Medfield's Lowell Mason House Set for Historic Move

After two delays and months of hard work, the Lowell Mason House will finally make its much anticipated move from 25 Adams St. to 59 Green St. Tuesday morning. 

Moving this piece of American History will affect residents living in the area of the travel route as well as commuters that typically use North Street in the morning. 

"The most significant delay to traffic will be when the house is on North Street," Medfield Chief of Police Robert Meaney Jr. said. "Shutting North Street will involve traffic being routed to Route 27 by way of Dale Street for those traveling south and northbound traffic will need to travel further west on Main Street and then north on Route 27 to Dale Street."

The move is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. but preparations will occur much earlier, causing power outages  in the area. 

"Workers will be on Adams Street by 7 a.m. to begin the process but the actual move cannot begin until NSTAR deals with wires and power in the area," said Meaney. "This will likely be in the are of 8 a.m. NSTAR has given a 12-hour window when the power may be out but unless there are complications with the move, the outage should be a shorter duration. The power may also go on and off more than once during this time period as NSTAR deals with the wires. People should also realize that telephone and cable service will also have interruptions."

Meaney asks for residents' patience during the move. 

"The people on the [moving committee] that planned the move have tried to think of all possible issues but once the move starts more issues will arise and flexibility and problem solving will be key," Meaney said. "People need to be patient."

Medfield Police will be assisting with traffic and safety issues around the house as it moves, according to Meaney, who said there won't be any parking allowed on either side of the street of the travel route. 

"For the most part, people will be able to park on one side of the street on the streets leading up to the route," Meaney said. "People may want to park at Memorial School or in the Montrose lot. People can park at the Dale Street School and the Swim Pond but realize they may be blocked in for an extended period of time while the house goes by and then further while NSTAR reinstalls the wires." 

The original moving date of the Lowell Mason House was schedule for Jan. 20 but utility issues forced the town to push the moving date to Feb. 22 so students would be on vacation and out of school.

The Foundation released a written statement Wednesday morning, explaining the delay in the move, which was scheduled for Feb. 22.

"While looking at the wires on North Street that needed to come down so the house may move over them to the new location on Green Street, it was determined that power would need to be cut to the area for a short period of time," Jim Munz, treasurer of Lowell Mason Foundation, told Medfield Patch in January. "Schools located near the move would be affected by the loss of power."

Then came the winter's extreme snowfall, raising issues and concerns with the house's new foundation at the 59 Green St. location. Lowell Mason Foundation member, Bob Luttman, organized . 

Those conditions led to a second delay in the move, pushing the date to Tuesday, April 19. 

"Delaying the move of this historically significant house [to April], which dates to the 1700’s, allows time for necessary repairs to the house, to permit a smooth transition from the current 25 Adams St. address to its new foundation at 59 Green St," the Lowell Mason Foundation said in a written statement issued in February. "It is hoped that milder spring weather will allow for a more pleasant viewing experience."

Residents are encouraged to witness history as Lowell Mason's birth house travels to its new location, keeping in mind road closures and safety issues involved in the moved. 

Once the house is moved, the Lowell Mason Foundation will continue its efforts to raise funds to restore the historic home. For more information on the move and restoration plans or to make a donation, visit the Lowell Mason Foundation's website.