Open Space for Community Engagement 

Overview & Project Goals:  The Peter H. Peirce Homestead, located at 132 North Main Street has been gifted to the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library (501 c3), by the late Attorney William Decas.  The Board of the Friend has drafted a plan which will position the Homestead to further enhance the Friends’ mission to support programs and events offered to the local community by the library staff.  Included in the plan is a commitment to preserve the historic features of the property. This project addresses the assessment of the property’s hardscape; development and implementation of a plan for existing hardscape and landscape to preserve historic structures and features, increasing accessibility by addressing safety concerns; and incorporating horticultural features. With the assistance of local historian, Michael J. Maddigan, the grounds have been assessed and details relating to the historic features that either need to be restored and/or protected from further deterioration have been identified. The hardscape includes the quarried granite wall in the front of the property which was installed in 1896 when North Main Street was widened and numerous stacked stone and granite slab retaining walls along the perimeter of the property. These walls separated the homestead from the surrounding fields including the squash patch where the Middleborough Public Library was built in 1903 and Elijah Tucker’s orchard which was located at the rear of the Peirce property.  Currently, the front wall has issues with lichen and has also shifted resulting in misaligned capstones.  The stacked retaining walls are compromised by the overgrowth of trees, other vegetation, and fallen debris that exists along the border of the property.  These issues need to be addressed and the border of the property cleaned to limit further erosion of the retaining walls. With a desire to make the property accessible for programs conducted by library staff, there is a need to secure the inner perimeter of the back lot as there are areas where the drop to adjacent property is between 6 to 8 feet and presents a safety hazard for childrean.  The inner area of the back yard needs to be graded to ensure a level surface and a lawn established.  Additionally, a strategy needs to be implemented to address potential mobility constraints for people accessing the area. Lastly, period appropriate plantings are planned.