Medfield Historical Society

The National Register of Historic Places, which falls under the jurisdiction of the U. S. Department of the Interior, is the nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. To qualify, properties must be rigorously documented and evaluated according to uniform standards. These criteria recognize the accomplishments of all peoples who have contributed to the history and heritage of the United States and are designed to help state and local governments, Federal agencies, and others identify important historic and archeological properties worthy of preservation and of consideration in planning and development decisions.

Listing in the National Register contributes to preserving historic properties in a number of ways:

Peak House 345 Main Street - 1668 (Map) The Peak House is located at 345 East Main Street (Route 109), at the Pound Street intersection. It is open for tours from 2 - 5 pm Sunday afternoons during the summer and at the annual Pantry Sale the Saturday before Thanksgiving. It was deeded to the Medfield Historical Society on October 18, 1924 by its then-owners, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick M. Smith, after which it received a down-to-the-frame restoration. The Peak House was originally built about 1668; it was one of 32 houses - half the houses in town - that were burned down February 21, 1676 in King Philip's War. It was rebuilt about 1680 and is one of the earliest surviving examples of Postmedieval English (Elizabethan) architecture in the United States. Although the Peak House has a footprint of less than 400 square feet, it has three levels plus a more recent basement. Its design allows it to shed snow readily in the winter and keep the lower floors cooler in the summer. The herb garden outside the front door contains plants the colonists are known to have used for medicines and dyes as well as seasonings: sage, marjoram, tansy, basil, chives, thyme, lavender, horehound, and sorrel. The original owners, Benjamin and Dorcas Clark, lived in this cozy dwelling with their nine children!
	Dwight Derby House Frairy Street, opposite Meetinghouse Pond - 1651 (Map) The Dwight-Derby House on Frairy Street, opposite Meetinghouse (Baker's) Pond, was built in 1651. It is one of the ten oldest wood frame houses in America. In 1996 the house faced the wrecking ball, and the town of Medfield bought it to preserve an historic treasure that could serve as a community resource. Thanks to hard work by a dedicated group of Medfield volunteers - and grants from the Massachusetts Historical Commission and the National Trust for Historic Preservation - the house has been stabilized and partially restored. The original owner was Timothy Dwight, who died of wounds suffered during the attack by King Philip's forces in 1676. The house remained in the family until 1797 and was extensively modified - only a small part of the original house remains, near the front door. The house was owned by Mary and John Mary Derby and their descendants until 1948. Under the stewardship of the Friends of the Dwight Derby House, Inc., the house is used for historical society events and can be rented by individuals and corporations for private functions.
Vine Lake Cemetery West Main Street - 1651 (Map) Vine Lake Cemetery on West Main Street was established in 1651; the oldest known grave marker is that of Lydia Lovel, dating from 1661. It is the town's only cemetery, except for a small burial ground for a few patients at the former Medfield State Hospital. What began as a small colonial graveyard has, as the town has added acreage, evolved in a modern 30-acre cemetery and an ongoing museum of American cemetery design: colonial burying ground, rural cemetery, garden cemetery, and the egalitarian landscape lawn cemetery of the last century. In 2007 significant restoration work was performed on the oldest section, on the hill nearest Route 109, thanks in part to a Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund grant that had been secured by the Medfield Historical Commission. Fifty-nine old grave markers received expert cleaning and repairs and resetting. In addition, two steep sets of steps leading up from the lakeside road received new handrails, and the longer of the two, the granite steps were removed, cleaned, and reset, and many new granite steps were added.
	First Baptist Church Corner of Main and South Streets - 1838 (Map) The First Baptist Church, 438 Main Street -- Medfield's first Baptist congregation was formed in 1752, and the first meetinghouse was erected 20 years later on West Main Street, near the present Route 27 intersection. In 1822 it was enlarged, but in 1838 that meetinghouse was sold. The church bought land at the corner of South and Main Streets (a.k.a. Route 109), site of the present church structure. The new, larger, more centrally-located Greek Revival-style Meeting House was dedicated on October 3rd of that same year. The speedy building contractor was Jonathan Gleason. In 1874 the Meeting House was remodeled and given a bell tower and Victorian Gothic features in time for the celebration of the U.S. centennial in 1876. Four years later a new parsonage was built on East Main Street, but it was sold shortly thereafter, and the current parsonage located on South Street was built. William S. Tilden served as music director of the First Baptist Church for over 50 years. He is better known today as the author of "History of Medfield, 1650-1886." Page 235 of his book contains sketches of the 1772 Baptist meeting house and the present structure showing both the Greek Revival facade of 1838 and the Victorian Gothic facade of 1874.
Meeting House, now First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church 26 North Street - 1789 (Map) The 1789 Meeting House, now the First Parish Unitarian-Universalist Church, 26 North Street, is the third town meeting house building on that site. The first two were built in 1660 and 1706.The five Medfield Historical Society programs are usually held in the basement. There was no heat in any of those buildings until 1826. In 1839 the building was extensively remodeled in the Greek Revival style. The building was elevated and turned 90 degrees to face Hartford Road (Main Street). A vestry was constructed at ground level under the sanctuary, a spire, colonnade and portico and rose window were added. New pews were installed. The wainscoting in the vestry was made from the old pew enclosures. In 1861 a new town clock was installed in the tower, having four faces. It still operates today, although changed from weight drive to electric motor in 1968. Today the building is an active church, with membership at an all-time high, and it can also be rented by private individuals and groups. It also anchors the annual Medfield Day.
	George Inness Art Studio 406R Main Street (Map) George Inness (1825-94), was one of America's foremost artists of his time. He lived in Medfield from about 1860 to 1864. Inness' studio is at 406R Main Street, which is now privately owned. Inness is best known for his landscape paintings, many of which are exhibited in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and many other leading museums. Inness was born on a farm near Newburg, New York. His early work showed the influence of the Hudson River School; in his travels to France in the 1850s he became a follower of the Barbizon school. In Medfield he began to find his own style with broad masses of light and dark and an atmospheric quality, and here he did some of his best work. The Museum of Fine Arts has 10 Inness paintings, but unfortunately the two from his Medfield years are not currently on display. After leaving Medfield, he lived in New Jersey and in Italy. In later life his painting was influenced by Swedenborgian mysticism. (for more on George Inness, see: www.artchive.com/artchive/I/inness.html)