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: Medfield’s Nine Third Grade classes travel once a year to the Peak House for a fifty-minute oral presentation limited to the house’s history.
Partnership: The Medfield Foundation’s Legacy Fund awarded a $7,500 grant to design and implement THE PEAK HOUSE TRAVELING TRUNK which will transport the material culture and history of the Peak House into the Third Grade classrooms. This project directly addresses Massachusetts Academic Standards for this grade level and correlates with existing PHHC exhibits.
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.
Grants Awarded to Preserve Records
March 2, 2020
Opportunity: The Peak House’s Institutional Records Collection, amassed since 1924, was filed haphazardly in non-archival conditions in non-fire-resistant cabinets.
Partnership: The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, through the State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB), awarded three grants to provide leadership, advocacy and guidance in identifying and preserving our collection of historical documents and photographs.
Grant Awarded to Display Commemorative Plaque
July 12, 2019
Opportunity: No public recognition was present to recognize the Peak House on the National Register of Historic Places.
Partnership: The William G. Pomeroy Foundation of Syracuse, NY contributed a Franklin Bronze Plaque which is mounted on the cellar door to commemorate that honor.
Grant Awarded for Two Interpretive Panels
June 14, 2019
Opportunity: When the Heritage Center was not open, visitors were not informed about either the Colonial Kitchen Gardens or the 1975 archaeological dig behind the Peak House.
Partnership: Dedham Savings Community Foundation awarded a grant for the design and fabrication of two outdoor interpretive panels for visitor education and appreciation.
South Roof of Peak House Replaced
June 2, 2019
Opportunity: Shingles were cupped, cracked and loose which allowed rainwater to enter.
Partnership: The 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.
Community-Minded Business Gifts Lawncare
May 15, 2019
Opportunity: Once the landscape was graded and planted with grass seed, the lawns grew.
Partnership: Under the leadership of its owner and long-time Medfield resident, Mario’s Lawncare has provided seasonal landscape services since this date.
Partnership Established with Tavern Developer
April 15, 2019
Opportunity: Partnership with the developer of the next door Clark Tavern Condominiums would prove beneficial for mutual projects.
Partnership: Like-minded ideas and projects between Dave and Rob MacCready of Open Spaces, Builders LLC and the Heritage Center would prove useful to both parties.
Partnership Developed with Excavator
April 8, 2019
Opportunity: The uneven landscape surrounding the Peak House was overgrown with trees and unwanted plant species while the lawn was small in size.
Partnership: Our next door neighbor, Fred King, owner of F.P. King Excavating LLC, contributed his leadership and equipment to develop the area into a Colonial landscape.
Initial Support Received for Heritage Center Launch
March 1, 2019
Opportunity: The Heritage Center needed support and guidance as a new non-profit corporation.
Partnership: A short-term collaboration with the Medfield Foundation proved highly practical and successful until the Heritage Center received IRS standing.