Save the Sawin House!

Natick could soon lose its first and oldest house. Built in 1696, the Sawin House is a remarkable and unlikely story of cooperation between the indigenous and English communities amid the aftermath of King Philip’s War - and it is under imminent threat of demolition. Mass Audubon owns the house, and has recently applied for a permit to demolish it. For more than three centuries, this house has stood as a symbol of how two communities agreed to live and work together in harmony for the greater good. Natick can’t afford to lose this key part of its past. 

Located at 79 South Street at Mass Audubon’s Broadmoor property, the Sawin homestead was created by special permission in 1696 for the purpose of creating the area’s first gristmill. Sarah Awassamug, a Nipmuc widow, orchestrated the agreement with Thomas Sawin: he would build a gristmill and a sawmill in Natick in exchange for 50 acres of land, and in return, he would provide corn grinding to indigenous people at no charge. This agreement stands out as a uniquely cooperative and mutually successful partnership, creating a special bond following a time of turmoil and division. Thomas Sawin operated the mill under this agreement and raised his family at the homestead. Over the next two centuries, his descendants would serve in the Revolutionary War, the abolitionist movement, and provide countless other contributions to the Natick community - and his direct descendants still live in the area today.

In recent decades, Mass Audubon and Broadmoor Sanctuary have owned and operated the home, and done well to maintain it until the upkeep became overly burdensome. Unfortunately, despite its deep and enduring cultural value to our community, the Sawin House, which has stood for nearly 350 years, could soon be gone. We must not let this happen.

Our ask is this - that Mass Audubon withdraw the demolition permit and enter into an agreement to either donate or sell the house to “Natick Heritage,” a soon-to-be-formed 501c3, which will assume the responsibility for restoring, securing, and maintaining the house as a historical monument. Further, with Natick’s recent adoption of the Community Preservation Act, funds could be applied for to provide for the structure’s continued support.  With its future secured, the Sawin House could continue to serve this community as a monument to the town’s first inhabitants and a commemoration of that special moment of unity from which it emerged. 

We believe this plan is in the best interest of Mass Audubon and Broadmoor. Similar such historic house monuments exist in Lincoln, Concord, and even Natick’s own Henry Wilson Shoe Shop on West Central Street. While we recognize that the important ecological mission of Mass Audubon does not include historic preservation, we appreciate that Mass Audubon is focused on building a sense of community and belonging - the vital missions of preservation and the preservation of historic structures go hand-in-hand. The land, together with its historic structures, tell the story of how a community became what it is today. 

We therefore ask Mass Audubon to please consider this proposal so that a key part of our town’s history will not be destroyed and lost forever. Together, we can preserve this house as a symbol of what Natick has always been - a town where people of different backgrounds come together to live together in peace and harmony.

Please sign this petition to tell MassAudubon just how valued the Sawin House is, and how much good its preservation would mean for Natick’s past, present, and future.