Historical Timeline

Highlights of Weymouth's Past

The following timeline was developed with public information from the South Shore Historical Society, the Weymouth Historical Society, and the Town of Weymouth's 300th Anniversary Booklet.  

Year
 
1622
In March, Thomas Weston, a London merchant, sends a scouting ship, the Sparrow, to what is now Weymouth. When Weston arrives on his own ship, the Swan, he anchors at the location selected by the Sparrow and "[makes] such arrangements with the Indians as [to give Weston] the right to settle at the place called 'Wessagusset.'" Only men are in this first group of settlers. It is believed that Hunt's Hill, located between the Weymouth Fore River and the foot of Sea Street, was the site of the settlement.
1623In April, Wituwamat, Pecksuot, and other Native American leaders, inside and outside the Wessagusset stockade, are killed by Myles Standish and his soldiers. The Wessagusset settlement is abandoned. In September, Ferdinando (Robert) Gorges lands settlers in Wessagusset. Several families and Reverend William Morell are part of this party. A church is established and remains in continuous operation to today. It has gone by a variety of names but is often referred to as the North Church. Today, its legal name is the First Church in Weymouth. The original church building was situated on Burying Hill, also known as the Old Burial Ground or North Weymouth Cemetery. The exact location is thought to have been downhill from the existing Soldiers' Monument, about where North Street is located.
1625Reverend William Blaxton (now called Blackstone), Samuel Maverick, Thomas Morton, and others, true to the spirit of the expedition, leave Weymouth to make history elsewhere. (Blackstone was Weymouth's contribution to Boston.)
1630Wessagusset is recognized as part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, with Governor John Winthrop arriving from England and William Blaxton (now called Blackstone) pointing out a healthful place to begin the city of Boston. The population in and around what is soon to become Weymouth is estimated at 300.
1632Wessagusset is visited by Governor Winthrop on an errand south. He anchors off shore and is entertained cordially.
1635Reverend Joseph Hull arrives with 21 families from Weymouth, England and is permitted "to sit" in Wessagusset, thereby reinforcing the colony appreciably. In the language of the time, "At the Genrall Court holden att Newe Towne (Cambridge) September 2, 1635, it was ordered that the Plantation of Wessaguscus be and hereby is changed and is hereafter to be called Waymothe." The Town has a population of 300 to 400, with 68 holding titles to land. William Reade, a tailor, is Weymouth's first representative to the General Court of Massachusetts. 
1636The borders of the Town are established by a commission. Over the centuries, there has been remarkably little change in the Town's borders. Whitman's Pond is referred to as Fresh Pond at this time.
1637Five men constitute Weymouth's quota for the Pequot War.  Reverend Thomas Thatcher wins the title of first minister and preaches for 20 years in the community. He is followed by Reverend Samuel Torrey, with 42 years.
1639An attempt to establish a Baptist Church in Weymouth is made, but the promoters are met with fines and banishment at the hands of the Puritan Standing Order and abandon their enterprise.
1641The first recorded Town meeting is held. Other Town meetings follow at irregular intervals until 1651. Town meetings are held regularly thereafter until 2000.
1642The first agreement between colonists and the Native Americans is made. The title to the Town is purchased from the Native population.
1643Forty families leave the Town reducing the population to about 900. The Massachusetts Bay Colony, which includes Weymouth, joins with the colonies of Plymouth, New Haven, and Connecticut to form the United Colonies of New England, also known as the New England Confederation. The chief purpose of the confederation is defense against Native Americans and foreign aggressors. The last meeting of the confederation was in 1684.
1644Although constables had been chosen since about 1633, the first recorded constables are chosen in March of this year. They are Thomas Richards and William Reade.
1647The General Court orders that all Towns with over 50 householders must appoint and compensate an individual within the community to teach reading and writing to its children.
1648The earliest reference to the "herring broge" (Chaucer for herring brook) is made in the Town record, showing the long history of the fishery. In fact, Governor Winthrop, 15 years earlier, had referred to the "ale-wife river" at Weymouth.
1650The Bicknell House is built on Sea Street where it continues to stand (2018).
1651The Town votes to pay 10 pounds for six months of schooling for Weymouth children. It is the first reference to public education in the Town record. The first regularly scheduled Town meeting is held November 26. It is decided that the "Townsmen" should be called Selectmen. John Rogers becomes "recorder" for the Selectmen. Thomas Dyer becomes recorder of marriages, births, and death. William Torrey becomes recorder of deeds.
1663Several Weymouth houses are burned by Native Americans.
1669A tide mill is constructed about this year in the vicinity of Mill Cove.
1675
In June, King Philip's War begins following an attack in Swansea, Massachusetts. Weymouth contributes a liberal quota relative to its population. For Weymouth, this was a real war with skirmishes occurring inside the Town. In fact, Weymouth was the high water mark of Philip's push towards Boston.
1676The last Native American attack in Weymouth occurs on April 19 with the burning of several houses.
1678The earliest known Town meeting vote to furnish a schoolroom occurs.
1680A house is purchased for the schoolmaster's use.
1681A school house is built on what is now (2018) the site of the First Church in Weymouth.
1682A new church is erected on what is now (2018) the site of the First Church in Weymouth. This second house is later destroyed by fire in 1751. Thus, the existing church house is the third "first church" of Weymouth.
1684The United Colonies of New England, formed in 1643, holds its last meeting.
1685Reverend Samuel Torrey constructs the building we know today (2018) as Abigail Adams' Birthplace. It is situated at 8 East Street at this time.
1688Two years before (1686), Sir Edmund Andros became Governor and the worst phases of Puritanism began. However, pressure was brought to bear and Andros fled. Captain Samuel White of Weymouth pursues Andros and captures him with a warrant and reward from Governor Bradstreet.
1693Gideon Tirrell establishes Weymouth's first wool mill near Washington Street at Middle Street along the Mill River. The site is now (2018) the Stop & Shop/Walmart shopping plaza.
1697A tannery is started.
1700The Rice Tavern, today (2018) Peck's Funeral Home on Broad Street, is constructed in the early 1700s. It's considered the halfway mark between Boston and Plymouth. In the 18th century, the old Plymouth Post Road, now Commercial Street, serves as the main route through Weymouth. Stage coaches stop in Weymouth Landing at the Wales Inn and in East Weymouth at the Rice Tavern. The Wales Inn later becomes the rectory of Sacred Heart Church. Horses are watered at Avonia Spring at the corner of Essex Street and Commercial Street.
1717An "exceeding great snow" falls on February 21.
1721There are approximately 100 families scattered in small neighborhoods in the southerly part of Weymouth. Most of them are in the vicinity of what came to be known as the "old city," which was absorbed by the Naval Air Station (NAS) South Weymouth.
1723Weymouth residents in the southerly part of the Town find that attending worship at the North Church is difficult. Consequently, they build a meeting house on Bayley's Green at what is now (2018) Columbian Square. In 1722, the group petitions the General Court for recognition as a separate precinct. In 1723, their request is granted and the Second Congregational Church of Weymouth is organized. It is often referred to as the South Church or the Second Parish Meeting House. A new school house is built so that education can be conducted in both of the Town's parishes.
1733The Town votes to give 20 pounds to any person that will take two of the children of the Widow Ruth Harvey and take care of them until they are eighteen.
1740The Arnold Tavern is built on Commercial Street, near Weymouth Landing. It is located across the street from the Wales Hotel, which later becomes the parish home for the priests of Sacred Heart Church.
1744Abigail Smith is born on November 11. Smith will become the wife of John Adams, 2nd U.S. President, and mother of John Quincy Adams, 6th U.S. President.
1751The North Church/Meeting House, built in 1682, was used to store gun powder. In 1751, it burns down. In the words of Reverend William Smith, it "made a surprising noise when it blew up." A large proportion of Weymouth's population perishes from a "throat distemper" that same year. One book says that one tenth of the population died in this manner. Another book says one eighth of the population died, and a third book says 110 people died. In any event, it was a widespread tragedy.
1752Great Britain and its colonies adopt the Gregorian calendar. In September, 11 days are dropped from the calendar. The same legislative enactment shortens the year of 1751 by three months, changing the start date of the year from March 25 to January 1. Births occurring in January, February, and March of what would have been 1751 are recorded as 1751-52.
1755Forty men from Weymouth under the command of Capt. Samuel Thaxter depart for Crown Point to fight in the French and Indian War. Six men never return. The French and Indian War was the final colonial struggle, which ended French and British disputes over the North American territory. Its European counterpart was the Seven Years War.
1764Abigail Smith and John Adams are married in October.
1765Colson's grist mill is erected along the Mill River, not far from Great Pond.
1770
In about 1770, a deposit of iron ore, also called bog iron, is discovered at Great Pond, then known as South Pond. The manufacturing of nails and other iron products begins. The Wales Hotel is built that the same year. It provides bed and board to George Washington years later. At the close of the 20th century, the building is torn down, its cellar retained, and a new house for the priests of Sacred Heart Church is built on its foundation.
1773Samuel Arnold's shipyard begins operations at the confluence of the Fore River and Monatiquot River. It continues in operation until 1812.
1775The "Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" occurs on April 18. Weymouth's minutemen respond to Lexington's alarm and march to Roxbury.
1776The Declaration of Independence is read for the first time in Weymouth by Reverend William Smith at a church service on August 1. The Revolutionary War is in progress. The Town votes to raise 130 pounds "by tax to be added to the bounty offered by the province for the enlistment of ten men, the quota called from Weymouth." A new Committee of Correspondence is formed by Dr. Cotton Tufts, Capt. James White, Col. Solomon Lovell, Nathaniel Bayley, and Richard Blanchard on deck. The Committee holds its meeting at the Arnold Tavern in Weymouth Landing.
1779Brigadier General Solomon Lovell is sent by Massachusetts on the so-called "Penobscot Expedition." The purpose of the expedition is to route out British sympathizers. Weymouth builds its first workhouse for the indigent (poor house) on land that is now part of the Saint Francis Xavier Cemetery.
1783The Revolutionary War ends.
1785The South Church in Weymouth builds its second meeting house.
1790Two grammar and two English schools run for six months of the year. The first federal census is taken. Weymouth's official population is 1,469.
1793Norfolk County is formed, and Weymouth is made part of it. The Town previously was part of Suffolk County.
1795The first map of Weymouth is drawn by Lemuel Humphrey at the order of the General Court. The map is notable for having only two roads, two churches, five school houses, and some taverns. The town's boundaries, then calculated, have NEVER changed.
1797Weymouth's first permanent School Committee is established
1800
On what is now Route 53, the Old Stone Toll House, also known as Bela Pratt's Toll House, is constructed of locally sourced granite (c. 1800-1825). This is the first known instance of construction with Weymouth granite. The house is located about a quarter mile from the Weymouth-Hingham line. It is not torn down until the mid 1990's.
1801According to the federal census, Weymouth's population is 1,803. A "social library in the south end of Weymouth" is formed. Shares in this library sell for $0.50 each.
1803The Braintree and Weymouth Turnpike Corporation is chartered. It constructs a road then referred to as the Queen Ann Turnpike, now occupied by Quincy Avenue in Quincy and Braintree, Washington Street (Route 53) in Weymouth, and Whiting Street in Hingham. The Louisiana Purchase is completed that same year.
1804Weymouth's first post office and federal building is established at Weymouth Landing. The Union Congregational Church of Weymouth and Braintree is established. The New Bedford and Bridgewater Turnpike Corporation is chartered. It constructs the road now known as Route 18/Main Street in Weymouth. Its northern terminus intersects with the Weymouth and Braintree (Queen Ann) Turnpike, now Route 53. 
1806Maria Weston Chapman is born. She will become an ardent abolitionist and the right-hand lieutenant of William LLoyd Garrison.
1807A volunteer fire company of over 50 men is formed at Weymouth Landing, and a hand-pumper fire engine is procured, dubbed the "Aquarius." For more than 20 years, this is the only fire company in Weymouth.
1808The first factory for shoemaking is constructed by James Tirrell. Previously, shoes had been made in homes and sheds (which became known as "ten footers") or by itinerant shoe workers. The Hingham and Quincy Bridge and Turnpike Corporation is chartered but does not start construction until June 1812. The Pondplain (Pond Plain) Library sells its books to the "social library in the south end of Weymouth" for $13.50 per volume.
1809A new workhouse (poor house) is built at Weymouth Landing and is used until the Town Poor Farm on Essex Street is bought in 1839.
1810According to the federal census, Weymouth's population is 1889. The Society of the Union Congregational Church of Weymouth and Braintree forms on March 13. In 1810, the Society purchases the Hollis Street Church of Boston, dismantles it, hauls the materials by boat to Weymouth Landing, and builds their church house beside the railroad tracks in East Braintree. The church is built to serve the populations of West Weymouth and East Braintree. Many members of the congregation are Weymouth residents.
1812The Second War for American Independence starts. It is better known as the War of 1812. The first Fore River Bridge (Quincy Point to Fort Point in Weymouth) is built.
1814The War of 1812 being in progress, Captain Jacob Loud receives orders to "detach from his Company to march to Cohasset (on the occasion of the alarm June 11th) one fifer, one corporal, and 14 privates to be situated there for two months under Capt. Cleverly." Other Weymouth men serve at Cohasset under Captain Benjamin Derby.
1815A machine for making shoe pegs is invented. Previously, pegs had been whittled out by hand. The War of 1812 ends. 
1816The year is known as "the year without a summer". Due to the eruption of the volcano Tambora which occurred in 1815, worldwide temperatures remain cooler than normal. Fine ash in the stratosphere is believed to be the cause. It snows in June in the Boston area. In Weymouth, two men are elected special officers for fires, and are called "fire wardens." A fire warden is in command at any fire thereafter. The first Seminole War begins, also known as the first Florida War.
1817John Smith Fogg is born in Meredith, NH. Today (2018), his old shoe factory in Columbian Square houses several small retail and service-oriented shops. The Fogg Opera House still dominates the landscape of the square, and the Fogg Library contributes to the cultural level of the community.
1818Abigail Smith Adams dies.
1820According to the federal census, the population of Weymouth is 2,407. Out of 450 heads of families in Weymouth, 370 make shoes. This is an indication that shoemaking has become the distinct business of Weymouth, though the more exact designation is boots and brogans. Atherton W. Tilden's shipyard commences operations in the vicinity of the former Samuel Arnold's shipyard. Tilden's shipyard continues operations until 1848.
1821Weymouth granite is used in the construction of the Mill Dam connecting the corner of Beacon Street and Charles Street in Boston to Brookline. This dam now forms the base of Beacon Street as it continues from Beacon Hill to Brookline.
1822The East Weymouth Methodist Episcopal Church is founded by former adherents of the First Church in Weymouth. In 1822, Weymouth becomes 200 years old. For the first 200 years of its existence, Weymouth was primarily a fishing and agricultural community. Stream pollution made herring fishing a thing of the past and this lost source of fertilizer contributes to the decline of Weymouth agriculture.
1825The East Weymouth Methodist Episcopal Church erects a house of worship upon the site now occupied by the East Weymouth Congregational Church. Orphan's Hope Lodge of Master Masons is organized.
1830The Essex Street Poor Farm is built. It burns down in 1917 and is then rebuilt. The federal census indicates that Weymouth's population is 2,839. A second official Town map is created. This map is prepared by Noah Torrey and Lemuel Humphrey. It's more descriptive than the first Town map, showing the location of dwellings and mills, with an excellent idea of the topography.
1835"Fore Street" was the name originally used for a road extending from Weymouth Landing to the Abington line. That road now (2018) carries the names of Pond Street, Main Street, Front Street, and Commercial/Washington Street. The second Seminole War, also known as the second Florida War, is fought. It lasts seven years. A breakaway faction of the Old South Church worships in Rogers Hall.  Rogers Hall is located at what is now (2018) the site of the Chauncy apartment building. The "social library in the south end of Weymouth" is sold to Noah Torrey for $130.
1836The First Universalist Society of Weymouth is organized. Texans fight Mexico for Texan independence.
1837The streets are named by a Town committee and old designations like Mutton Lane, Boxbury, Fore Street, and Back of Pond disappear. Mutton Lane reappears in the 1980's. Wooden boxes replace casks and hogsheads for the packing of shoes. Weymouth's population of approximately 3,400 includes 1,300 shoemakers. The use of nails in the industry increases. Weymouth makes tacks and nails to a considerable extent. Weymouth Iron Works opens on Whitman's Pond.
1838The First Universalist Society of Weymouth, organized in 1836, builds its church at the corner of Prospect Street and Washington Street. The church is destroyed by fire in 1938.  The site is now (2018) the parking lot of the Sacred Heart Church. Abigail Adams' Birthplace is removed from its original site and moved to Bridge Street, in the vicinity of Bicknell Square. There it is used as a bunkhouse for farmhands. In its place, and using some of the lumber from the original building, a new parsonage for the North Church is built. 
1840According to the federal census, Weymouth's population is 3,738. The Irish potato famine occurs during the 1840's, forcing many Irish to the United States and the Greater Boston area. The expense of holding four Town meetings in the South Church, or Second Parish Meeting House, costs $40. The average cost of a pauper per week is $0.89. Removal of snow costs $70. Support for eight district schools costs $2,176. Expenses for roads totals $240.
1842Union Church splits from the Second Congregational Church (South Church).
1843The Town votes to pay Town officers $1 per day for services, though the Town Clerk receives no pay for the Town meeting day. The East Weymouth Congregational Church is organized as the First Evangelical Methodist Church on March 4. It is reorganized as the East Weymouth Congregational Church on February 25, 1860.
1844The Old Colony Railroad is chartered to build a railroad from Boston to Plymouth. It opens through South Weymouth a year later.
1845Weymouth is a "mission" of Saint Mary's Parish of Quincy. The war between Mexico and the U.S. commences. Joshua Torrey is the only volunteer from Weymouth to fight in the Mexican-American War. Support for Weymouth's schools totals $2,945. The school books being used are those recommended by Horace Mann of the state board. From a report by the School Committee, "Nothing we can do for our children can be of more service than a thorough common school education. This is one of the three pillars on which rests the future prosperity and happiness of our beloved country."
1846The South Shore Railroad is chartered to build a railroad line from the Old Colony Railroad in Braintree to Cohasset. Dr. William Morton successfully uses ether as an anesthesia at Massachusetts General Hospital. In the middle to late 1840's, the use of anesthetics in surgery is becoming accepted. England's Queen Victoria is one of the first women to undergo anesthesia during childbirth. The expense of taking and distributing alewives (river herring) in Weymouth is $53.50. The privilege to sell the herring is sold to the Weymouth Iron Works for $4,200. Citizens can buy 100 alewives for just $0.25.
1848There are 10 school districts, and the School Committee says, "It is not enough that we have a school to which we may send our children. They must be sent in season and sent constantly so long as they belong to the school if they would reap the great harvest of intellectual endowment which our common schools are able to afford."
1849The South Shore Railroad opens through the Landing, East Weymouth, and North Weymouth. The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in California starts the California Gold Rush. The most popular song of the "forty-niners" is Stephen Foster's Oh! Susanna. Josephus Shaw, Quincy Tirrell, William Dyer, Prince H. Tirrell, and James L. Bates are all shoemakers of Weymouth who pioneer to California a year later. The Mexican-American War comes to an end. The year is highlighted with revolutionary activity throughout the world.
1850According to the federal census, Weymouth's population is 5,221. While the exact date of Weymouth artist Susan Torrey Merritt's painting, Anti-Slavery Picnic at Weymouth Landing, Massachusetts is unknown, it is generally dated this year.
1851The matter of a high school is considered at a special Town committee, headed by Dr. Appleton Howe. An ecclesiastical society is formed in North Weymouth. On March 11, 1852, it dedicates a church building and, on the same day, organizes as the Pilgrim Church of North Weymouth.
1852The Queen Ann Turnpike becomes a Town road and is known as Washington Street. The first Town House, or Town Hall, is constructed at the corner of Washington Street, Middle Street, and Winter Street. Town meetings are no longer held in churches. 
1853Another Town map is created. $350 is paid for 1,000 copies. This map gives the layout of streets and is decorated with churches and public buildings on its fringes. The Third Universalist Society is organized. The first high school is established in an upper room of the Town Hall. On the site of the former Rhines Lumber Yard (Commercial Street at Weymouth Landing) are the Blanchard's, Taft's, Porter & Loud's, J. Loud & Sons', and White's wharves. Movement of locally distributed merchandise by ship is common and these wharves handle a significant volume of that merchandise. The site of the wharves is now (2018) a parking lot for the MBTA Weymouth Landing/East Braintree Commuter Rail Station. The first Old South Union Church building is constructed at its current site (2018). The building burns to the ground in 1988 and is replaced with a building that duplicates the external appearance of the previous one. Significant internal improvements are made.
1854The first high school is established inside the Town Hall, in a room designated for that purpose. The teacher, Joseph Dow, is paid a salary of $600 per year. The Edwin Clapp Shoe Factory is established. The First Baptist Church in Weymouth is formed. For the next 12 years, it meets in a chapel. On February 1, 1866, it dedicates a church structure at what is now (2018) the site of the Coastal Heritage Bank.
1856Edmund Soper Hunt begins the manufacturing of fireworks at what is now (2018) the site of the Electro Switch Company.
1857John S. Fogg constructs a shoe factory in Columbian Square about this time.
1858The so-called McKay Machine for sewing soles onto shoes is invented by George French of Weymouth and Lyman Blake of Abington. The first McKay Machine works in Henry Shaw's shop on Union Street in South Weymouth.
1859An assistant teacher is hired for the high school, with 64 pupils enrolled in the first term. Latin and French are the only foreign languages offered at the school. The original Saint Francis Xavier Church building is dedicated on December 4. It's situated on what is then known as Gravel Hill and now (2018) the site of Papa Gino's Pizzeria, located at the corner of Middle Street and Washington Street.
1860The high school moves to North Weymouth, and Greek appears on the curriculum for the first time. The average attendance is 56 pupils. Classes are held in the John Adams Elementary School. This continues until 1897 when a new high school is built. An experimental high school is held at the Universalist Church in South Weymouth with Eldridge Torrey as its principal. The average attendance is 46 pupils. It is written that "no experiment was ever more successful!" The East Weymouth Congregational Church, first organized as the First Evangelical Methodist Church in 1843, is reorganized as the East Weymouth Congregational Church on February 25 of this year.
1861Marshall C. Dizer erects a three-story shoe factory at the corner of Broad Street and Madison Street. The Civil War begins, to which Weymouth contributes its full share of resources. The Town issues bonds stamped with the new seal - "Town of Weymouth, Mass., Incorporated 1635" - for purposes of raising money to pay bounties, aid soldiers' families, etc. 936 men from Weymouth leave for war. 120 never return.
1862The first regularly employed Superintendent of Schools is appointed. Bridge Street, the Fore River Bridge, and Back River Bridge become one public highway.
1863The Bradley Fertilizer Company and plant is established. It dominates Fort Point for a century. The Mutual Library Association of South Weymouth is formed. It perishes when the Rogers building burns in 1886. Thomas W. Hamilton is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for service in the Civil War.
1864The Weymouth Agricultural and Industrial Society is organized and purchases land for the Weymouth fairgrounds. The land is partially bordered by Park Avenue, Talbot Street, and the Swamp River. It now (2018) houses about 50 homes, a fire station, and the Holbrook House. The Hingham and Quincy Turnpike Road becomes toll free on July 4. Today, the road is known as Washington Street in Quincy, Bridge Street in Weymouth, and Beal Street in Hingham. Reverend Olympia Brown becomes pastor of the First Universalist Church at Weymouth Landing. Reverend Brown is the first ordained female minister in Weymouth.
1865Jeremiah Quinn, a Weymouth youth serving in the Union Army, is the first northern soldier to raise a Union flag over the Confederate Capitol in Richmond, Virginia after its capture. The Civil War ends, and Reconstruction commences.   Weymouth's shoe shops hang  black crepe paper buntings and rosettes when President Lincoln is assassinated. The first Weymouth Fair is held on September 20 and 21. William Booth, a Methodist minister, while bringing the Gospel to the poor of London, organizes the "Christian Mission." In 1878, the Christian Mission changes its name to the Salvation Army. The overloaded paddle wheel steamboat Sultana explodes and burns on the Mississippi River. An estimated 1,700 to 2,200 people die in the resultant fire and sinking. Most of the dead were Union soldiers who had recently been released from Confederate POW camps.
1866Reverend D. W. Waldron organizes the Porter Methodist Episcopal Church. On February 1, the Baptist Church in Weymouth dedicates a neat and commodious structure at what is now (2018) the site of the Coastal Heritage Bank in Weymouth Landing (formerly South Shore Cooperative Bank and S Bank). Edmund Soper Hunt is operating a fan factory in Weymouth.
1867The Weymouth Gazette is first published by C. G. Easterbook. The Trinity Church (Episcopal), situated on Front Street, is organized on December 7. This church is now (2018) a residence, and the congregation has relocated to Broad Street.
1868The Soldiers' Monument, which is on an elevation in the Old Burial Ground (or North Weymouth Cemetery), is dedicated. An oration is given by Honorable George B. Loring.
1869The Saint Francis Xavier Church burns down November 27.  Rather than rebuild a single large church for the community, the parish splits into several parts. As a result, the Sacred Heart Church at Weymouth Landing and Immaculate Conception Parish in East Weymouth are established. Saint Jerome's Parish is established as a mission of the Catholic Church.
1870During the 1870's, the number of shoe factories in Weymouth peaks with about 75 shops making shoes and allied products.
1871The Sacred Heart Parish and Immaculate Conception Parish are established. Alvin Hollis starts a business delivering ice and grain.
1874The 250th anniversary of Weymouth is celebrated at King Oak Hill, with Honorable Charles Francis Adams Jr. serving as orator of the occasion.
1875The Third Universalist Church of Weymouth, organized in 1853, erects a church at the corner of Bridge Street and Sea Street.
1876On March 10, Thomas L. Watson, Alexander Graham Bell's assistant, hears the first words ever spoken over the telephone. The words are, "Mr. Watson, please come here. I want you." This is the same Mr. Watson that starts the Fore River Shipyard and for whom the East Braintree Public Library branch is named. Mr. Watson is buried on a peak in the Old Burial Ground (or North Weymouth Cemetery).
1879The Weymouth Historical Society is organized. The Porter Methodist Episcopal Church votes to change the polity of the church to that of Methodism and is entered into the New England Southern Conference. Thomas Edison invents the first successful incandescent light bulb.
1880The Tufts Library, founded in 1879 through the generosity of Quincy Tufts and his sister Susan, opens to the public on January 1. The library is established as a lasting memorial to Dr. Cotton Tufts. The Salvation Army is established in the U.S. From 1880 to 1910, Lovell's Grove is a popular picnic/entertainment facility in Weymouth. Located on the Fore River, near the Fore River Bridge, at the site of the existing (2018) energy plant, Lovell's Grove is serviced three times a day by ferries from Boston.
1881Nathaniel Porter Keene purchases four acres of land on the Fore River to establish a shipyard. The gunfight at the O.K. Corral occurs on October 26. It is generally regarded as the most famous shootout in the history of the American Wild West.
1883Water from Great Pond is first piped through the Town, owed largely to the persistence of Josiah Reed. The Town's Water Department is organized, making private wells and public reservoirs obsolete.
1884The largest schooner built in Weymouth, the Haroldine, is launched from Nathaniel P. Keene's shipyard on the Fore River in North Weymouth.
1885The Stetson Shoe Company opens. It is the first factory in Town with all operations under one roof. The Weymouth Iron Works closes down.
1889The Bradley Fertilizer Company advertises "The Largest Fertilizer Works in the World. Bradley Fertilizer Company's works, North Weymouth, Mass."
1890According to the federal census, Weymouth's population is 10,866. During the 1890's, the granite quarries of Quincy and Weymouth prosper. Italian immigrants are a popular source of labor for this industry.
1892Michael E. Begley is pastor of Immaculate Conception Church. During his administration, a large parcel of land is sold to the East Weymouth Savings Bank, formerly the Weymouth Bank, now (2018) the Equitable Bank. The Tufts Library at the intersection of Commercial Street and Washington Street opens. It is torn down in 1965.
1896Henry Ford's first automobile runs on the streets of Detroit.
1897The Noah Torrey house is razed to make way for the construction of the Fogg Library building. The new library is financed by a $50,000 legacy from John S. Fogg, Esq. who left funds to the Town for this purpose. A spark form a passing train ignites the Union Congregational Church of Weymouth and Braintree. This landmark, constructed in 1810, is destroyed by fire.
1898The Spanish-American War calls out 30 men from Weymouth. A high school building is constructed and serves Weymouth in various capacities for more than 70 years. The building is destroyed by fire in 1972. Congress passes the Private Mailing Card Act and the "Golden Age of Post Cards" begins. It ends when German printing facilities become inaccessible due to World War I. Post cards remain a popular means of communication until about 1950. Much of the Town's legacy is recorded on postcards from this era. The Fogg Library is completed, dedicated, and opens to the public.
1899Weymouth adopts its Town seal. The motto "Labore est vincere" means "To Labor is to Conquer."
1900According to the federal census, Weymouth's population is 11,324. William B. Seach is awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for service in China during the Boxer Rebellion. The Howe School serves as South Weymouth's first high school at Columbian Street, next to the Old South Church.
1901Weymouth's Selectmen lease, for a term of 10 years, the second floor of the East Weymouth Savings Bank building, now (2018) Equitable Bank, for use as Town offices.
1902Noted educator Booker T. Washington vacations at 825 Main Street in Weymouth. Thomas A. Watson builds the first steel Fore River Bridge from Quincy Point to Ferry Point in Weymouth.
1903Weymouth holds an Old Home Week celebration. Booker T. Washington is a major speaker. The Wright brothers make their first successful airplane flight.
1905Paragon Park in Hull opens. It becomes a popular entertainment destination for the South Shore. It contributes to the closing of Lovell's Grove in Weymouth.
1906In 1906-13, the U.S. Navy acquires land along the shores of the Back River for a supply base. Many summer residential homes are razed.
1910According to the federal census, Weymouth's population is 12,875.
1911The First Church in Weymouth is incorporated. A search of the records indicates that other names previously used to refer to the "First Church in Weymouth" were nicknames.
1912The Titanic sinks with the loss of approximately 1,500 lives. This loss causes changes in maritime safety laws.
1913The fossil Crustacean-Trilobite (a small crab-like creature) is discovered during a Harvard geology field trip at the "Olenellus Ledge" at Pearl Street in North Weymouth. The fossil is entirely new to science and named Wemouthia nobilis. This places the name of the Town in scientific literature for all time. The 16th Amendment to the Constitution is adopted. An income tax law is passed the same year.
1914Construction of the first U.S. transcontinental highway, the Lincoln Highway, begins. World War I begins.
1915The second Saint Jerome's Church is built. The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat with the loss of more than 1,000 lives. This action helps lead the U.S. into World War I on the side of Great Britain.
1916From the Official Program of the East Weymouth Carnival, "Train service is good, there being as many as thirty-three trains on week days and thirteen on Sundays running to and from Boston. From Jackson Square, the the very center of the village, four electric-car lines run to Hingham depot, Weymouth Heights and Quincy depots, South Weymouth depot and Braintree depot, where good connections can be made." In this carnival program, advertisers register their telephone numbers in a three-digit format, sometimes followed by a letter if it is a multiple party line.
1917The United States enters World War I. An energy crisis (a shortage of coal) occurs due to the war. The Old South and Union Churches, for reasons of energy conservation, hold joint worship services in 1917 and 1918. This lead to the two churches reconciling their differences and reuniting under the name Old South Union Church. Union Church is used as a parish house. It is razed in the early 1960s, and the site is currently being used (2018) as a parking lot for both the church and South Shore Hospital.
1918About 750 men from Weymouth go to France to fight in World War I. The war comes to an end when the opposing forces sign an armistice on November 11. The date becomes a holiday in the United States and is named Armistice Day. It evolves into a "Monday holiday" and is renamed Veterans' Day. Ralph Talbot is posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for service in France. The Great Flu Epidemic of 1918/1919 kills 20 million people world wide but is little noticed in the news media because of the fighting of World War I. Many victims of the flu are listed as war casualties.
1920During the summer of 1920, a motorcycle officer is added to the Town's Police Department. On January 16, the 18th Amendment to the Constitution goes into effect. Prohibition begins. On August 18, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, giving women the right to vote. The League of Women Voters of Weymouth is founded. According to the federal census, Weymouth's population is 15, 057. A tornado strikes the Weymouth Fair Grounds. The Wessagusset Lodge of Master Masons is formed.
1921The first representative Town meeting is held.
1922Weymouth Hospital is incorporated. It is situated on the H. B. Reed estate, about 3.5 acres. The 300th anniversary of the Town is observed by the Weymouth Historical Society, affixing tablets at the sites of Abigail Adams's Birthplace and the Bicknell House. An address/speech is delivered by Joseph H. Belcher.
1923Chief Justice Taft visits Weymouth to dedicate a tablet on Great Hill commemorating the 300th anniversary of the battle between Plymouth Colony troops, led by Miles Standish, and Native American forces led by Pecksuot. A south wing is added to the 1897/1898 high school.
1925Construction of Legion Memorial Field begins, covering 14 acres of former swamp lands. Ernst Hermann, a Newton architect, designs the field, and the local post of the American Legion contributes $8,000. The Boston Edison's Edgar Station begin operations. It is located on the site of the former Lovell's Grove.
1926The Town's first vocational school is constructed. J. F. and W. H. Cushing advertises the sale of ice and coal in the Weymouth City Directory. Their telephone number is listed as "Weymouth 0266". H. Horsely also advertises ice. The 150th Independence Day witnesses the beginning of a three-day celebration pursuant to the recommendations of Governor Fuller. In attendance is a delegation from the Town's namesake, Weymouth, England.
1927A north wing, with a tower and boys gym, is added to the 1897/1899 high school.
1928The existing Town Hall is erected as a replica of the old Boston state house.
1929The Dizer Shoe Factory at the corner of Broad Street and Madison Street is torn down. The stock market crashes. The Great Depression begins. During the Great Depression, hoboes and migrant workers set up camps near the junction of the Back River and what is now (2018) Route 3A.
1929Thirteen thousand dollars is appropriated for a memorial in the shape of a granite cross. The Cross of Grey is now (2018) located on a knoll in the Town's Civic Center. Surrounding the cross are the School Administration Building, Abigail Adams Middle School, Veterans Memorial Wall, and Town Hall.
1930According to the federal census, Weymouth's population is 20,882. Weymouth Asphalt Concrete Co. has a telephone number that is typical of the period: Weymouth 1450. The open-air auditorium at the Town's Civic Center is named in honor of Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, Ralph Talbot. The Massachusetts Bay Tercentenary is celebrated.
1933The 21st Amendment to the Constitution is passed.  Prohibition is repealed.
1935The third Fore River Bridge, a drawbridge, is built. It connects Quincy Point with Ferry Point in Weymouth. A gas explosion in Weymouth Landing kills one man.
1936As part of the Depression era WPA (Works Progress Administration) program, Arthur Vinal, a Weymouth artist, paints pictures of Weymouth High School, the Nevin School, and the Washington School.
1939The First Universalist Church at Weymouth Landing is destroyed by fire.
1939The first Town zoning ordinance is passed. On September 1, Germany invades Poland. World War II begins. As the U.S. prepares for war, the Great Depression comes to an end. 
1940According to the federal census, Weymouth's population is 23,868. Captain Charles Rosendahl, chief of the Navy's lighter-than-air (LTA) program, selects South Weymouth as the location for a blimp base to patrol the sea-lanes to Boston Harbor. The Navy purchases 335 acres for $25,000 and construction begins at the cost of $6 million.
1941Construction of the Naval Air Station (NAS) South Weymouth begins. On December 7, Pearl Harbor in Hawaii is bombed. The U.S. officially enters World War II the next day. 
1942The NAS South Weymouth opens. The Coconut Grove nightclub in Boston burns. 492 people die. As a result of this fire, the state of Massachusetts updates its fire safety codes. New and better techniques of treating burn victims are learned. As a military defense measure, the United States and Canada collaborate on the construction of the Alcan Highway.
1943Federal income taxes are first withheld from paychecks.
1944Six blimps fly out of South Weymouth and complete the first crossing of the Atlantic by non-rigid ships. These airships become the first "Blimp Barrier" in the Mediterranean, flying anti-submarine patrols around the Straits of Gibraltar. June 6 is D-Day. Allied invasion forces land in France. Eden H. Johnson and Frederick C. Murphy are awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. During the World War II years, 55 Central Street serves our armed forces as the Weymouth Service Center. After World War II, it becomes a club house for girl scouts troops in the area. What is now (2018) McDonald's Funeral Home at the corner of Middle Street and Charles Street serves as a Red Cross center. Local women serve at the center, preparing first aid packs for troops overseas.
1945World War II ends. Commercial television resumes broadcasting.
1946Motion pictures are at their most popular. Weymouth has three motion picture theaters, the Cameo in South Weymouth, the Jason in East Weymouth, and the Weymouth Theater in Weymouth Landing. Weymouth also has a flourishing drive-in theater in North Weymouth and three active bowling alleys.
1947To save Abigail Adams's birthplace from destruction, a group of residents organize the Abigail Adams Historical Society. At their initiative, the homestead is again moved; this time to a piece of land near its original location. It is maintained as a historical site.
1949Weymouth High School's football team has an undefeated season but loses a post season game.
1950The Catholic Church parish of Saint Albert the Great is established. The format of a telephone number in 1950 is Weymouth 9-1234. Weymouth's population is 32,690 according to the federal census. Weymouth High School's football team has its second undefeated season. The Korean War begins.
1951Weymouth High School's football team has its third consecutive undefeated season.
1952Look Magazine, a nationally prominent magazine of the time, publishes a feature article on the long winning streak of the Weymouth High School's football team.
1953The NAS South Weymouth reopens with over $5 million in new construction. In addition, from the early 1950's through the base's closure in 1996, the NAS South Weymouth is home to the Patrol Squadrons (VP), who were deployed throughout the East Coast and Europe during World War II. Flying the PB4Y-2 (Privateer), P2 (Neptune), and P3 (Orion), they were the largest and most active units at the NAS.
1954The NAS South Weymouth hosts its first air show, featuring the Blue Angels, to a crowd of over 100,000 spectators.
1955In August, Weymouth is hit with the tail end of Hurricane Diane. The torrential rain floods Weymouth Landing, where the MBTA Commuter Rail Station is now located (2018) and many other parts of town. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers undertakes a flood-control project for Braintree and Weymouth, which includes the creation of Pond Meadow Park. Bowling alleys in Weymouth and other communities replace "pin boys" with automated pin setting machines.
1956The Eisenhower Interstate Highway System is authorized by Congress.
1957The Department of Public Works is established by Town meeting vote.
1958The Chauncy Building, Weymouth's first major apartment house, is built on the site of Rogers Hall in Columbian Square.
1959Old Colony passenger train services ended. The William Seach School is built. The Southeast Expressway (Route 3) through Weymouth is completed but is still under construction south of the Town. Washington Street, which was previously numbered Route 3, is now designated as Route 53.
1960According to the federal census, Weymouth's population is 48,177. The contraceptive pill is marketed to the public.
1961The Navy celebrates 50 years of naval aviation. The last operating blimp squadron is disestablished at the NAS South Weymouth. Navy blimps over New England become a thing of the past.
1963The former Union Church parish house is torn down and the land is used for a parking lot for the church and the South Shore Hospital.
1964The Weymouth High School/Vocational Technical High School at Commercial Street is dedicated, now (2018) the Maria Weston Chapman Middle School. The Weymouth Historical Commission is established. 
1965As a result of an extended drought, a new water filtration plant is erected. The plant processes water from the 210 acre Whitman's Pond. Also as a result of the extended drought, a dugout aboriginal canoe is discovered at Great Pond in South Weymouth. The new main branch of the Tufts Library opens on property formerly part of Weston Park. The library is located at Broad Street, near Lincoln Square/Weymouth Landing. The old library is torn down. A municipal rubbish incinerator is built at the end of Wharf Street. The third and current (2018) Saint Jerome's Church is built. Town meeting members vote to purchase what is now Esker Park through the Federal Lands to Parks Program. The Sunnylea Apartment building on Broad Street is purchased by the Immaculate Conception Church, as are other adjoining properties. The building, probably an old shoe factory, is razed and the land is used for parking. Congress and President Lyndon B. Johnson pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
1966Weymouth Industrial Park, off Pleasant and Washington Streets, opens. Libby Industrial Park, off Middle Street, opens. Attack Squadrons 911 and 912, flying the A-4 Skyhawk, are assigned to South Weymouth to train naval pilots and its crews for combat missions. The Naval Reserve program celebrates its 50th Anniversary.
1967The new Immaculate Conception Church is built and consecrated. The old Gothic Style church is razed. The Laban Pratt Memorial Wing of the South Shore Hospital is built.
1968The Pond Meadow flood control project is not yet complete. Weymouth Landing floods again. The Southeastern Philharmonic Orchestra, established in Whitman in 1915 as the Whitman Orchestral Club, moves to Weymouth.
1969The Weymouth Historical Society purchases what is now (2018) known as the Holbrook Homestead. The first moon landing occurs, and television records the event.
1970Weymouth becomes a two high school Town as the South High School on Pleasant Street opens. Weymouth's population is 54,610 according to the federal census. Naval Air Reserve Training Command transitions to the "Reserve Force Concept" at the NAS South Weymouth. Two VS and two VA squadrons are disestablished and reorganized as HS-74.
1971The 1898/1899 high school is destroyed by fire.
1972The NAS South Weymouth celebrates its 30th anniversary, in conjunction with the Town of Weymouth's 350th anniversary. The NAS Quonset Point closes, bringing HS-74 onboard the NAS South Weymouth.
1973The Immaculate Conception parish school closes. The Stetson Shoe Company closes.
1974The Community Development Block Grant program starts. Sewer is being installed throughout the Town.
1975Paragon Park in Hull closes.
1977825 Main Street, at the corner of Columbian Street, the former summer home of Booker T. Washington, is razed. It is replaced with a medical office building, a part of the medical complex that centers on the South Shore Hospital. Through the medium of the Weymouth Historical Society Newsletter, Henry Darrell, chairman of the museum committee, thanks 26 people for their assistance at the joint historical society/town museum during the 1976/1977 season. Students of Weymouth's East Junior High School publish a calendar for the year 1978. The calendar is oriented towards the history of Weymouth.
1978On February 6-8, the Blizzard of '78 creates a state of emergency in Massachusetts. Several books about the blizzard are published in the years to come.
1979Construction begins on the new Enlisted Quarters and Navy Exchange/Retail Store at the NAS South Weymouth. On February 18, fire sweeps through the building.
1980According to the federal census, the population of Weymouth is 55,601. Construction of new facilities is completed at the NAS South Weymouth, including the Bowling Alley/Snack Bar, fitness center, gate guard shack, and AIMD building.
1981The Jefferson School is placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
1982The Old South Union Church is placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
1983The Friends of the Weymouth Council on Aging is organized. The Fogg Building, at the corner of Columbian Street and Pleasant Street, is placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
1985At the NAS South Weymouth, the HS-74 is redesignated as HSL-74 to operate its new helicopter, the SH-2F "Seasprite" and its new mission aboard Naval Reserve Frigates. Base closure looms over the NAS South Weymouth as the Senate Armed Services Committee places the base on its closure list.
1986General Dynamics closes at the Fore River shipyard in Quincy. The federal census indicates a population of 54,480. It is the first time since colonial days that the Town shows a decline in its population. The John Adams School, Washington School, and Weymouth Landing U. S. Post Office are placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
1988The 1929 (existing) Town Hall is completely refurbished and rededicated.
1989On May 8, fire completely destroys the meeting house of the Old South Union Church. The church rebuilds on the same site, duplicating the external appearance of the previous church house. Significant internal improvements are made.
1990The first round of the Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) includes the NAS South Weymouth on its list as a potential candidate for base closure. Iraqi forces invade Kuwait, prompting the largest mobilization of the U.S. military in 40 years.
1991The U.S. goes to war with Iraq to liberate Kuwait, prompting the largest mobilization of the U.S. military in 40 years. Over 400 sailors and marines deploy from NAS South Weymouth, which is removed from consideration for possible closure in round one of the BRAC process. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) discovers volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and heavy-metals contamination in both soil and groundwater samples from the base. Contamination is particularly high near the West Gate landfill, the Rubble Disposal area, the fire fighting training area, and the tile leachfield.
1992The Central Square Historic District and the Weymouth Civic Center Historic District are placed on the National Register of Historic Places. At the NAS South Weymouth, the VMA-322 "Fighting Gamecocks" are deactivated, starting the end of 49 years of Marine Reserve Aviation. This also brings the jet age at the NAS South Weymouth to a close, as the last A-4M Skyhawk flies off in farewell to the NAS South Weymouth.
1993The Korean War Memorial in Jackson Square is dedicated. Round two of BRAC once again places the NAS South Weymouth on the closure list; but it survives.
1994The Orphan's Hope Lodge of Master Masons and Wessagusset Lodge of Master Masons merge forming Weymouth United Masonic Lodge. The South Shore Christian Academy is founded. It occupies the former Hunt School near Lincoln Square/Weymouth Landing. The "Demon-Elves" of HSL-74 are disestablished in March at the NAS South Weymouth. In April, VR-62 transferred from the NAF Detroit to South Weymouth and are renamed the "Nor'Easters."
1995The NAS South Weymouth appears on the third and final BRAC base closure list. After various visits by BRAC officials, the NAS South Weymouth is voted to remain on the closure list by a vote of 8-0. The President and Congress approve the list.
1996The existing (2018) police station is opened on Winter Street. The former police station is converted to the Weymouth Teen Center. The NAS South Weymouth hosts its "Blue Farewell to Boston" air show. The last air show draws over 100,000 visitors. The airfield officially closes on September 30, as the last C130T Hercules and P-3C Orion fly off in a final tribute to the NAS South Weymouth.
1997Commuter rail train services return to Weymouth. The Abigail Adams State Park is rededicated in celebration of Weymouth's 375th anniversary. On September 30, NAS South Weymouth officially closes, ending over 55 years of service as the "Home of New England's Naval Air Reserve."
1998The Weymouth High School/Vocational Technical High School offers a Child Care Program. In March, the first Reuse Plan for redevelopment of the NAS South Weymouth is approved by a three-town vote: Abington, Rockland, and Weymouth. The Massachusetts legislature passes legislation establishing the South Shore Tri-Town Development Corporation, charged with implementing the Reuse Plan.
1999Weymouth votes to adopt a Mayor-Council form of government. Weymouth's last town meeting is held, marking the end of the nation's oldest, consecutive town meeting form of government. The Wessagusset Memorial Sanctuary, believed to be a source of water for Native Americans and Weymouth's first settlers, is acquired by the Town's Historical Commission. A Federal Facility Agreement establishes the Navy as the lead agency for the environmental investigation and cleanup of designated sites at the NAS South Weymouth, with EPA oversight. Y2K is a constant concern as we approache the new millennium. The Town publishes a preparedness leaflet entitled "Y2K and You". 
2000On January 1, David Madden, Weymouth's first Mayor, takes office. The South Shore Historical Society is organized on January 5. George W. Bush is elected President. This makes Barbara Bush the wife to one President and mother to another.  No longer is Abigail Adams the sole owner of that honor. The Boston Edison Plant on the Fore River is razed, making room for the Sithe Energy complex.
2001On April 2, ten digit dialing becomes compulsory. Route 53 is transformed with new construction from the Burger King at 393 Washington Street (still operating in 2018) to the intersection of Middle and Washington Streets. Among the new constructions are a CVS Pharmacy (on the site of a former Howard Johnson's restaurant), the Avalon Ledges apartment complex of 300+ units, a Walgreens' Pharmacy, and an auto parts store.  Walmart renovates the former Lechmere department store. On September 11, terrorists destroy the World Trade Center in New York City.
2002The Tri-Town Development Corporation, representing the Towns of Abington, Rockland, and Weymouth, selects the LNR Property Corporation to become master developer at the NAS South Weymouth.
2003The U.S. invades Iraq, joined by the U.K. and several coalition allies, to topple the regime of Saddam Hussein.
2004
David Madden starts his second term as Mayor of Weymouth. The 1936 Fore River Bridge is demolished. A temporary bridge replaces it. The building that currently houses Weymouth High School/Vocational Technical High School (2016) opens at One Wildcat Way, off Pleasant Street. This building is the old South High School but has been greatly expanded by about $22 million in new construction. The old parts of the building are referred to as the "Maroon House" and the new parts are the "Gold House." The old North High School building is renamed the Maria Weston Chapman Middle School. Legion Memorial Field goes into disuse as all sports teams commence games and practices at the new high school.
2005The Sacred Heart Church in Weymouth Landing is destroyed by fire. The church is rebuilt and opens a year later on the same site. Weymouth voters adopt the Community Preservation Act, authorizing the Town to asses a one percent surcharge on real property to support the acquisition, creation, and preservation of open space, historic resources, affordable housing, and outdoor recreation. The Fogg Library at Columbian Square closes for repairs. The South Weymouth MBTA Commuter Rail Station reopens at 89 Trotter Road, bringing the Plymouth/Kingston Line (aka, the Old Colony Line) to the NAS South Weymouth. At the urging of the federal EPA, the LNR Property Corporation develops a second Reuse Plan based on Smart Growth, transit-oriented development principles. The three host communities adopt the new plan in the summer. This plan calls for a minimum of 900,000 square feet of commercial space, a maximum of 2,855 residential housing units, a minimum of 400 senior housing units, a minimum of 10 percent "affordable" or "workforce" housing units, and 1,000 acres of permanently preserved open space and recreational facilities.
2007On October 31, the Greenbush Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail opens to passengers with stations in East Weymouth and Weymouth Landing. Southfield is under construction on the former Naval Air Station. According to the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research (the official arbiter of U.S. recessions), the Great Recession begins in December. The downturn is related to the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis of 2007-09. The Great Recession lasts until June 2009, making it the longest recession (to date) since World War II. The national unemployment rate, which was 5 percent in December 2007, rose to 9.5 percent in June 2009, and peaked at 10 percent in October 2009. Home prices across the U.S. fell approximately 30 percent, on average, from their mid-2006 peak to mid-2009.  
2008Susan Kay takes office as the second Mayor of Weymouth and the Town's first female mayor. CVS renovates the former Bargaineer building and opens in Jackson Square. The site was previously a First National Store and Schofield's gas station. Barack Obama is elected President, becoming the first African American to hold the country's highest office.  
2009
In order to balance the state budget in the wake of the Great Recession, Governor Deval Patrick makes significant cuts in local aid, known as Chapter 90 cuts. Weymouth experiences a $3.5 million reduction in state aid. Funding from the state does not reach pre-2009 levels until 2015 (not adjusting for inflation). The Sea Street Historic District is placed on the National Register of Historic Places. South Shore Hospital builds a cancer center and parking garage.
2010
The Town's new $40 million water treatment plant opens at Great Pond, replacing the previous plant built in 1936. The Pond Street School is placed on the National Register of Historic Places and is converted to residential housing. The Weymouth Meeting House Historic District is placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
2011The first residents move into Southfield. The Front Street Historic District is placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Town purchases the Emery Estate at King Oak Hill for $1.9 million with Community Preservation funds.
2012Susan Kay starts her second term as Mayor of Weymouth.
2013Mayor Susan Kay proposes, and the Town Council approves, a local option meals tax to support Weymouth's parks and recreational areas. The tax is projected to raise about $500,000 per year in new revenue for the Town. The first section of the new East/West Parkway through Southfield opens, providing improved access to Route 3 at Exit 14 in Rockland. Southfield's master developer, the LNR Property Corporation, sells its business interests to the Starwood Capital Group. 
2014The Fogg Library reopens to the public after almost nine years and nearly $3.5 million in restoration and renovation projects. The Starwood Capital Group proposes new legislation related to Southfield for the state legislature to consider. The new legislation calls for the Towns of Abington, Rockland, and Weymouth to assume responsibility for providing municipal services at Southfield in exchange for collecting taxes directly from property owners. The state passes the new legislation in August.
2015Legion Memorial Field reopens to the public after almost 10 years and over $6 million in restoration and renovation projects. For the first time, Weymouth collects taxes from property owners at Southfield.
2016State Senator Robert Hedlund takes office as Weymouth's third Mayor. Southfield is renamed Union Point to better reflect the partnership between the host communities: Weymouth, Rockland, and Abington.   
2017The new Fore River Bridge opens to all lanes of traffic. This bridge is the third movable bridge at this location - the first being a swing bridge constructed in 1902 and the second a bascule bridge built in 1936.