Easton’s Historic Properties
Why save old buildings? Historic buildings help to define community character and to impart a sense of place. We know the place called Easton because of its historic buildings and their setting in historic landscapes. They are what make the town unique. Without these historic buildings and landscapes, Easton would be indistinguishable from any other community.
Most people want to live in a community that they consider unique in some way. Preservation is about making special connections between people and distinctive places. These connections between people and places build communities and make the world, or at least our own towns, a better place. Social cohesiveness is strengthened when neighbors work together to maintain those features that make each place distinctive.
However, it is important to remember that the sense of place is a result of more than any one particular building or element. It comes from the entire context of many individual elements combined. As communities grow, saving buildings and landscapes without a realistic plan for their sound economic use can fail in the long term. The challenge for all preservationists is to successfully mix the idealistic with the practical. Every historic building has an appropriate economic use; the challenge is to find the right fit for each situation.
Preservation is as much about the future as the past. We work to save special places so that not only we but our children and grandchildren will have the opportunity to enjoy them, learn from them, and feel connected to our history and culture. Preserving the past is our gift to the future.
MACRIS Database
The Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS) allows you to search the Massachusetts Historical Commission database for information on Easton’s historic properties and other properties and areas in the Commonwealth.