Newton's Historical Commission is set to take up a demolition-delay violation and a partial teardown of a historic bank building at its Thursday, Sept. 24 meeting.

The 14-item agenda is led by an enforcement action at 142 Moffat Road and a partial-demolition application for a building in the West Newton Village Center Historic District that is also up for Local Landmark status.

Work started without approval at 142 Moffat Road

At 142 Moffat Road, the commission will vote to confirm that a property owner violated the city's demolition-delay rules by beginning work on a 1916 Colonial Revival house before obtaining approval.

After a partial-demolition application was filed on Friday, Aug. 14, city preservation staff discovered the work was already underway, according to the commission's staff memo. Photographs submitted with the application showed siding stripped off, windows removed and replaced, and a two-story rear section of the house torn down.

The house was originally owned by Frederic W. Webster, a Newton alderman in the early 20th century.

Commissioners are expected to vote on confirming the violation, approving the proposed plans and authorizing Chair Doug Cornelius to sign a settlement agreement negotiated by city staff. The settlement terms have not been made public. In a comparable case on Aug. 28, 2025, the commission approved a $3,500 fine and in-kind rebuild for a violation at 156 Highland Street.

Historic West Newton bank faces partial demolition

The commission will also consider a partial-demolition application for 1314 Washington Street, the former West Newton Savings Bank. Architect Thomas Marriott James designed the Classical Revival building in 1915. It sits at the corner of Washington Street and Highland in the West Newton Village Center Historic District, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

The applicant wants to demolish rear portions of the building and wall in the remaining structure to make way for a new residential building behind it. The original bank is the central third of the structure; additions were built in 1935 and 1959. The front facade, with large arched windows flanking the entryway and surrounded by columns, would remain along with the buff brick and limestone exterior.

Chief Preservation Planner David Lewis and his staff recommend approving the partial demolition. In the staff memo, planners stated that removing the rear portions would not significantly alter character-defining architectural features.

The building has also been nominated for Local Landmark status. The commission's first vote on that designation is scheduled for its Nov. 19 meeting. Under the city's ordinance timeline, the partial-demolition application must be heard before the landmark vote. The staff memo noted that any demolition approval granted before a landmarking vote would remain valid even if the building is later landmarked.

This is not the first time 1314 Washington Street has come before the commission. In January 2023, commissioners voted 7-0 to find the property preferably preserved and then voted unanimously to approve a prior partial-demolition application and waive the demolition delay.

Twelve more demolition applications on the docket

Beyond the two headline items, the Sept. 24 agenda lists 10 total-demolition applications for residential properties and two additional partial-demolition requests. Staff recommends finding most of those properties preferably preserved. The exception is 69 Charlemont Street, a 1928 cottage that staff recommends finding not preferably preserved.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Residents can join at newtonma-gov.zoom.us/j/88606618948 or by phone at 309-205-3325.