Who was "Baxter" of Baxter Park?

Medfield holds many town events -- on Memorial Day, Veterans' Day, holiday tree lighting, and more -- at Baxter Park (the unmarked park at the corner of Routes 109 and 27), so Patch asked...

Who was "Baxter," or, in this case, the Baxter Family? 

According to Town Historian Richard DeSorgher,

Rev. Joseph Baxter was Medfield’s second minister, and served as a preacher at Medfield’s First Parish Church (today’s Unitarian-Universalist Church on 26 North Street). In 1696, he bought the homestead of Joseph Bullard on Main Street, opposite the head of Spring Street (site of today’s CVS building). Baxter’s land contained 10 acres and extended across the street to what is today Baxter Park. 

Baxter was minister here for 48 years before dying in 1745 at the age of 69. The homestead and property remained in the Baxter family for 220 years. 

Willard Harwood married into the Baxter family and in 1891 he had the historic house torn down and in its place built a sizable mansion (that was later demolished to make way for the building now housing CVS). 

In 1916, after the death of his wife, the current park property was donated by Harwood to the Town of Medfield in honor of the Baxter family.