Decas, Murray, & Decas
For years, the Middleborough community has known The Peter H. Peirce Homestead as the Law Office of Decas, Murray, and Decas. In June 2024, the house transferred from the Estate of Attorney William C. Decas to the Friends of the Middleborough Public Library.
It is with gratitude that the Board of Directors for the Homestead acknowledge the foresight of Attorney George C. Decas for saving this historic asset from destruction in the mid-1990s and to express our appreciation to Attorney William C. Decas for providing our nonprofit with the privilege of being stewards for the homestead.
Our Board is committed to having the homestead contribute to the future growth of services and programs that it supports while maintaining it as a valuable community asset located in Historic Downtown Middleborough.We look forward to what the future will bring!
The Board would be remiss if it failed to acknowledge the ongoing support of Sheila White and Attorney Dan Murray as we work to fulfill Bill Decas’ final wish.
Attorney George C. Decas
George C. Decas, a life-long resident of Wareham, died on February 19, 2019 at the age of 81. He was a graduate of Wareham High School, Yale College and University of Pennsylvania Law School. Mr. Decas was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1962.
He maintained his offices in Wareham and Middleboro for many years until his retirement in 2003. He was associated in the middle 1960s with the late Allan Hale who was later appointed as the first Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court. He later practiced with his brother, William and Daniel F. Murray of Lakeville under the firm of Decas, Murray and Decas since the early 1970s.
He was the Middleboro Town Counsel for 36 years. He was a member of the City Solicitors and Town Counsel Association, Massachusetts Bar Association and Plymouth County Bar Association for which he served in various offices, including as President in 1982. He was appointed by Governors Weld and Cellucci to the Judicial Nominating Council, having served from 1991 to 2000.
Mr. Decas was active in local historical restoration and preservation. As Chairman of the Wareham Historical Society, he helped restore the Captain John Kendrick Museum in Wareham. He, with his sister, preserved the Alden Besse House (1846) overlooking Wareham Harbor.
He restored the Col. Peter H. Peirce House where he had his law office. It had been the homestead of Peirce who was Middleboros most successful merchant of the 19th century. Mr. Decas authored a book about him entitled "Col. Peter H. Peirce (1788-1861)-a Plymouth County Life" after 26 years of historical research.
Mr. Decas was also a collector of portraits by Cephas Thompson (1775-1856), Cephas Giovanni Thompson (1809-1888) and Marietta Thompson (1803-1892). He was a former Trustee of the Pilgrim Society and long time member of Historic New England and the New England Historic Genealogical Society.
Over the years Mr. Decas participated in many Town of Wareham organizations including as Chairman of its Planning Board, Charter Commission, Historical District Commission and 250th Anniversary Committee.
He was a member of the Massachusetts Republican State Committee for many years and was elected as Delegate to the 1980 and 1984 Republican National Conventions. He was a Presidential Elector in the election of Ronald Reagan to his first term of office.
He was a life-long member and former Trustee of St. George Greek Orthodox Church of Dartmouth, Massachusetts.He served as trustee, secretary and president of the Alpha Omega Council of Boston.He maintained a residence in Athens, Greece where he often travelled over the years.
Attorney William C. Decas
Attorney William C. Decas, 77, a life-long resident of Wareham, passed away on June 3, 2023.He was born in Wareham and lived there his whole life. He graduated from Wareham High School, Colby College, class of 1968 and Boston University Law School, class of 1971.
Mr. Decas was admitted into the Massachusetts Bar in 1971.Mr. Decas practiced with his brother, George and Daniel F. Murray under the firm of Decas, Murray and Decas in Middleboro since the early 1970’s and was still going into the office up until the time of his death.
He was a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association, the Plymouth County Bar Association, Cranberry Country Chamber of Commerce.
He was an active supporter of the University of Alabama and a member of the Alabama Tide Pride Scholarship Fund and the Alabama University President’s Cabinet and a life-long member of St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Dartmouth.
Locally, Mr. Decas was well known as a philanthropist supporting his church, the Wareham Historical Society and the Communities of Wareham and Middleboro.