WESTBOROUGH – The town’s Historical Commission is determining whether the building at 121 W. Main St. – the current golf club – may be considered historic.
During its meeting on Jan. 31, commission members led an open discussion on what can – and cannot – be done about the building.
“We are not charged with any decision making at this time,” said commission Chair Christian Hedrick.
He noted that some residents have contacted the commission about the building, parts of which date back to the 1870s.
“We’re obviously aware of what’s going on,” he said.
Last summer, the Golf Club Building Use Committee recommended that the building be torn down and rebuilt. The committee cited that it would cost more than $900,000, plus design fees, to make needed repairs.
According to the committee, the current building has lead paint and asbestos; the basement is unusable; and there are several fire hazards.
In September, the committee presented its recommendations to the Select Board, which endorsed them.
During the commission meeting, several audience members said they love the course, but the building should be torn down.
“I have never seen anything of historic significance,” said one resident, a longtime golfer.
Select Board members Ian Johnson and Shelby Marshall, who attended the meeting, said they would like to have a “collaboration” with the commission.
“Having that collaboration makes a lot of sense,” said Johnson, who was the board’s representative on the building use committee.
The commission is planning to tour the building to better determine the building’s historical or cultural value.
About the Westborough Golf Club building
In September, the Historical Commission commissioned Stacy E. Stiles to gather information on the golf club building. That information was recorded onto a document that will be submitted to the Massachusetts Historical Commission for inclusion into its registry.
According to the document, the building at 121 W. Main St. was built around 1871. Its historic names include the Moses and Matilda Pollard House, Bay State Abrasives Products Co. Club, and the Westborough Country Club.
The house’s style is Greek or Colonial Revival. It has a stone and concrete foundation; the exterior is mostly vinyl siding over wood with asphalt shingles.
The porch was added in 1922; shed dormers were added to the rear ell sometime in the 1920s. The pro shop was installed in 1995, and the vinyl windows installed within the last 20 years.
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Most of the original wood trim remains, along with a few of the original wood-frame windows. The original clapboard may still exist under the vinyl siding.
Originally a farm owned by Moses Pollard, the property was purchased by the Westborough Country Club in 1921 and converted into a nine-hole course, with locker and dining facilities.
In 1945, Bay State Abrasives purchased the country club with the intent to furnish recreational facilities for its employees. The club remained open for public use.
In 1955, Bay State Abrasives offered the property as a gift to the town; Town Meeting turned down the bequest, saying Bay State Abrasives could better run the club. BSA and its successor, Avco, operated the club until 1975, when Town Meeting voted to purchase the property and formed the Country Club Committee.
In 2022, a fire damaged the kitchen area. A subsequent report detailed some serious issues with the building. The town decided not to renew the lease with the restaurant using the space.
The golf club and pro shop remain open.
The next steps
Johnson said a demolition permit has yet to reach the board. Should a permit come forth, and the building is deemed of historical or cultural value, the commission could recommend a demolition delay of up to nine months.
The delay would allow all parties to come up with possible alternatives to demolition.
Hedrick emphasized that a delay is just that.
“We cannot stop the demolition, we cannot save the building” once the delay ends, he said.
The document is available on the Historical Commission’s page on www.westboroughma.gov. The commission will also accept comments and opinions about the golf club building.
These may be emailed to [email protected].
