Winchester BAR tables window-replacement request at 26 West Boscawen Street for more information

At the Aug. 7, 2025, meeting the Winchester Board of Architectural Review voted to table BAR25-276, a certificate-of-appropriateness request to replace windows at 26 West Boscawen Street. The board asked the applicant for additional documentation describing the scope of work, existing window materials and any prior BAR approvals affecting the façade.

Staff and board members noted the building’s façade had been substantially altered in prior decades and that some second-floor openings had been previously filled or modified. The application as submitted referenced multiple windows—board discussion noted “6 windows plus 1” in the scope—but did not make clear whether windows would be wood, metal or vinyl and whether proposed replacements would restore a more historic appearance or match existing nonhistoric materials.

Board members cited precedent: when previously bricked-in historic openings were reopened on another nearby building the BAR required wood windows; that history prompted members to ask the applicant to clarify whether the current work intends to restore historic window types or to replace existing nonhistoric windows with modern materials. The board moved to table the application to give the applicant time to provide a clearer scope of the project and supporting documents.

Action and next steps: the board made and seconded a motion to table BAR25-276; the motion passed by voice vote. The item was scheduled to be returned to a future agenda (staff noted an applicant-requested date, with follow-up to appear on the agenda). The board indicated it expects the applicant to provide details on the number and locations of windows, existing materials, any prior BAR approvals for the façade, and proposed window material and muntin/grill patterns to permit a substantive review.