National Register of Historic Places

Peak House

Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts
Listed
September 4, 1975
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
75000288

About this property

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.

Location

347 Main St.
Medfield, Norfolk County, Massachusetts
42.18998, -71.29679

Categories

CONSERVATIONPOLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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The Land
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Geology
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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The Community
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Rivers & Rail
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Nearby Historic Sites

Inness-Fitts House and Studio/Barn
Industrial
0.3 mi
First Baptist Church of Medfield
Industrial
0.4 mi
First Parish Unitarian Church
Colonial
0.5 mi
Dwight-Derby House
Colonial
0.6 mi
Vine Lake Cemetery
Colonial
1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Peak House listed on the National Register?

Peak House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 4, 1975.

What type of historic resource is Peak House?

Peak House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Peak House?

The period of significance for Peak House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Peak House?

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