Medfield History Weekend: Tours, Talks, Activities
- Multi-site community celebration with historic house tours, demonstrations, and family activities. - Runs Friday April 24 through Sunday April 26 at locations across Medfield and nearby sites. - Full schedule and site details at patch.com.
Medfield’s annual History Weekend returns Friday, April 24, through Sunday, April 26, with tours, talks and family activities spread across town and nearby historic sites. (patch.com) The Medfield Historical Society is leading the three-day program, with events at the Dwight-Derby House, Peak House Heritage Center, Kingsbury Pond Grist Mill, Lowell Mason House, the historic Meetinghouse and the former Medfield State Hospital campus. (medfieldhistoricalsociety.org) The weekend opens Friday with a luminaria event near the 1789 Meetinghouse from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and a kickoff reception at the Dwight-Derby House, 7 Friary St., from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (ticketsource.com 1) (ticketsource.com 2) Saturday and Sunday center on open houses and timed tours, including steeple and town clock visits, narrated Old Town Trolley rides, a walking tour of the former Medfield State Hospital and a children’s scavenger hunt at Medfield Public Library during normal hours. (patch.com) (ticketsource.com) This year’s program also adds the unveiling of a new historical marker tied to King Philip’s War, along with related talks by Town Historian Richard DeSorgher. (medfieldhistoricalsociety.org) At the Medfield Historical Society Museum, visitors can see John Adams portrayed by a reenactor, while the Dwight-Derby House kickoff includes the East Parlor’s bonnet shop exhibit and an introduction to new Friends of Dwight-Derby House president MaryKate McMaster. (medfieldhistoricalsociety.org 1) (medfieldhistoricalsociety.org 2) Organizers say the weekend mixes free and paid attractions, with ticketing used even for many free stops to gauge attendance and manage capacity. Proceeds from paid events support Medfield nonprofit preservation groups. (patch.com) (ticketsource.com) The presenting sponsors are Needham Bank and Wasabi Asian Bistro & Bar, and the Medfield Cultural Council is helping fund the initiative with support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. (patch.com) (medfieldhistoricalsociety.org) For Medfield, the weekend turns local history into a town-wide itinerary: a 1651 house, a grist mill, a church steeple, a hospital campus and a trolley route, all in three days. (medfieldhistoricalsociety.org) (ticketsource.com)
