Medfield History: Historical Society, Dwight Derby House and Vine Lake Trust

Editor's note: This weekly column will keep you up to date minute by minute on the latest happenings concerning Medfield’s rich history, whether it is giving updates or information concerning town institutions like the Peak House, Dwight-Derby House, Lowell Mason House, or Vine Lake Cemetery or whether they are history related events taking place sponsored by the Historical Society, Historical Commission or other town boards. It will keep you informed about any and all historical related events in town.

Our town’s history, historical houses, landscape and open space are what makes Medfield, Medfield; that unique quality we have here that makes Medfield so special. This column will be the one-stop shopping place to keep you informed, whether you are a local history buff or just concerned about our town and its rich history. Each week the “William Tilden Award” will be given, recognizing an individual who contributes to our town’s history in a positive way, a restored piece of historic property, a contractor who preserves a historic house, an organization whose efforts add to our history, etc.

Medfield Historical Society:

1. More than 25 paintings and framed photographs from the vault of the are now hanging in the Periodical Room of the . The paintings and photos are all labeled with information given about each. This is the first attempt in a partnership between the library and the historical society in sharing resources. Four times a year the historical society will bring historical artifacts, paintings, quilts, photographs, etc. from the society and put them on display in the library for public viewing. The public is invited to stop in the library to view the paintings and photos.
2. Reminder that the will be in the Dailey Wing of the Memorial Public Library from 2 to 4 p.m. All members of the are invited for food, drink socializing and holiday cheer. 
3. The Historical Society recently received a rare glass plate photo of the Peak House found in the vault of the Milton Historical Society. The photo is the only one known to exist showing a fence attached to the Peak House. While the date of the photo is uncertain, at this point in time, best guess is putting the photo’s date around 1920. Copies of the photo will be made and framed and will be on sale at the Historical Society Museum on 6 Pleasant St.
4. A Special Holiday Sale will be taking place on Saturday, Dec. 17 from 10 a.m. to noon at the 6 Pleasant St. Historical Society Museum. Both Tilden’s and DeSorgher’s History of Medfield books will be on sale with a special 25 percent Holiday discount. Other sale items include: Peak House Plates, Peak House Cup-Plates, Historical Medfield maps, History of Medfield DVD’s with all proceeds going to the Scholarship fund, post cards and a variety of Byron Reed paintings, and local authored books.
5. For additional information, see the Historical Society website: http://medfieldhistory.org/medfieldhistoricalsociety

Dwight-Derby House

The exterior of the Dwight-Derby House is now decorated for the Holiday Season.

Vine Lake Preservation Trust

Reminder: Fall photo contest deadline is Friday, Dec. 23. See website for additional information.

The William Tilden Award:

The weekly award recognizing an individual who contributes to our town’s history in a positive way, a restored piece of historic property, a contractor who preserves a historic house, an organization whose efforts add to our history, etc., is named after William Tilden, Town Historian, author of the History of Medfield 1650-1886, state representative, one for the founders of the Medfield Historical Society and its first president. He was a life-long Medfield resident from his birth in 1830 until his death in 1912.

This week’s award goes to: Barbara Leighton of Robert Sproul Road. No one in the town of Medfield has the knowledge or interest in Medfield history more than Barbara Leighton, bar none. Barbara is a life-long resident of the town and the longest serving member of the Medfield Historical Society. She is a past Curator of the Society and the unofficial caretaker of the Peak House. Barbara donates countless hours to Medfield history in general and to the Medfield Historical Society in particular. She is a walking encyclopedia on Medfield’s history and the go-to-person to ask on town history questions. She has volunteered countless hours helping the town clerk sorting, investigating and recording Medfield records. She spent years working on and restoring the Kingsbury Grist Mill. She spends hours at the Society’s 6 Pleasant St. Museum filing documents and organizing records. For over 15 years, she worked with the eighth grade students, helping them Saturday mornings on their Medfield Research projects, also known as the “House project.” For her unending efforts in helping to preserve Medfield’s history and for her countless volunteer hours working in more aspects of Medfield’s history than we will ever know, this week’s William Tilden Award goes, with much gratitude and appreciation, to Barbara Leighton.