Historic House Plaque Program

The Historic House Plaque program provides an opportunity to invest owners of historic or architecturally significant houses with pride, knowledge, and the ability to serve as conscious custodians of their house heritage. Plaques enhance the appearance of older homes while promoting community awareness of our local history.

The goal of the Historic House Plaque program is to encourage an appreciation of older properties and to allow passersby a glimpse into the history of a home, property or neighborhood. The plaque program is in keeping with the Massachusetts Historical Commission's mandate to identify older houses and structures within each community. Plaques for homes built pre-World War II are preferred.

Order forms are available to residents at the Maynard Public Library, the Town Clerk's Office, and here on the website (download the application form (PDF)). Applications may be requested by mail at: House Plaque Program, Maynard Historical Commission, 195 Main Street, Maynard MA 01754.

The Maynard Historical Commission may conduct limited research to confirm the owner's property information. Reference materials are available at the Maynard Public Library (in Special Collections) to assist homeowners in researching their house history and preparing the house plaque application form.

MHC will place the order with the sign company after receiving confirmation in writing of the homeowner's approval of the text for the plaque. Our policy is to include on each plaque the year or circa year of construction and one of the following: Built by/Built for/Home of, Original owner, or Historic Property name. Plaque orders will be sent twice each year - on April 1st and October 1st - to the sign maker for fabrication.

A maximum of two lines of text will be approved for each plaque. All house plaques will be the same size and shape (12 x 9" with a horizontal orientation) with black text on a white background. Circa dates will be used where appropriate. Because this is a historical program, the names of the current owners may not be used.

Sign Logics of Hudson will provide the artistry for the plaques, using a weather-resistant composite base intended for outside use. Holes are pre-drilled for easy installation. Homeowners pay all costs for materials, shipping, installation, and maintenance of their plaque.