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By Clare Dealy
Hometown Weekly Correspondent
For more than 45 years, Medfield Historical Society members have joyously hosted the Peak House Pantry Sale to raise funds to maintain the town’s most historic landmark. This year was no exception. “I’ve been doing this for many years, it’s definitely our biggest fundraiser” said Vicky Fritschi, who celebrated last Saturday’s annual sale by dressing in a Colonial-era costume, adorned with a long dress, apron and bonnet.
The pre-Thanksgiving event featured an array of hand-made pies, cookies, and artisanal cheeses for sale in the charmingly cramped confines of the house. For sale on the front lawn were hand-painted plates, lamps, and other household items. Business was brisk as locals stopped by to pick up pies and tour the house, which was originally built in 1651.
Fritschi said the funds raised not only help to maintain the house, but have also been used for special projects that help document its unique history as one of the oldest houses in North America. She said it was particularly gratifying to have been able to bring in a dendrochronologist (a specialist who can read tree rings) to examine the wood beams throughout the house.
Historical Society Chairman David Temple, who has become accustomed to ducking while walking around inside, emphasized the significance of the scientist’s work: “After evaluating a ceiling beam, he concluded that the wood was from a tree that was germinated in 1492,” he said.
Throughout the duration of the event, Temple led tours of the house while giving visitors a 17th century perspective. At one point, there was a family with 10 children living in the tiny home, he said, and despite what visitors believe, it was an ideal home for a family of such size. “Clearly, the rooms aren’t as differentiated as they would be today,” he joked. But the guided tour revealed that families looked only to simple features such as generalized living quarters and a central fireplace in order to maintain their health and happiness.
When it comes to the Peak House, the Medfield Historical Society makes it their job to keep the 17th century alive. “The Peak House is known to have undergone many patterns of maintenance and renovation throughout the centuries,” he said. For generations, Medfield residents have been keeping the custom alive through fundraising. Like their forefathers, they believe that the preservation of the Peak House is a tradition that has helped Medfield thrive in the name of history.
