Weymouth Town dates to 1623, and 22% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 93% of U.S. towns · #108 of 283 in Massachusetts. What drives it
14 places in town are on the National Register, among them five historic districts with 333 buildings between them. Below: 12 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1804.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Weymouth Town’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Weymouth Town is more historic than 93% of U.S. towns, #108 of 283 in Massachusetts. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Weymouth Town’s overall grade.
Massachusetts towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Massachusetts town has 46.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Weymouth Town’s 58.5 sits near the middle of its state (54% of Massachusetts towns have fewer) while its 342 historic buildings outnumber those of 96% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1623.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. The pre-1940 share (±2.1 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Weymouth Town’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The area that is now Weymouth was settled in 1622 as Wessagusset Colony, founded by Thomas Weston, who had been the main financial backer of Plymouth Colony. The settlement was a failure, as the 60 men from London were ill-prepared for the hardships required for survival. They also may have lacked the motivation of the Pilgrims, as this colony was purely economic in motivation and the men had not brought their families.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Weymouth Town. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1885Abington sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Weymouth Town.
Then & now
Stand where they stood
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Retake this viewCommercial Square, Weymouth, with streetcar and Washington School - postcard, 1907–1915
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Weymouth Town’s page.
In 1623, according to Wikidata. Weymouth Town’s post office opened in 1804, and the first U.S. census counted 1,469 people here in 1790.
How does Weymouth Town rank for history?
Weymouth Town is more historic than 93% of U.S. towns, #108 of 283 in Massachusetts. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Weymouth Town?
14 listings: 9 buildings, among them the Jefferson School (listed 1981, the first), and 5 historic districts with 333 contributing buildings. 342 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Weymouth Town?
22% of Weymouth Town’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.1 points), against a typical 21% for a Massachusetts town; the median home was built in 1964.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (12), the National Register of Historic Places (14), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1907–1915
1907–1915
1907–1915
1915–1930
1915–1930
1917–1930
c. 1930
c. 1930
c. 1930
