Recently, the Medway Historical Society began the renovation project on the Jacob Ide House. 

This classical 1800s home belonged to Reverend Dr. Jacob Ide. Born and raised in Attleboro, he then attended Brown University, and finally seminary school. With a passion for Theology, he dedicated lots of his time to writing and teaching. He was the first pastor of the “Church on Rabbit Hill,” now known as the Medway Community Church. Ide was an abolitionist who denounced slavery as “an outrageous wrong.”

Ide passed away at the age of 95 in 1880. To this day, he was the longest resident of what we now call the “Jacob Ide House”. 

In 2018, the Town of Medway purchased this historical property, intending to prioritize its preservation. Just a few weeks ago, the renovation project began at the house. Funded by the Community Preservation Committee, the Historical Society wanted to update the safety of the building in order to make it a more accessible site to the public, while preserving the originality and classic character of the house. 

Jonathan Ackley, manager of the project and Town Building Commissioner explains how the goal is to repair some of the structural issues of the house and bring it up to the current building code requirements. They also want to upgrade the properties safety and handicap features so that it can be available and accessible to the public. 

From the eyes of an expert, Ackley says some features he finds fascinating about the site are the central location in town as well as the original structure of the house. “It’s not every day that you see a 200-year-old house in decent shape with old methods,” he said, pointing out things like the wooden dowel connections and construction practices that aren’t used in this day and age. 

Once the project is finished, the Historical Society plans to open the house to the public as a historical museum. After completion, it will also be filled with historical furniture and artifacts by the Historical Society, becoming a great place to come and learn about some local history.