Historical Narrative

A house on 7 Highland StreetIrving Road was developed by Irving Connolly and his company, Country Homes, Weston, Inc., (later Weston Country Homes, Inc.) as part of a small subdivision on a newly created street extending from Boston Post Road to Highland Street. The street exemplifies the type of small Colonial Revival houses built in Weston during the Depression and World War II years, a time of slow residential growth, economic insecurity, and generally modest expectations.

The developer purchased the 4.5 acre parcel from George H.D. Lamson, member of an old Weston family. A plan for the layout of the road was prepared in December 1929 and filed in February 1930. No lots or houses are shown on this plan (Book 5434/end). A subdivision plan showing 12 lots (numbered 1-13 with no lot #6 and no houses shown) was filed in June 1930, for “Irvington Court,” referred to as a “restricted subdivision.”  Only 10 houses in total were built, all within the next decade.

Mary McManus Deed

The following restrictions are listed in a deed from Connolly to Mary McManus (Book 5525/16) of December 1930, “That for a period of 20 years from October 30, 1929 no building other than a single two-story dwelling house, costing not less than $8,500 and garage to accommodate not more than two cars, shall be erected upon the above described premises. If the foundation of the dwelling house is built of cement blocks the same must be plastered on the outside. No building to be erected upon the above described premises within 25-feet of the line of the above premises.”

The minimum price was presumably intended to insure a quality level of construction. Other provisions were somewhat more restrictive than would required under the new zoning by-laws of 1928, for example, in requiring cement block foundations to be plastered over and in requiring 25 feet rather than just 15-feet of setback from the lot lines.

Original Owners

The original owners were as follows:

  • 706 Boston Post Road (1941, MHC 1143) Donald Simpson (occupants, Peter and Delia Simpson)
  • 7 Highland Street (1930, MHC 1144), John O’Donnell
  • 11 Highland Street (1931, MHC 1145, Photo #4), Carl and Emily Eaby
  • 4 Irving Road (1938, MHC 1146, Photo #3), Alan and Ellen Winsor
  • 5 Irving Road (1939, MHC 1147, Photo #1), Erlon and Effie Merrill
  • 6 Irving Road (1930, MHC 1148), Frank T and Mary Duffy
  • 8 Irving Road (1935/1993, MHC 1150), Elmer and Mary McManus
  • 10 Irving Road (1931, MHC 1151, Photo #2), Harry G. and Alice Cloyes
  • 14 Irving Road (1932, MHC 1152), Carl and Rose Schule

Professions of the original owners, as listed in street lists from the 1930s and 1940s, include:

  • Insurance agent (Carl Eaby)
  • Manager (Elmer McManus)
  • Artist (Frank T. Duffy)
  • Statistician / lawyer (Alan M. Winsor)
  • Fireman (Erlon Merrill)
  • Clergyman (Joseph McManus)
  • Antique dealer (Harry G. Cloyes)
  • Foreman (Peter Simpson)

J. Irving Connolly

J. Irving Connolly (1877-1949), the son of an Irish immigrant, was a Weston resident who built a number of other subdivisions in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. The largest, Pinecroft, included 93 lots (some purchased as double lots) on Pinecroft, Montvale, Fairview and Conant Roads and Viles Street. (See Pinecroft Subdivision Area).