It extends for about three-quarters of a mile, and includes elements representative of the development of Weston from a rural agricultural community to a residential suburb of Boston.

The historic district extends along North Avenue between Hobbs Brook Road in the east to Viles Street in the west, where the Hastings commuter rail station is located.

[3] The Weston area was first settled in the 17th century, when it was part of Watertown, and North Avenue was one of the locuses of early settlement.

Five generations of Hobbses operated the tannery for more than an century, and built a number of surviving houses in the district, including 87, 88, and 121 North Avenue.

Hook and Hastings Organ Company built a factory on Viles Street at the railroad, which became the town's largest employer and a significant economic force in its development.