Select Board awards Case Estates, Fiske Law Office bids

Weston is moving into negotiations to sell three historic buildings on the Case Estates.

The Select Board, on April 29, chose two bidders who filed a joint proposal for three historic buildings on the property. The White family will purchase the Schoolhouse and Hillcrest Stables for $700,000 and $900,000 respectively, while the Cook family will purchase the Thomas Rand Jr. House for $850,000. Both families plan to renovate the properties into single-family residences and move to town. Brian Cook told the board he was committed to preserving the history of the site and was open to having local students be a part of the renovation process.

“Buying an antique home is not about just purchasing a roof over your head,” he said. “It’s about investing your heart and your soul and sense of self and how you want to live.”

According to the proposal, the White and Cook families plan to complete the renovations within two years of closing on the properties.

The Case Estates began as an experimental farm founded by Marian Case. The property was later used for Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum before the land was offered back to the town in 1989.

Weston has tried to sell these buildings in the past. In late 2024, there was a request for proposals (RFP), but the Select Board recommended against those bidders to find a stronger proposal to preserve the buildings as single-family homes. The Zoning Board of Appeals approved a variance request from the town in February that allowed the buildings to be sold as separate lots. The variance grants exceptions to the minimum lot-area, street-frontage and setback requirements from lot lines.

For this latest RFP round , the town received bids from eight parties. The selection committee recommended the Cook/White bid because of the extensive information on restoration, according to Select Board member John McDonald who was a committee member.

“They provided a lot of detail in their bid about how they would restore the buildings, and, to the extent it’s possible to verify, it seemed they were really committed to doing an excellent job at restoring the buildings,” McDonald said. “We like the fact that all three of the buildings would be done together, and at least the people would know each other.”

Town counsel will now begin the negotiation process to sell the properties.

The town has also found an occupant for the Fiske Law Office, a historic building at 598 Boston Post Road that was constructed in 1805. The space will be leased to Marc Valenti, the CEO of Brine Technologies, Inc. to be used as office space. The company manufactures equipment for making brine for roads.

The office was built by Isaac Fiske, a prominent Weston lawyer who served on the Select Board and as town clerk in the 19th-century, according to the town. Charles Fiske Jr. gave the law office to Weston in 1928. The town used it as the town ceremony office until 1936, when it turned the property over to the Historical Committee, according to Weston Historical Society President Pam Fox.

The Historical Committee converted the building into veterans housing, for which was used until 1965. The Weston Historical Society restored the building and used the site as its headquarters before turning the building over to the town in the 1990s. Residents in the mid-2000s approved $258,000 in Community Preservation Act money to renovate the building.

Weston has been trying to find a renter for the space for several years. Requests for proposals in 2016, 2022 and 2025 proved unsuccessful.

The Select Board approved Valenti’s permit after a public hearing on May 12. His application will go on to the Planning Board.

Town manager Leon Gaumond said he is glad that the building will be in use.

“It seemed like a very good bid. It helps the town ensure the protection of a historic building,” Gaumond said. “It will be a win for the town and for the bidder.”