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Duties & Responsibilities

The Historic District Commission is charged with the oversight of alterations to any exterior architectural feature within the District's boundaries, visible from a public street, way, or place. Working in cooperation with property owners, we strive to maintain the precious historical character of the individual properties and of the District as a whole.  The commission reviews proposed work at a public hearing and, if approved, issues a Certificate of Appropriateness. In 2008-2009, in addition to our regular monthly meetings, the Commission consulted with eight homeowners, held hearings, and issued Certificates to allow work to proceed.

After almost five years as a work-in-progress, The Historic District Handbook was distributed to homeowners in the District. The Handbook was produced to fulfill the requirements of the original Town Ordinance establishing a Historic District, passed in 1970, that procedures and regulations be written to "provide guidance to property owners as to factors to be considered in preparing an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness." Also included in the Handbook and required by the historic District Ordinance, is an instructive section on Design Guidelines, which covers defining features of several styles of architecture and appropriate restoration of a wide range of architectural elements.

Phase II of the Historic Resources Survey is underway. Architectural Historian, James Sexton, has been hired as consultant and is working to document 100 structures, East of Main Street and South of Sullivan Avenue and Buckland Road to the Manchester and East Hartford boundaries. A few properties on Oakland Road and barns will also be included. Buildings are selected to be inventoried based on the same criteria for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. Structures should retain their original integrity, have historical associations or represent important historical themes in the community, or be good representations of architectural styles. When Phase II is completed we will apply to the Commission on Culture and Tourism for funds to inventory the remaining historic properties in town.