Weston Historical Commission Backs Josiah Smith Tavern Restaurant Window Wall Plan

WESTON -- July 1, 2025, Weston Historical Commission gives consensus backing to a proposed wall of windows at the historic Josiah Smith Tavern barn, part of a farm-to-table restaurant plan. Restaurateur Brian Puccini, whose Woods concept was selected by the Friends of Josiah Smith Tavern in January 2024, presented preliminary sketches showing large banks of windows cut into the rear of the barn, supported by an exterior steel frame; the commission offered informal support but took no formal vote, with member Alfred Aydelott describing the glazing concept as having "a positive reception." Permanent Building Committee Chair Jim Polondo appeared to signal the PBC will require formal review of egress, mechanical, and occupancy plans before construction proceeds. Separately, the commission voted 5-0 to urge the Select Board to accept a $75,000 Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund grant for the Central Cemetery memorial gateway, reducing the project's net cost from approximately $465,000, and voted 5-0 to approve a new DCR interpretive sign for the Norumbega Tower titled "A Monument Built on Myth," which explicitly rejects the tower's purported Viking origins as unsupported by archaeological evidence.