The Southborough Historical Commission voted Jan. 14 to approve a historic-house sign for the G.W. Lewis House at 2 Bridge Street with the date “circa 1850.” The commission also reported that production is under way for a previously approved sign for the Caleb Williams house at 14 Newton Street, and it postponed a naming decision for the property listed at 24 East Main Street while staff pursue additional research and owner contact.

The vote to approve the G.W. Lewis sign came after a presentation of the house’s inventory records and a discussion of a small discrepancy in written reports. Commission Chair Kevin Miller, presenting the file, said the house is “a Greek revival with some Italianate elements, circa 1850,” and noted that multiple documents in the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System inventory support the 1850 date. “I would make a motion that we approve a historic house sign for the GW Lewis House at 2 Bridge Street with the date on the sign of circa 1850,” Miller said before the commission voted.

Why it matters: The commission’s house-sign program recognizes architecturally intact residences and relies on the local MACRIS inventory and area reports for dates and attributions. Accurate attributions are a material part of the commission’s decisions because the sign text will be produced and mounted.

Most important details: Commissioners examined photographs and the MACRIS documentation showing the house’s original front facing Cedar Street, despite its 2 Bridge Street address. Miller explained the area report and the individual inventory both list “circa 1850,” and he pointed to a pencil date of “circa 1880” on a handwritten form as a transcription error. After discussion, Grant Farrington moved to approve the sign; Annie Pfaff seconded. The roll-call vote recorded Chair Kevin Miller, Annie Pfaff, Grant Farrington and Michelle Hokanson voting in the affirmative and the motion passing.

Production update and related sign work: Miller told commissioners that Annie Pfaff provided the artwork mock-up and that the sign vendor had returned art for the Caleb Williams house. “They came back with the art. It looked fantastic. And so it's approved and and off into production,” Miller said. Pfaff told the commission she expected to have the artwork for the G.W. Lewis sign ready by the end of the meeting so the vendor could produce both signs together.

C.B. Wilson house at 24 East Main: Commissioners spent extended time on a separate application for what the inventory calls the C.B. Wilson House at 24 East Main. Miller outlined a discrepancy between the individual inventory (which names 24 East Main as the C.B. Wilson House) and the area report (which lists Charles B. Wilson at 26 East Main). Miller described research he and others had done, including searches of the Worcester Registry of Deeds and inquiries with former commission members, and he recommended tabling the naming decision for a month so staff could confirm ownership history and speak with the property owner. He said, “I'd like to find out if Charles b Wilson owned 1 house, perhaps owned both, perhaps was not the original owner of 24,” and commissioners agreed to defer until further documentation and owner contact were obtained.

Ending: With the G.W. Lewis sign approved and the Caleb Williams sign in production, the commission asked staff to continue research on the East Main naming discrepancy and to return with documentation at the next meeting.