Efforts To Restore the Parsonage Resume
LAUREN SURBEY/ENTERPRISE
Tucked behind boarded-up windows and deteriorated wood siding hides some of Mashpee’s earliest recorded history. The building, known as both the Parsonage and the Attaquin House, is historically significant to both the Town of Mashpee and to the Tribe, which has before the town’s incorporation in 1870.
The Parsonage had made its mark on Mashpee’s history books long before it fell into a state of disrepair. Originating as a homestead, the Parsonage housed a distinguished member of the Tribe and town, Ebenezer Attaquin.
Mr. Attaquin served many roles in Mashpee’s transformative years, including the role of deacon at the Mashpee Baptist Church. The Attaquin family name is one that can be found throughout the town’s historical record, with many family members having served as pivotal figures throughout Mashpee’s early years.
In 1852, the yellow building was transformed from homestead into a true parsonage, or a home used by a member of a church’s clergy, when Mr. Attaquin sold it to the parish for a whopping $550.
In the years that would come, the Parsonage would then be used to accommodate guest ministers and clergy members, until it was later rented out as an affordable housing option.
After the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe was federally recognized in 2007, the Parsonage later became its first Tribal headquarters. In the same year, the building was designated as a “historical property” by Mashpee’s Historical Commission.
More than 10 years later in 2019, David W. Weeden, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO), had initiated efforts to restore the property that had fallen into a fragile state. In May of that year, the Community Preservation Committee awarded $400,000 to the Parsonage Restoration Project. But construction to restore the Parsonage still has not begun.
While the original memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the town and the tribe was signed in 2019, affirming the tribe’s plan to restore the Parsonage, conditions in the agreement had caused some setbacks when it came time to execute the plan.
The plan required that the Tribe and the Town of Mashpee fund the project at a 50/50 match. This meant that the project could not move forward until the Tribe had funds of its own to match the town’s contribution. Speaking to the Enterprise this week, Mr. Weeden said that a 50/50 match is not typical of Community Preservation Act (CPA) projects and caused delays in the process of restoration.
“In my personal opinion, the 50/50 match requirement was actually kind of an encumbrance to move the project forward,” he said.
Mr. Weeden explained that the Tribe only had enough funds to complete a conditions assessment, which helped determine that the project was viable and laid out what work needed to be done. Eventually, this information was used to help secure further funding for this project through the federal government. This has increased the Tribe’s confidence in completing the project.
“We feel comfortable that we have enough funding to move forward now,” Mr. Weeden said.
Additionally, the Parsonage caught fire in what officials confirmed was an act of arson on October 6, 2023, causing even more damage to the already frail building. Mr. Weeden says that this created a deeper sense of urgency for the need to restore the building.
In December 2023, the Tribe worked to stabilize the Parsonage, so that it could survive until further actions could be taken to begin the restoration project.
Following the approval of the new MOU at the select board’s meeting on July 29, the Community Preservation Committee voted to approve the agreement at its meeting last Thursday, August 15. The vote solidified the motion to continue with this project, which is set to be completed by 2026.
Mr. Weeden explained that the next steps will be to complete a request for proposal (RFP) and hire a general contractor to help bring this plan to fruition.
Given its extensive history, the Parsonage is both culturally and historically significant for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. Mr. Weeden said that tribal elders have “spoken of its importance and expressed a sense of urgency to get it restored, so we are committed to restoring it to ensure the cultural property is preserved.”
“It’s a valuable asset of the tribe, and one of the few historic structures still remaining within the Town of Mashpee, and it’s a contributing element to the historic district,” Mr. Weeden said.
Despite the delays, however, the Tribe is still prioritizing the Parsonage Restoration Project.
“It is a priority, it is something I’m passionate about, and [it] has family connections and tribal connections,” Mr. Weeden continued.
Once the restoration is complete, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe will then work to get the Parsonage placed on the National Registry of Historic Places for preservation purposes.
