Woburn Couple Gets OK to Demolish Historic Home

The Zoning Board of Appeals, in a 4-to-1 vote, has okayed a Woburn couple’s request to knock down a historic home on School Street.

The home could date back to the founding era of the United States, according to the Daily Times Chronicle. City records indicate the home on 65 School Street was originally built in 1790.

As currently comprised, the two-family home is not handicap accessible. Richard and Patti Morgan was granted permission to tear down the structure in order to replace it with a handicapped equipped establishment.

“The petitioner’s wife has medical issues which require her to reside on a single level. We are downsizing the home, which will clearly not be a detriment to the neighborhood,” lawyer Joseph Tarby told the Daily Times Chronicle.

City officials will carry out historical research on the structure before deciding on whether to impose a delay on the destruction of the home. Woburn’s Historical Commission has the right to do so with property that dates back more than 75 years.

Some officials dispute the historic value of the home, questioning the accuracy of the home’s records.

Neighbors in the area are split on the situation. Some have placed importance on the home’s historical significance. Others sympathize with the hurdles the Morgan’s face in dealing with a lack of handicap accessible amenities.

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