Tucked away in a quiet corner of Barrington is an important piece of America’s history.

A 6.8-acre parcel of land on George Street, often referred to as Lot 3A, is the site of a 17th century village centered around the Reverend John Myles Meetinghouse. It was also the site of the very first battle of King Philip’s War.

Last month, members of the Barrington Town Council passed a resolution establishing the property on George Street as the “Nockum Hill Historic Site.”

The unanimous resolution vote thrilled Stephen Venuti, who is one of the people who helped to first preserve the property from development plans, and also supported the archeological studies that confirmed the area as having “major historical and religious significance.”

“This was recognition for all the work we put into it for the last six years,” Venuti said. 

Venuti praised the efforts of the late Bonnie Warren, a longtime Barrington resident who played a key role in the preservation effort. He also recognized former Barrington Preservation Society members Van Edwards and Nat Taylor. 

The resolution passed by the council details the path volunteers followed to ensure that Lot 3A received its proper recognition. 

It started in 2019, when the town purchased the land following a concerted effort by a group of concerned citizens. A developer owned the property and had proposed a significant housing project on the site, despite the lack of water and sewer systems in that part of Barrington. Local officials spent $1.125 million for the land, and also included the significance of Lot 3A in the comprehensive plan.

Venuti said it may be difficult to imagine for some residents, but at one point in time, the Nockum Hill site was the westernmost frontier of Plymouth Colony, the first English settlement in the region. 

“People don’t think of Barrington as being part of the western frontier,” Venuti said. 

Studies conducted by the Public Archeological Survey Team, Inc. confirmed what Venuti and other preservationists had already suspected: Lot 3A was the site of the Reverend John Myles Meetinghouse, as well as the scene for the flashpoint — the first battle — of King Philip’s War.

Venuti said the settlement in the area of the meetinghouse was established by people who were looking for religious freedom. 

“It ended up being the site for a unique collaboration between Baptists and Puritans,” Venuti said. 

And the settlers choosing that location, Venuti said, played a role in the battle that led to King Philip’s War. 

“It was colonists pushing their way across the land,” he added. 

A few days after the Barrington Town Council passed the resolution, Venuti and a few other volunteers met with Cindy Elder and Peter Harrington, from the Barrington Land Conservation Trust. The group walked the Nockum Hill site and mapped out plans for what they hope will be a walking trail around the property. Venuti said they hope to place four or five informational signs around the property — each one dedicated to a particular part of the history of the land. Venuti said the trail will likely start as a mowed path, but may eventually be converted into a gravel path. 

“The land trust has a lot of ideas,” he said, adding that officials are also discussing controlling invasive plants in the area. 

The BLCT is included in the resolution passed by the council. The trust will serve as the “steward of the park’s natural and environmental character, to be outlined in a Nockum Hill Historic Site Management Plan.”

Venuti said there is also a lot of excitement from the people involved with the establishment of the Sowams National Heritage Area, which extends across the East Bay and surrounding towns.