Short History Lesson

The Town of Weymouth is the second oldest town in the Massachusetts.  It was founded in 1622 as "Wessagusset". In 1635 it was renamed Weymouth, and 100 settlers came from England. The town was part of the Massachusetts Bay colony and was known as a fishing and agricultural community.   By the time of the American Revolution, Weymouth’s population was 1,470 people. The Town was made up of simple houses and churches that were wooden replicas of the brick and stone architecture of European origin.  Some of these houses are still present in Weymouth today.

The American Revolution was shortly followed by the Industrial Revolution, and Weymouth was an active participant. Many structures were built throughout Weymouth.  There was a local Iron Works factory built in 1837, and there are many other buildings scattered throughout the town that still remain. The maritime and agricultural society in Weymouth became a wonderful money maker for the town.  There were many new businesses that sold goods and services and helped bring money into the growing community.  During the Industrial Era the population grew to 6,173 in 1870.

As the town grew, so did the trend towards stylish homes. New ideas about building design were imported from Europe, and distinctive new houses were added to the collection of buildings that remain in the collection of historic Weymouth homes.

Later, the shoe industry made a lot of money for Weymouth. The shoe factory in Weymouth employed three-quarters of the local residents. Immigration helped supply the work force for these businesses and helped populate Weymouth. Most of the local retail and service businesses were in close proximity to one another and in walking distance of many homes. This made it convenient for people to get to their jobs, and the small businesses were very successful.

After World War II, several significant changes in local demographics and regional economies profoundly affected the Town. Rising incomes led to more people buying automobiles.  The government then decided to start improving the state and local highways. More people were able to travel and decided to move to towns in the suburbs like Weymouth.

Weymouth proved to have an ideal location since it was close to Boston. The Town added 21,000 new residents in the fifteen years between 1945 and 1960. In 1956, Route 3 opened, and the railroad service was eliminated.  This allowed people to travel to jobs in locations other than Weymouth and the South Shore. The shoe factory in Weymouth ended up closing, and the community relied on smaller businesses to help support the community.