Winter/Spring 2012 Programs

A Peek at The Peak: A History of Medfield High School Yearbooks from 1925 to Present

Monday, April 1
7:30 pm
T. A. Blake Middle School Auditorium

Ready to relive your glory days—at least vicariously? In our April program, student curators April Neafus and John Powers will present a retrospective of The Peak, Medfield High School’s yearbook.

In this fun-filled, fast-paced slideshow April and John will showcase the changes in clothing, hairstyle, makeup and general appearance of Medfield high school students, the modifications in curriculum, the various sports offered, the different uniforms of the sports teams and the countless teachers who educated Medfield youth over the past eight decades.

You won’t want to miss seeing vintage pictures of current members of the teaching staff who attended Medfield High School as students. A special display will feature photos of Medfield students and teachers over the years, along with all the yearbooks. Whether or not you attended Medfield High, this welcome blast from the past is sure to create some conversation—and chuckles.

Medfield—A Town Divided

Monday, February 4
7:30 pm
First Parish Church

Three hundred years ago, in 1713, Medfield residents on the west side of the Charles River broke away to form their own town—the town of Medway. Curator Richard DeSorgher will reveal the underlying causes that led to the split and portray the impact it had on Medfield. Medway, which is just beginning its 300th Anniversary Celebration, will send members of its historical society to the “scene of the crime,” the First Parish Church, where the  February 4th program will take place, to present the reaction in Medway and what life was like 300 years ago in that new settlement.

Fall 2012 Programs

Saturday, November 20
10 am – 2 pm
Peak House

Peak House Pantry Sale

The annual Peak House Pantry Sale, a town tradition for over 40 years, will be held at the Peak House on Saturday, November 18, from 10am – 2pm. Stop by early to pick up home-baked pies, breads and cookies as well as a wedge of sharp Vermont cheese cut by cheese-cutter extraordinaire, Curator Mike Stamer. Browse the white elephant sale for treasures and novelties and take a tour of the house while you’re there. All proceeds support the ongoing maintenance of the Peak House.

Hats Off to the Ladies

Monday, November 5, 2012
7:30 pm – 9 pm
First Parish Church

Hat factories and the hat industry drove the Medfield economy throughout the 19th century. We’ll take a look at the men who made their fortunes, and how the industry evolved. We’ll also dig deeper, examining women’s role in this industry beginning with 12-year-old Betsey Metcalf and explore what the industry represented in their lives – the emergence of women as a social, political and economic force within the community.

Medfield Under Attack

Monday, October 1, 2012
7:30 pm – 9 pm
T.A.  Blake Middle School Auditorium

The society is launching its 2012-13 season with the premiere showing of “Medfield Under Attack,” a brand new retrospective on the Native-American assault on Medfield on February 21, 1676, during the King Philip War. Filmed on location, the movie takes you through Medfield, recounting the events of the attack told at the spot where they occurred. Hear the stories behind the lives lost, the homes burnt and the flight of Native-Americans over the burning Charles River bridges. This one-hour movie, produced by curator Richard DeSorgher and filmed by Medfield TV, makes its debut on the big screen at the Thomas A. Blake Middle School Auditorium on 24 Pound St, site of the original Thurston Homestead, which was destroyed in the attack and which saw one Thurston child taken hostage and two killed. A must see for anyone interested in the story behind this inauspicious day.

Medfield Day

Saturday, September 15, 2012
9 am – 3 pm
Medfield Center

MEMO’s Medfield Day is slated for Saturday, September 15, 2012. Come visit us at the Medfield Historical Society booth (#39), across from the Dwight-Derby House, where we’ll be featuring a display on “Medfield Reads History.” Bring along a friend and introduce them to what the Historical Society has to offer. While you’re there, be sure to enter our drawing!

First Thursday

Thursday, September 6, 2012
6 pm – 10 pm
Library Courtyard & Zullo Gallery

Join us on Thursday, September 6, for a collaborative First Thursday with partners of the Medfield Cultural District. Zullo Gallery will remain open from 6 – 10 pm with the last week of its exhibition “Four Artists” and continue its popular grilling on the deck. At 6:15 pm, Town Historian Richard DeSorgher and Public Art Consultant Jean Mineo will lead a 45-minute walking tour along Main Street to discuss the poetry installation “Thoughts Are Free” and several historic properties in the District. A brief tour of the Peak House is included.  From 6 – 8 pm, cultural leaders from the Dwight Derby House, Medfield Green, Medfield TV, Medfield Historic Society, Medfield Cultural Council, M.E.M.O, Friends of the Library, Vine Lake Preservation Trust, and more, will be on hand to preview their upcoming programs.

Summer 2012 Programs and Events

Weapons Display

See the sword that was used aboard the U.S.S. Constitution (Old Ironsides) during action in the War of 1812 and an assortment of swords, sabers and guns in other conflicts, from the Civil War to World War I and II, at this fascinating exhibit of old weapons on display at the Peak House.

 

Antique Farm Machinery Exhibit

Sunday, August 12
2 pm – 5 pm
Peak House

Explore the ways people in the 18th and 19th centuries conducted life in New England, and the evolution of farm machinery during a period when hand labor was gradually replaced with mechanical devices.