Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Volunteers sought for Arbor Day of Service on Friday, April 26, to prune and remove trees in the old section of Vine Lake Cemetery.
According to the Vine Lake Preservation Trust's monthly newsletter, Quiet Voices, volunteers are being sought for work on Arbor Day, Friday, April 26 in two areas of the Vine Lake Cemetery. Volunteers will complement four tree companies who will volunteer labor and equipment to improve the cemetery's canopy. Volunteers are needed at: The event lasts until approximately 2 p.m. People can volunteer for either task by sending an email to organizers. For more information, visit www.vinelakepreservationtrust.org About the Arbor Day of Service The event is sponsored by the Massachusetts Arborists Association as a planned event across the Commonwealth on Arbor Day, this year Friday the 26th. Over $30,000 of volunteer equipment and labor was …
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
On March 16, the Vine Lake Preservation Trust will present "Be Jubilant, My Feet" - a Concert to Recognize Medfield’s Civil War Veterans. The program will include songs from the era including The Battle Hymn of the Republic.
The following press release was submitted by the Vine Lake Preservation Trust. Hear stirring renditions of Civil War folks songs sung by a professional duet. Witness the portrayal of Julia Ward Howe by a charming actress as she composes "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." "Be Jubilant, My Feet" is a free family concert to recognize 75 Civil War veterans buried or honored in Medfield’s Vine Lake Cemetery. It will be held Sat., March 16, from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Church of the Advent, 28 Pleasant Street, Medfield. The Civil War saw a boom in music publishing such as the United States had never seen. Whether on the battlefield or at home, people sang. These songs brought to mind happier times, comforted those at home, and …
Friday, November 16, 2012
Fourth grade students from Dale Street participated in this annual fall event but, because of inclimate weather, some children will have to wait until Spring.
Earlier this month, about 80 fourth graders in two separate groups walked from Dale Street Elementary School to Vine Lake Cemetery for a morning of different activities. Using a treasure hunt designed by Vine Lake Preservation Trust, students and teachers hunted for answers at 10 different gravesites in the old section of the cemetery which was founded in 1651. Those "treasures" focused on history and art while other activities, led by their teachers, focused on nature exploration and creative writing. This educational program is one of many Vine Lake cultural opportunities available to people of all ages at the cemetery. For weather reasons, five Dale Street classes had to be rescheduled until May when they will follow the same …
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Volunteers are needed to help clean and re-set small headstones in the Vine Lake Cemetery on Oct. 19 and Oct. 20.
The following was taken from Quiet Voices, the newsletter for The Vine Lake Preservation Trust. The last two gravestone preservation sessions (numbers 14 and 15 for year 2012) are planned for Friday, Oct. 19 and Saturday, Oct. 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. During these sessions, volunteers will clean and reset small headstones and footstones. All materials and tools are supplied by the Trust. Leadership is provided by well-seasoned volunteers for these dramatic and easy projects. New volunteers are always welcome. At the Trust's booth on Medfield Day, five persons signed up who expressed long-standing interest in improving memorials at Vine Lake Cemetery. Thank you to them and to everyone else who participates throughout the year. …
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
An Alaska man received a scholarship set up at Harvard University for descendants of a Medfield family.
Portions of the following were taken from Quiet Voices, the newsletter of The Vine Lake Preservation Trust. A freshman from Alaska who is attending Harvard University is the recipient of a scholarship tied to a Medfield family. Dylan Hardenbergh recently visited Vine Lake Cemetery to see for the first time the memorials to his fourth great-grandparents, Seth and Mary (Fairbanks) Ellis. Being their direct descendant allowed him to apply for a scholarship funded by more recent relatives, Calvin Ellis and Lucy Ellis, brother and sister. "The scholarship is available to a Ellis descendant who gains admission to Harvard and that makes an argument that they're connected to the Ellis family," said Rob Gregg, President of the Vine Lake Cemetery …
Thursday, September 27, 2012
"The Doctor Is In" will walk through the old section of the Vine Lake Cemetery on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. This is the first in a series that will continue in the spring.
On Sept. 29, the Vine Lake Preservation Trust will sponsor a walking tour called, "The Doctor Is In…" which will highlight selected citizens, their gravesites, and explain their causes of death between 1745 and 1849. This initial tour is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon in the Old Section of Medfield’s Vine Lake Cemetery. Early Medfield citizens died from a variety of conditions, many of which are not as terminal or well-known now as they once were. Sam Forman, M.D., and Rob Gregg, president of the Vine Lake Preservation Trust, will partner in the first in a series of informative walking tours whose intent is to describe why and how death occurred and at what age. Guests will visit the gravesites of selected persons to …
Friday, August 24, 2012
Anyone interested in learning about gravestone cleaning and restoration is invited to join volunteers this morning in the Vine Lake Cemetery. A session will also be held on Saturday.
The Vine Lake Preservation Trust will hold a work session today at which they will clean and reset gravestones. Organizers say no experience is necessary and all supplies will be provided. “If you’ve never done this before, training will be provided that day,” says the Vine Lake website. “Come join us, you’ll have a good time, and enjoy the company of other volunteers.” Vine Lake Cemetery was laid out in 1651 (the year the town was incorporated) and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Aside from a small cemetery on the grounds of the former state hospital, it is the only cemetery in town. The Medfield Historical Commission has described Lake Cemetery as a "working museum of American cemeteries since the European settlement …
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Anyone interested in learning how to clean and reset gravestones is invited to meet in the cemetery on Friday morning.
The Vine Lake Preservation Trust will hold a work session on Friday at which they will clean and reset gravestones. Organizers say no experience is necessary and all supplies will be provided. “If you’ve never done this before, training will be provided that day,” says the Vine Lake website. “Come join us, you’ll have a good time, and enjoy the company of other volunteers.” Vine Lake Cemetery was laid out in 1651 (the year the town was incorporated) and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Aside from a small cemetery on the grounds of the former state hospital, it is the only cemetery in town. The Medfield Historical Commission has described Lake Cemetery as a "working museum of American cemeteries since the European …
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
The Historical Commission has given the award to Gregg, president of the Vine Lake Preservation Trust, for his work with the Vine Lake Cemetery.
The Historical Commission awarded its 2012 Historic Preservation Award to Rob Gregg for his work at the Vine Lake Cemetery and the creation of the Vine Lake Preservation Trust. “We want to honor someone who has done a terrific job revitalizing one of Medfield’s oldest and most important historic assets, Vine Lake Cemetery,” said David Temple, co-chair of the Historical Commission whose charge is to make sure that Medfield’s rich history is considered and protected as town development decisions are made. “I’ve known Rob Gregg for years, and he’s always been very interested in history and genealogy,” said Temple as he presented the award at the July 3 meeting of the Board of Selectmen. “I have sometimes described Rob, in best possible …
Thursday, July 5, 2012
The Medfield Board of Selectmen met Tuesday at Town Hall to discuss the following town business.
The Board of Selectmen held a brief meeting on Tuesday that culminated with the presentation of the Historical Commission’s 2012 Historic Preservation Award being given to Rob Gregg. Historical Commission co-chair David Temple presented the award to Gregg for his work with the Vine Lake Preservation Trust, a nonprofit charitable corporation promoting appreciation and preservation of the cultural, historical, and natural resources in the town’s Vine Lake Cemetery (founded in 1651). A full board was present including Ann Thompson, Osler "Pete" Peterson, and Mark Fisher; as well as Town Administrator Michael Sullivan and Assistant Town Administrator Kristine Trierweiler. Other business included: Action Items: Medfield State Hospital Update …
