Medfield, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Medfield is a town in Norfolk County
Norfolk County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Adams National Historical Park* Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area * Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site* John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site-Demographics:...

, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,024 according to the 2010 Census. Medfield is an affluent community about 17 miles southwest of Boston.

For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...

 Medfield, please see the article Medfield (CDP), Massachusetts
Medfield (CDP), Massachusetts
Medfield is a census-designated place in the town of Medfield in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Medfield is located at ....

.

History

Medfield (New Dedham) was originally a part of Dedham
Dedham, Massachusetts
Dedham is a town in and the county seat of Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,729 at the 2010 census. It is located on Boston's southwest border. On the northwest it is bordered by Needham, on the southwest by Westwood and on the southeast by...

, which was incorporated in 1636. Medfield was first settled in 1649, principally by people who relocated from Dedham. The first 13 house lots were laid out on June 19, 1650. In May 1651, the town was incorporated by an act of the Massachusetts General Court
Massachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...

 as the 43rd town in Massachusetts.

The Rev. Ralph Wheelock is credited with the founding of Medfield. He was the first schoolmaster of the town's school established in 1655, and now has an elementary school named after him.

Half the town (32 houses, two mills, many barns and other buildings) was destroyed by Native Americans during King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...

 in 1675. One house, known as the Peak House, was burnt in the war but was rebuilt shortly thereafter near downtown Medfield.

The town's boundaries originally extended into present-day Medway
Medway, Massachusetts
Medway is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. According to the 2010 Census, the town had a population of 12,752.-History:Medway was first settled in 1657 and was officially incorporated in 1713. At that time, Medway began as a farming community of two hundred thirty-three...

 and Millis
Millis, Massachusetts
Millis is a town in Norfolk County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is a small town with a population of 7,891 according to the 2010 census. The town is approximately southwest of downtown Boston and is bordered by Norfolk, Sherborn, Holliston, Medfield, and Medway...

. In 1713 the town was divided, with the section west of the Charles River
Charles River
The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...

 becoming the new town of Medway.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the town has a total area of 14.6 square miles (37.8 km²), of which 14.5 square miles (37.6 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.2 km²) (0.62%) is water. The Charles River
Charles River
The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...

 borders almost one-third of Medfield. Medfield is surrounded by the towns Dover, Norfolk, Walpole, Millis, and Sherborn.

Demographics

Population/Housing
  • 12,024 people, 5,284 households, and 5,462 families

  • Population density = 326.6 people/km² (845.8 people/sq mi)

  • 5,048 housing units

Race Population (%)
White  96.78
Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 
0.51
Native American  0.04
Asian  1.76
Pacific Islander  0.01
Other
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 
0.23
Two or more races 0.68


Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.90% of the population.
  • Of the 5,284 households, 50.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.8% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.3% were non-families. 15.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older
  • Average household size = 3.02
  • Average family size = 3.41


----
Age distribution
  • 33.6% under the age of 18
  • 3.5% from 18 to 24
  • 28.4% from 25 to 44
  • 25.2% from 45 to 64
  • 9.3% who were 65 or older
  • The median age was 38 years.
  • For every 100 females there were 96.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.


----

Income data
  • Per capita income = $42,891
  • Median household income = $97,748
  • Median family income = $110,926
  • Median male income = $80,699
  • Median female income = $44,500
  • About 0.8% of families and 1.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.1% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Medfield has a Public School system that continually ranks among the top ten school systems in Massachusetts by the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System
Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System
The Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, commonly shortened to MCAS , is the Commonwealth's statewide standards-based assessment program developed in 1993, in response to the Massachusetts Education Reform Act of the same year...

 (MCAS).

In 2005, Medfield High School and T.A. Blake Middle School switched buildings as a result of a massive construction project updating the current Medfield High School (formally T.A. Blake Middle School).

Public schools:
  • Memorial School, 59 Adams Street (grades K-1)
  • Wheelock School, 17 Elm Street (grades 2–3)
  • Dale Street School, 45 Adams Street (grades 4–5)
  • Thomas A. Blake Middle School, 24 Pound Street (grades 6–8)
  • Medfield High School, 88R South Street (grades 9–12)


Private schools:
  • The Montrose School
    Montrose School
    Montrose School is an independent college preparatory day school for girls grades 6–12. The mission of Montrose is to educate women of faith, character and vision in a tradition of academic excellence...

    , a Catholic girls' prep. school

Libraries

Medfield's Free Public Library began in 1873. As of 2011 the public library is located on Main Street. In the late 18th century some of the residents of Medfield and surrounding towns formed a subscription library, called the Medfield Social Library
Medfield Social Library
The Medfield Social Library was a proprietary library in Medfield, Massachusetts. It incorporated in 1809. By 1816 it consisted of some 700 volumes, among them The Panoplist, Mary Pilkington's Mirror for Females, Susanna Rowson's Invisible Rambler, Claude-Étienne Savary's Letters on Egypt, Scott's...

.

Events

  • Every year in September, there is "Medfield Day"
  • Every year on the first Friday of December, there is the annual tree lighting
  • Every year on the first Saturday of December, there is the annual Winter parade in Medfield

Medfield State Hospital

Medfield State Hospital, located at 45 Hospital Road, opened in 1896 and originally operated on 685 acres (2.8 km²) of pasture. At its peak in 1952, it housed 1,500 patients. By 2001, it was down to about 300 acres (1.2 km²) and employed 450 people (including four psychologists) to care for a maximum of 147 patients. The cost to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts was $21.5 million. On April 3, 2003, the doors were closed
  • The film Shutter Island started prepping February 2008 and started filming at Medfield State Hospital in March 2008.
  • The film The Box was filmed at the hospital in December 2007.

Points of interest

  • Rocky Woods
    Rocky Woods
    Rocky Woods is a open space preserve located in Medfield, Massachusetts. The preserve, managed by the land conservation non-profit organization The Trustees of Reservations, is notable for its rugged terrain. Rocky Woods offers of trails and former woods roads available for hiking, horseback...

     is a 491 acres (2 km²) reservation in the northeast part of town. The property has 6.5 miles (10.5 km) of nature trails for hiking or biking, a few ponds for fishing, and open space for picnics and barbecue
    Barbecue
    Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...

    s.
  • Zullo Gallery: An art gallery run by a Medfield resident. Displays several pieces of fine art that can be purchased.http://www.zullogallery.org/
  • Noon Hill is the highest point in Medfield at 370 feet (112.8 m) with a trail to its peak. There are a total of 4.5 miles (7.2 km) of trails around the hill and offer views of the hills of Walpole, Norfolk, and Gillette Stadium
    Gillette Stadium
    Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution...

    .
  • Peak House
    Peak House
    Peak House is a historic house located at 347 Main Street in Medfield, Massachusetts.The original house was built in 1651 by Benjamin Clark, however, it was burned during the King Philip's War in 1676 and the current house was rebuilt ca. 1677-80 by Seth Clark, who was the owner of the original...

    . Burnt during the Native-American attack on the town during King Philip's War in 1676, the Peak House was re-built in 1680. It was turned over to the Medfield Historical Society in 1924 and restored to its original Colonial look. It is open every Sunday from 2 PM- 5 PM from June to September and by appointment at other times. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and the steep roof has the highest pitch on record in Massachusetts for a 17th century house.
  • Medfield Historical Society on Pleasant Street. The Society museum contains historic artifacts and documents. The Society also owns the Peak House.
  • The Dwight-Derby House
    Dwight-Derby House
    The Dwight-Derby House is at 7 Frairy Street in Medfield, Massachusetts. It was built in 1652 by Timothy and Mary Dwight. The house is one of the top ten oldest homes in the United States...

    : Constructed in 1697. It was long thought that the house was built in 1651, but irrefutable scientific evidence has established that this house was not built until 1697. Still, it is one of only several dozen documented 17th century houses still standing. Numerous additions have been made to the home over the years as the property changed owners.
  • Hinkley Pond, named after Vietnam fatality Stephen Hinkley, a native of Medfield, located on Green Street, is a site for public swimming and has a playground and sand area. Swimming lessons are taught on site.
  • Lowell Mason
    Lowell Mason
    Lowell Mason was a leading figure in American church music, the composer of over 1600 hymn tunes, many of which are often sung today. His most well-known tunes include Mary Had A Little Lamb and the arrangement of Joy to the World...

     Museum and Music Center. Birthplace of Lowell Mason and a rare example of First Period
    First Period
    First Period is a designation in colonial American architecture and design. It refers to the time period of approximately 1626 through 1725. Its successor is the Colonial Georgian Period.-Characteristics:...

     American architecture and construction. Portions of the house date to 1651 according to a dendrochronology
    Dendrochronology
    Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree-rings. Dendrochronology can date the time at which tree rings were formed, in many types of wood, to the exact calendar year...

     survey. A community effort saved the home from demolition and relocated it to Hinkley Pond in 2010. The Lowell Mason Foundation maintains the house, which will house the Lowell Mason Museum, community space, and a music center.
  • Kingsbury Pond, named after Amos Clark Kingsbury (a Medfield native and graduate of Medfield's High School Class of 1916) who served in the United States Marines, American Expeditionary Force, and fought in almost every major battle in France during World War I. Kingsbury Pond is located on Route 27, across the street from St. Edward's Catholic Church. It is a site for public fishing and ice skating. Fishermen have caught very small Largemouth Bass in this pond
  • Metacomet Park, named after King Philip (who was also known as Metacomet or Metacom), the chief of the Wampanoag Indians and their leader in the King Philip War. Metacomet Park is an athletic complex and activities area located at 145 Pleasant Street. It offers four tennis courts, a little league baseball diamond, a multi-use field (used for lacrosse, field hockey, and soccer), and a small playground. The park is used for numerous teams to practice and play games.

Notable residents

  • Hannah Adams
    Hannah Adams
    Hannah Adams was a Christian author, born in Medfield, Massachusetts and died in Brookline. She was the first woman in the United States who made literature a profession.-Biography:...

     (1755–1831), Medfield native and Christian author; the first female professional writer in America.
  • George Inness
    George Inness
    George Inness was an American landscape painter; born in Newburgh, New York; died at Bridge of Allan in Scotland. His work was influenced, in turn, by that of the old masters, the Hudson River school, the Barbizon school, and, finally, by the theology of Emanuel Swedenborg, whose spiritualism...

     (1825–1894), artist, some of whose paintings are of Medfield in the Nineteenth century. A street in town, near the vantage of one of his paintings, bears his last name.
  • Donald E. Booth
    Donald E. Booth
    Donald E. Booth is an American diplomat, since September 2008 serving as the United States Ambassador to Zambia. From 2005 to 2008 he was the U.S...

    , American Diplomat and the current US Ambassador to Ethiopia
    Ethiopia
    Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...

    .
  • Lowell Mason
    Lowell Mason
    Lowell Mason was a leading figure in American church music, the composer of over 1600 hymn tunes, many of which are often sung today. His most well-known tunes include Mary Had A Little Lamb and the arrangement of Joy to the World...

     (1792–1872), a composer of hymn
    Hymn
    A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...

    s and pioneer of music education in American public schools. A street in town bears his name. His birthplace houses the Lowell Mason Museum and a music center.
  • Charles Martin Loeffler
    Charles Martin Loeffler
    Charles Martin Loeffler was a German-born American violinist and composer.- Birthplace :Throughout his career Loeffler claimed to have been born in Mulhouse, Alsace and almost all music encyclopedias give this fabricated information. In his lifetime articles were published dissecting his...

     (1861–1935), a German-born American composer. A street in town off South st. on the development of Southern Acres bears his last name.
  • John Preston (1945–1994), author of gay erotica and editor of gay non-fiction anthologies.
  • Curt Schilling
    Curt Schilling
    Curtis Montague "Curt" Schilling is a former American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in and won World Series championships in with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in and with the Boston Red Sox. Schilling retired with a...

    , of the Boston Red Sox
    Boston Red Sox
    The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...

    . His family lives on Woodridge Road in a 26 acres (105,218.4 m²) estate formerly occupied by another athlete, Drew Bledsoe
    Drew Bledsoe
    Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...

    . Schilling bought the home in 2003 for $4,500,001. In 2008 a baseball field, behind the Middle School was dedicated "Schilling Field". The event was complete with a softball game between Red Sox wives and the Medfield High School softball team. Several Red Sox players were in attendance to watch the game.
  • Peter McNeeley
    Peter McNeeley
    "Hurricane" Peter McNeeley is a former heavyweight boxer, best known for his 1995 fight with Mike Tyson in which McNeeley had famously vowed to wrap Tyson in a "cocoon of horror." McNeeley fought aggressively and was knocked down twice within the first two minutes as a result...

    , boxer. In 1995, Peter McNeeley fought former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson
    Mike Tyson
    Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...

     after Tyson's release from prison. The fight lasted a mere 83 seconds. T.K.O.
  • Tom McNeeley
    Tom McNeeley
    Thomas William McNeeley, Jr. was a heavyweight boxer in the 1950s and 1960s. He hailed from Arlington, Massachusetts, and played football for Michigan State University...

    , boxer who has been KO'd by Floyd Patterson in the 4th round of their fight years before his son Peter's fight with Mike Tyson.
  • Pete Carroll
    Pete Carroll
    Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...

    , coach of the Seattle Seahawks
    Seattle Seahawks
    The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...

    , former coach of USC and the New England Patriots
    New England Patriots
    The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...

     also lived in Medfield. He donated money to keep the high school weight room open all season long during the summer for the football players. Carroll also help start the Middle School football program by getting a $30,000 grant from the NFL. He also volunteered to be a referee when the hired one failed to appear.
  • Drew Bledsoe
    Drew Bledsoe
    Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...

    , retired NFL quarterback, formerly quarterback of the New England Patriots, resided in Medfield when he was the quarterback of the Patriots. He bought the entire Medfield football team cleats before he moved out of Medfield. His house was later purchased by Curt Schilling when he came to play for the Boston Red Sox.
  • John Hannah, former New England Patriots guard and Hall of Famer.
  • Raymond Berry
    Raymond Berry
    Raymond Emmett Berry is a former football wide receiver. He played for the Baltimore Colts during their two NFL championship wins. He later had a career in coaching, highlighted by his trip to Super Bowl XX as head coach of the New England Patriots...

     – Pro Football Hall of Fame
    Pro Football Hall of Fame
    The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...

     receiver for the Baltimore Colts, former head coach of the New England Patriots
    New England Patriots
    The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...

  • Rich Gotham
    Rich Gotham
    Rich Gotham is an alumnus of Providence College and resident of Medfield, Massachusetts. On April 18, 2007 he was named President of the National Basketball Association team Boston Celtics...

     – president of the Boston Celtics
    Boston Celtics
    The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...

  • Ted Johnson
    Ted Johnson
    Ted Curtis Johnson is a former American football player in the National Football League. He grew up in Carlsbad, California where he graduated from Carlsbad High School in 1991. From there he attended the University of Colorado and was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 1995 NFL...

     – Former linebacker of the New England Patriots
    New England Patriots
    The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...

     lived in Medfield
    Medfield
    Medfield may refer to:* Medfield, Massachusetts, a town** Medfield , Massachusetts, census-designated place comprising the town center* Medfield, Baltimore, Maryland, a neighborhood...

    . Ted played for the Patriots from 1995–2004
  • Rick Lyle
    Rick Lyle
    Rick Lyle is a former American football defensive end who played for four teams in a 9-year NFL career....

     – Former defensive end for the New England Patriots
    New England Patriots
    The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...

     lived in Medfield
    Medfield
    Medfield may refer to:* Medfield, Massachusetts, a town** Medfield , Massachusetts, census-designated place comprising the town center* Medfield, Baltimore, Maryland, a neighborhood...

    . Rick played for the Patriots from 2002–2003.
  • Eric Mangini
    Eric Mangini
    Eric Mangini is the former head coach of the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets of the National Football League and current NFL analyst for ESPN.-College:...

     – Former assistant coach for the New England Patriots
    New England Patriots
    The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...

     lived in Medfield
    Medfield
    Medfield may refer to:* Medfield, Massachusetts, a town** Medfield , Massachusetts, census-designated place comprising the town center* Medfield, Baltimore, Maryland, a neighborhood...

    . Eric also coached the New York Jets
    New York Jets
    The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

     and Cleveland Browns
    Cleveland Browns
    The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...

  • Ron Erhardt
    Ron Erhardt
    Ron Erhardt is a former football coach at both the collegiate and professional levels, and from 1979-1981 served as head coach of the National Football League's New England Patriots.-College assistant and high school head coach:...

     – Former head coach of the New England Patriots
    New England Patriots
    The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...

     lived in Medfield
    Medfield
    Medfield may refer to:* Medfield, Massachusetts, a town** Medfield , Massachusetts, census-designated place comprising the town center* Medfield, Baltimore, Maryland, a neighborhood...

    . Ron coached from 1979–1981.
  • Randy Moss
    Randy Moss
    Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...

     -Former receiver for the New England Patriots
    New England Patriots
    The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...

     lived in Medfield
    Medfield
    Medfield may refer to:* Medfield, Massachusetts, a town** Medfield , Massachusetts, census-designated place comprising the town center* Medfield, Baltimore, Maryland, a neighborhood...

    .

External links

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