Friday, January 25, 2013
This week Medfield Town Historian Richard DeSorgher highlights many things that make Medfield a unique place.
For the past three years, and 156 articles later, I have written each week about things in Medfield that are truly unique, things that we in Medfield are proud of and that are indeed special to our community. Some are people, our most valuable resource; other things that are uniquely Medfield are our historic houses, our churches, Vine Lake Cemetery and the State Hospital Cemetery; others, perhaps not proud of, but still under the uniquely Medfield category, would include the town’s first murder and the KKK cross burning on Miller Street. As this will be my final Uniquely Medfield article, I thought I would give a summary and highlight some of my favorite articles. Medfield’s early history as the 43rd oldest community in Massachusetts …
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Here is a quick look at the week of Dec. 30 to Jan. 5, and what a week it was.
Last week was a chilly week in Medfield, in more ways than one. The last few days of December and the first few days of January brought snow to the ground (as we were finally able to use our sleds), and a chill to our hearts as we learned that Lord's Department Store will be closing its doors after 73 years in downtown Medfield. On Sunday, hundreds of Medfield folks hit Hospital Hill to take advantage of last weekend's snowfall. Monday was the last day of business for Fresh Catch Seafood & Butcher Shop which closed its doors on January 1. But the biggest news last week, bar none, was learning the town's beloved Lord's will be closing on Feb. 28. It was not an easy decision, said Lord's store owners Nancy Kelly-Lavin and Tom Kelly -- …
Friday, December 28, 2012
A weekly column by Medfield Town Historian Richard DeSorgher. This week discusses the impact of the 'For Sale' sign in front of the Clark Tavern.
Medfield is clearly at a crossroad of what the future character of the town is going to be. Sitting at 353-355 Main Street is the Clark Tavern. It dates to 1740. Many consider it the most historic house in Medfield. Certainly, it is on historic par with the Peak House and the Dwight-Derby House. Today, once again a “for sale” sign stands in front of the tavern. Many in town breathed a great sigh of relief five years ago when it was first up for sale and they saw the “sold” sign and learned that the property had been purchased by Medfield residents Stephen and Lynn Browne. Back then, behind the house was more than seven acres of woodland. Rumors talked of a developer wanting to tear down the Clark Tavern in order to develop the back …
Friday, December 14, 2012
A weekly column by Town Historian Richard DeSorgher.
Medfield High School was first established on March 24, 1870. The high school was then located in the Center School, later named the Ralph Wheelock School located on 25 Pleasant Street. That building burnt to the ground in 1940. In 1927, Medfield moved to its new home with the building of the Hannah Adams Pfaff High School on the corner of Dale and North Streets, today’s Pfaff Center. In 1942, the high school moved again, this time to the new Hannah Adams Pfaff High School, located on the corner of Dale and Adams Street, today’s Dale Street School. In 1961, Medfield High School moved across town with the building of the Amos Clark Kingsbury High School on 24 Pound Street. In 2005, Medfield High School moved into its current home when it …
Friday, November 30, 2012
A weekly column by Town Historian Richard DeSorgher.
As we enter the final month of the year 2012, and before we enter the new year of 2013, it would be interesting in looking back to what was happening in this same community of Medfield exactly 100 years ago, in the year 1912. While Medfield’s current appropriations for all our operating budgets went over the $50,000,000 mark for the first time this year, in 1912, the total appropriation was only $32,278 -- about the same amount as this year’s operation and salaries for our conservation commission. The 1912 budget included $7,300 for our schools, $4,000 for the highway department, $2,500 for street lights, $1,200 for police and $400 for snow removal. The large highway budget reflected the new use of putting tarvia (now known as tar) on many…
Monday, November 26, 2012
A weekly Patch column by Town Historian Richard DeSorgher.
With all the hustle and bustle of Thanksgiving and Black Friday and the busy weekend, did you see last week's edition of Uniquely Medfield? Click here to read Richard DeSorgher's interesting history of "The Street Named Frairy." The street name "Frairy" is unique and often mispronounced. It hosts Medfield Day every September, is home to the historic Dwight-Derby House, is part of the shore-line of Meetinghouse Pond, has the only bridge in town where the cars travel under the train tracks, is the location of...[read more] Tune in each Friday for another edition of Uniquely Medfield.
Friday, November 23, 2012
A weekly column by Town Historian Richard DeSorgher.
The street name "Frairy" is unique and often mispronounced. It hosts Medfield Day every September, is home to the historic Dwight-Derby House, is part of the shore-line of Meetinghouse Pond, has the only bridge in town where the cars travel under the train tracks, is the location of Basil's Restaurant (formerly the Frances Cafe), and was home to Medfield’s Italian immigrant population which first arrived in the early 1900s. It runs from North Street to Dale Street. Who was this Frairy family that the street was named after? John Frairy was one of the founders of Dedham, Massachusetts. He came from England with his wife Prudence and one or more of his children. He was made a freeman in Dedham in 1638. He became a cordwainer or shoemaker …
Friday, November 16, 2012
A weekly column by Medfield Town Historian Richard DeSorgher.
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Friday, November 16, 2012
They came to America by the millions. Some two million Huguenots, or French Protestants, fled France after the Edict of Nantes in 1685 designated France an official “Catholic” nation. At first, the edict protected the Protestants from persecution at the hands of the Catholic Church but that soon wore away and the Huguenots faced a life of hardship and persecution. By the end of the 17th century, roughly 200,000 Huguenots had fled France, most relocated to Protestant nations such as English America. One of the Huguenots that fled France arrived in Medfield in 1718. His name was Dr. James Gerauld and he was one of a family of 21 children. His name is spelled numerous ways—Gerould, Gerar, Jirauld, Jerauld, etc. He arrived here with his wife…
Friday, November 9, 2012
A weekly column by Town Historian Richard DeSorgher.
Throughout Medfield’s history, religion has been in important piece of the Medfield fabric; starting with the First Parish Church, whose roots follow the very founding of the town, to the First Baptist Church in the 18th Century, followed by the Congregational Church, today’s United Church of Christ, and St. Edward Catholic Church in the 19th Century to the Episcopal, Church of the Advent, in 1905. The ministers and priests who served the churches over the years have influenced those of us in Medfield and have contributed much to the town. In most cases, they become town residents and volunteer and interact with the civic and social life of the town. Each had a special home here in Medfield, usually provided by the church, in which to …
Friday, October 26, 2012
This very spooky story takes place here in Medfield back in the year 1802 and involves both the Mason and Allen families.
Editor's note: By many requests, this story, which has run in the town newspapers (as well as here on Patch) in the past, is being published again at Halloween-time. Read on, and you'll know why we decided to publish it again. It is perhaps the strangest and most horrifying story in all of Medfield history. The fact that these events unfolded on Halloween just adds to the intrigue. This very spooky story takes place here in Medfield back in the year 1802 and involves both the Mason and Allen families. Asa Mason, at the time, lived on the Mason Farm in the very northeastern part of Pine Street, at the Dover line. Today, this would be the property at the very end of Overfield Drive. At age 75, Asa was not in good health and his mind was …
Steve Rossi
12:57 pm on Wednesday, March 27, 2013
My family "returned" to Medfield when I was 5, my father having grown up there. I left shortly after high school so my formative years were all there ... during the 50's and early 60's when life was slower and Medfield was nothing more than a village... a wonderful village to grow up in. Your articles have constantly reminded me of a very special time in my life and there will always be a bit of … more ›