

    WAL.61

    Parker, George House

     Dell Hill Rd

    c 1875

    WAL.62

    Marsh, Dr. Lebbeus Eaton House and Office

     Haynes Hill Rd

    c 1865

    WAL.63

    Thompson, William House

     Haynes Hill Rd

    c 1850

    WAL.66

    Nelson, William House

     Haynes Hill Rd

    1740

    WAL.906

    Haynes Hill Road

     Haynes Hill Rd

    c 1731

    WAL.64

    		 

     Holland Rd

    c 1870

    WAL.65

    Valley Mill Double Worker Housing

     Holland Rd

    c 1870

    WAL.801

    Houghton Family Cemetery

     Holland Rd

    1829

    WAL.96

    Dimmick, George House

     Hollow Rd

    c 1860

    WAL.97

    Dimmick, Ezekial House

     Hollow Rd

    c 1860

    WAL.98

    Palmer, Nathan House

     Hollow Rd

    c 1830

    WAL.99

    Rickets, Rev. John House

     Hollow Rd

    c 1850

    WAL.100

    Wales Central District School

     Hollow Rd

    c 1850

    WAL.58

    Thompson, Charles G. House

     Laurel Hill Rd

    c 1880

    WAL.60

    Thompson, Charles M. House and Livery Stable

     Laurel Hill Rd

    c 1860

    WAL.80

    Squier, Arbey House

     Lynch Rd

    r 1890

    WAL.1

    Wales Town Hall

     Main St

    1802

    WAL.2

    Royce, James Chamberlain House

     Main St

    r 1830

    WAL.3

    Royce House

     Main St

    c 1875

    WAL.4

    Wales, James Lawrence House

     Main St

    r 1820

    WAL.5

    Gardner, Absalom House

     Main St

    1842

    WAL.6

    Royce, James Chamberlain House

     Main St

    c 1850

    WAL.7

    Plympton, Freeman House

     Main St

    1837

    WAL.8

    Miller, Cornelius House

     Main St

    c 1830

    WAL.9

    Rogers, Austin Luis House

     Main St

    c 1830

    WAL.10

    Needham, Jonathan House

     Main St

    c 1830

    WAL.16

    Shaw, Dea. John House

     Main St

    c 1850

    WAL.18

    Dimmick, James House

     Main St

    c 1840

    WAL.19

    Wales Baptist Church

     Main St

    1916

    WAL.20

    Wight, Preston House

     Main St

    c 1832

    WAL.21

    Sherman, James - Vizard, Thomas House

     Main St

    c 1827

    WAL.22

    Needham, Dea. Eugene House

     Main St

    c 1900

    WAL.23

    Clark, Cynthia House

     Main St

    c 1857

    WAL.24

    Smith, James Double House

     Main St

    c 1850

    WAL.26

    Souls, William House

     Main St

    c 1843

    WAL.27

    Barrett, Ruby House

     Main St

    c 1835

    WAL.28

    Wales Manufacturing Company Shop and Office

     Main St

    c 1840

    WAL.29

    Parker, Luther House and Livery Stable

     Main St

    c 1830

    WAL.30

    		 

     Main St

    c 1890

    WAL.33

    Rogers, Joel Harrison House

     Main St

    c 1830

    WAL.34

    Greene's Gas Station

     Main St

    c 1920

    WAL.35

    Vinton, Calvin House

     Main St

    c 1868

    WAL.37

    Wales Old Post Office

     Main St

    r 1875

    WAL.38

    Needham, L. - Moulton, Marshall House

     Main St

    c 1870

    WAL.39

    Thompson, Leon House and Store

     Main St

    r 1885

    WAL.40

    Wales Telegraph Office

     Main St

    r 1885

    WAL.41

    Gregoire, George House

     Main St

    c 1870

    WAL.42

    Shaw, William House

     Main St

    c 1860

    WAL.43

    Shaw, Selim C. - Burley, John C. House

     Main St

    c 1863

    WAL.44

    Fisk, Stephen House - Wales Public Library

     Main St

    1841

    WAL.45

    Saint Monica's Roman Catholic Church

     Main St

    1901

    WAL.46

    Shaw, Solomon House

     Main St

    c 1850

    WAL.47

    Phetteplace, Smith House

     Main St

    c 1840

    WAL.48

    Hegan Woolen Mill Double Worker Housing

     Main St

    c 1870

    WAL.49

    Nichols, Dea. Pearly House

     Main St

    1829

    WAL.50

    Nichols, Dea. Pearly House

     Main St

    c 1809

    WAL.51

    Hubbard, Eunice House

     Main St

    c 1878

    WAL.52

    Smith, Friend C. - Bishop, John House

     Main St

    c 1849

    WAL.53

    		 

     Main St

    c 1890

    WAL.54

    Crawford, Ossian House

     Main St

    c 1865

    WAL.55

    Marcy, Hollowell P. Box Factory Office

     Main St

    c 1865

    WAL.56

    Shaw, Gardner Bessey House

     Main St

    c 1850

    WAL.57

    Wales Country Store

     Main St

    1924

    WAL.59

    Soule, Louisa Nelson House

     Main St

    c 1870

    WAL.903

    Howard, William B. Memorial Fountain

     Main St

    1887

    WAL.904

    Wales World War II Monument and Honor Roll

     Main St

    1949

    WAL.905

    Wales Memorial Honor Roll

     Main St

    1919

    WAL.82

    Munger, Amasa - Moore, J. A. House

     Maynard Dr

    c 1850

    WAL.83

    Moulton, Dwight House

     McBride Rd

    c 1840

    WAL.11

    Soule, Halsey Stonecutter Shop

     Monson Rd

    c 1855

    WAL.12

    Moulton, Benjamin House

     Monson Rd

    c 1790

    WAL.13

    Davidson, Rufus House and Farm

     Monson Rd

    c 1800

    WAL.14

    Church, James House and Shoe Shop

     Monson Rd

    c 1845

    WAL.15

    Smith, Dr. John House and Office

     Monson Rd

    c 1840

    WAL.17

    Dunham, Henry House

     Monson Rd

    c 1880

    WAL.36

    Munger, Cyrus House

     Monson Rd

    r 1780

    WAL.31

    Fenton, William House

     Mount Hitchcock Rd

    r 1755

    WAL.32

    Rogers, Darius House

     Mount Hitchcock Rd

    r 1755

    WAL.81

    Carpenter, William - Walbridge, Ames House

     Peck Rd

    c 1780

    WAL.804

    Walker Burying Ground

     Peck Rd

    c 1816

    WAL.104

    Walker, Rius Redding - Sheldon, Nathaniel House

     Sheldon Pl

    c 1840

    WAL.101

    Wetherbee, William House

     Sizer Dr

    c 1800

    WAL.102

    Pratt, Austin - Wetherbee, William House

     Sizer Dr

    c 1840

    WAL.103

    Hegan Woolen Mill Double Worker Housing

     Sizer Dr

    c 1870

    WAL.73

    Nelson, William House

     Stafford Rd

    c 1813

    WAL.74

    Meadow District Schoolhouse

     Stafford Rd

    c 1800

    WAL.75

    Wales South District Schoolhouse

     Stafford Rd

    c 1800

    WAL.76

    Smith, Rev. Harland P. Christian Endeavor Camp

     Stafford Rd

    1914

    WAL.78

    Hale Summer Cottage

     Stafford Rd

    c 1850

    WAL.79

    Pratt, Henry House

     Stafford Rd

    c 1840

    WAL.84

    Fenton, John - Nichols, Walter House

     Tiderman Rd

    c 1780

    WAL.85

    Santa Land Theme Park - Seven Dwarves Cottage

     Tiderman Rd

    c 1920

    WAL.86

    Perry, John House

     Union Rd

    1846

    WAL.87

    Needham, Danford House

     Union Rd

    c 1800

    WAL.88

    Townsend, Joshua House

     Union Rd

    c 1835

    WAL.89

    Royce, Harry Summer Cottage - Fountains

     Union Rd

    c 1920

    WAL.90

    Heck, Ernest Beach and Picnic Pavilion

     Union Rd

    1918

    WAL.91

    Needham, Capt. David House

     Union Rd

    c 1779

    WAL.92

    Royce, Harry Summer Cottage - Ramona

     Union Rd

    c 1915

    WAL.94

    Baker, Luther House

     Union Rd

    c 1836

    WAL.95

    Wales Hearse House

     Union Rd

    c 1900

    WAL.802

    Wale Old Cemetery

     Union Rd

    1763

    WAL.902

    Wales Old Cemetery Unmarked Graves Boulder

     Union Rd

    1906

    WAL.908

    Walker Road

     Walker Rd

    1732