Community Partnerships
North Roof of Peak House Replaced
January 15, 2025
Opportunity: Shingles were cupped, cracked and loose which allowed rainwater to enter.
Partnership: Mitchell Construction Group of Medfield removed old shingles and installed thick, hand-cut red cedar shakes from British Columbia, more in keeping with the house’s Colonial appearance.
Grant Awarded for Two Interpretive Panels
December 10, 2024
Opportunity: The stories of Benjamin’s 1668 house and its burning in 1676 during King Philip’s War and the 1680 rebuilding of both his home and the ell in 1711 (today’s Peak House) are unavailable to visitors when touring the grounds.
Partnership: The Medfield Cultural Council awarded a $3,000 grant for the design and fabrication of two outdoor interpretive panels to portray this house history.
Grant Awarded to Fund Window Preservation
November 26, 2024
Opportunity: The eleven (11) historic Elizabethan-style windows in the 313-year-old Peak House appeared to be aging gracefully. However, upon closer examination, every window had parts which were declining rapidly.
Partnership: Dedham Savings Community Foundation awarded a $5,000 grant to fund the initial steps to repair and preserve the windows.
Historic Sites & Bites Adds Visitor Treats
June 8, 2024
Opportunity: Visitor experiences could be enhanced with Colonial food.
Partnership: Medfield’s Blue Moon Bagel Café provided treats of Colonial cookies on visitor days.
Grant Awarded for Peak House Traveling Trunk
May 21, 2024
Opportunity: The Peak House is one of the earliest surviving examples of post-Medieval English (Elizabethan) architecture and is the only free-standing structure of its kind in the United States. This architecture is hidden behind its walls.
Partnership: The Medfield Cultural Council awarded a $3,150 grant for fabricating a model of the Peak House frame to enhance visitor awareness.
Grant Awarded for Peak House Frame Model
November 27, 2023
Opportunity: The Peak House is one of the earliest surviving examples of post-Medieval English (Elizabethan) architecture and is the only free-standing structure of its kind in the United States. This architecture is hidden behind its walls.
Partnership: The Medfield Cultural Council awarded a $3,150 grant for fabricating a model of the Peak House frame to enhance visitor awareness.
Grant Awarded for John Jesse Francis Art Exhibit
March 28, 2023
Opportunity: This exhibition required numerous items to be present for both the Francis story as well as copies of his watercolor paintings.
Partnership: The Massachusetts Cultural Council awarded a grant of $2,500 to partially fund a standalone kiosk for a tablet audio/visual introduction, the fabrication of twelve paintings for display and the printing of postcards as part of the visitor experience.
Grant Awarded for Archaeological Cellar Dig
December 15, 2021
Opportunity: After decades of rainwater pooling on the cellar’s dirt floor, a plan was established to remedy the problem with a vapor barrier and crushed stone solution once an industry-standard dig was conducted.
Partnership: The Medfield Foundation’s Legacy Fund awarded an $8,000 grant so that a dig would be performed by the Public Archaeology Laboratory of Pawtucket, RI.
