Colburn School-High Street Historic District
Why it's listed
Along more than a mile of High Street in Westwood, Massachusetts, a string of houses, schools and civic buildings records the growth of a village once part of Dedham. The district has 41 contributing resources, ranging from the ca. 1710 Kingsbury House to Dutch Colonial and Bungalow houses of 1927. Most are modest two-and-a-half-story dwellings with center entrances or Greek Revival gable fronts, many with attached barns. Institutional landmarks include the 1847 Greek Revival Village School, the 1874 Colburn School with its mansard roof and tower, and the 1910 Classical Revival Town Hall. Elaborate Queen Anne and Shingle Style houses built by the Fisher and French families stand among older farmhouses. One house, the Timothy Smith House, contains murals by itinerant painter Rufus Porter from 1835. The area is tied to families of farmers, merchants, wood dealers and craftsmen, and it may hold archaeological remains of earlier taverns, shops and houses.
Significance in brief: The district preserves a linear village streetscape of eighteenth and nineteenth century farmhouses, schools and a town hall, showing the shift from Federal to Greek Revival and later Victorian and Colonial Revival styles. It also reflects the local families, farms, trades and civic institutions of West Dedham and Westwood. The form also notes high potential for historic and prehistoric archaeological sites.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 00000641, listed June 9, 2000. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 369-649, 390-680 High St., Westwood |
|---|---|
| County | Norfolk County |
| Listed | June 9, 2000 |
| Reference number | 00000641 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1710-1927 |
| Architectural style | Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Classical Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Mostly well-preserved dwellings; the Village School is now a funeral home and the Alford Baker House a store; the Town Hall remains in civic use. |
| Acreage | 40.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.23029, -71.22033 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 00000641.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5141989
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.