Discover 8 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Medfield (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Noon Hill, First Baptist Church of Medfield, and Dwight-Derby House. Also, be sure to include Peak House in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Medfield (Massachusetts).
Table of Contents
Noon Hill
Park in Medfield, Massachusetts. Noon Hill is a 204-acre open space preserve located in Medfield, Massachusetts and centered on 370-foot Noon Hill, a prominent summit and scenic vista. It is managed by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations and offers 4.5 miles of trails available for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and cross country skiing. Oak-hickory forest, wetlands, vernal pools, steep ravines, boulders, and rocky ledges characterize the preserve. Noon Hill is a link in the 200-mile Bay Circuit Trail. Holt Pond, a constructed mill pond, is located on the property.
Noon Hill is part of a larger area of protected open space including land owned by the town of Medfield and The Trustees of Reservations' Shattuck Reservation located to the northwest of Noon Hill along the Charles River.[1]
First Baptist Church of Medfield
Church building in Medfield, Massachusetts. The First Baptist Church of Medfield is a historic Baptist church building at 438 Main Street in Medfield, Massachusetts, United States.
The church building, the second for the congregation, was constructed in 1838, and originally had Greek Revival styling. In 1874 it was significantly renovated, and given its present Gothic Revival appearance. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
The congregation was established in 1752. It was formally incorporated and given recognition in 1776 under Thomas Gair, its first pastor. Today it is a member of the American Baptists churches, and it theologically aligns with a Reformed Theology and movements such as The Gospel Coalition. Its worship today is a blend of Biblically founded, Gospel Centered preaching, and heartfelt praise. The music style is a blend of contemporary and traditional music. Worship starts at 10:00 a.m.[2]
Address: 438 Main St, 02052-2006 Medfield (Medfield)
Dwight-Derby House
Historical place in Medfield, Massachusetts. The Dwight-Derby House is at 7 Frairy Street in Medfield, Massachusetts. The Oxford Dendrochronology Laboratory took samples of the house frame in 2007 and determined that the earliest, southwest portion of the house was built in 1697, and an addition was built to the east in 1713. The town bought the house in 1996, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.[3]
Address: 7 Frairy Street, Medfield (Medfield)
Peak House
Building in Medfield, Massachusetts. Peak House Heritage Center is a historic site located in Medfield, Massachusetts.
According to tradition, the original house was built in 1651 by Benjamin Clark, was burned during the King Philip's War on February 21,1676, and was rebuilt ca. 1677–1680 by Benjamin Clark, the owner of the original house. The current Peak House, however, was built in 1711 as an ell to the rebuilt house, and was moved to its current location in 1762 when the rebuilt house began to deteriorate. It is one of the oldest houses in Medfield and one of the earliest surviving examples of post-medieval English (Elizabethan) architecture in the United States. Some of the original panes of imported English glass in the windows can still be seen today. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and has the highest pitched roof on record in Massachusetts for a colonial American house.
On October 18, 1924, the Peak House was deeded to the Medfield Historical Society by its then-owners, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Mason Smith, after which the house received a down-to-the-frame restoration. The house has served both as a dwelling and an historical site, as well as an artist's studio and workshop.
On January 1, 2019, a ten-year Property Management Agreement was signed by the Medfield Historical Society and the Peak House Heritage Center which now has complete autonomy for facilities, operations, and programs. For the Heritage Center's hours of operation and visitor appeal, go to peakhouseheritagecenter.org.[4]
Address: 347 Main St, 02052-2045 Medfield (Medfield)
First Parish Unitarian Church
Building. The First Parish Unitarian Church, now the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Medfield, is a historic church on North Street in Medfield, Massachusetts. The white clapboarded church was built in 1789, as the third for a congregation established c. 1652. In 1839 it was rotated on its site ninety degrees. It lost its steeple in the New England Hurricane of 1938. The steeple was replaced in 1988, and the building's many layers of paint were stripped off in 2007.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.[5]
Address: 26 North St, 02052 Medfield (Medfield)
Zullo Gallery
Museum
Address: 456 Main St, 02052-2008 Medfield (Medfield)
Vine Lake Cemetery
Cemetery in Medfield, Massachusetts. Vine Lake Cemetery is a historic cemetery on Main Street in Medfield, Massachusetts. First established in 1651, this 32-acre cemetery has grown and evolved over the centuries, and remains the town's only public cemetery. Its sections include the original colonial burying ground, a section in the rural cemetery style fashionable in the 19th century, and modern sections laid out in the 20th century. The oldest dated marker is from 1661.
The cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.[6]
Inness-Fitts House and Studio/Barn
The Inness–Fitts House and Studio is a historic house at 406 Main Street in Medfield, Massachusetts. Built in 1836, it is a modest transitional Federal-Greek Revival structure. Southeast of the house stands a barn, probably built in the mid-18th century, which was adapted c. 1860 by artist George Inness for use as a studio. Inness lived here from 1860 to 1864. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.[7]