Hingham Historical Society

Hingham Historical Society Founded in 1914, the Hingham Historical Society is a member supported non profit organization dedicat

The Historical Society operates the 1688 Old Ordinary House Museum, a historic home and tavern, and the 1818 Old Derby Academy. Located on the old stage route from Boston to Plymouth the Old Ordinary once served as a rest stop for travelers. Visitors to this enchanting antique step back into the past and experience Hingham's past through artifact-filled rooms that recall Hingham's past and the peo

ple that worked, lived, played and prospered in this 375-year-old working town. The Visitor Center and Gift Shop at Old Derby Academy helps locals and tourists alike to discover all the historic treasures Hingham harbors. Genealogical resources, maps, reference books, and of course, gifts are available for every level of interest.

08/29/2026

There is something magical about gathering in the garden at the Old Ordinary.

On Saturday, September 12, the garden will once again come alive for Tavern Night.

Tickets are selling fast! Join us for one of our favorite evenings of the year and experience the Old Ordinary after hours, from the historic house and tap room to this beautiful garden. Click the link in our bio for tickets.

A little garden history: Reverend John Cornish, minister of Old Ship Church, lived at the Old Ordinary from 1906 to 1920. Cornish married Frances Foote in 1906, and the garden is said to have been a wedding gift. Today, it is lovingly maintained by the Garden Club of Hingham.

A Hingham retirement party, circa 1988.While we spend a lot of time commemorating Hingham’s Revolutionary history, we co...
08/22/2026

A Hingham retirement party, circa 1988.

While we spend a lot of time commemorating Hingham’s Revolutionary history, we collect and preserve Hingham history throughout the ages!

Thanks to donor Kay Thompson, enjoy these slide photographs from Town of Hingham Clerk John H. “Jack” Studley’s retirement party in 1988 at South Shore Country Club

Among the Hingham faces are former Fire Chief Richard Wehter and his wife Sally; Dr. Leroy Eldredge and his wife Susie; Hingham Militia Captain and former Planning Board Chair Brian McSweeney; and former Building Commissioner Dick Morgan.

As we work to document Hingham in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, we’d love to hear from families who have photographs, slides, home movies, programs, signs, business memorabilia, event materials, or other objects that help tell the story of Hingham life from the 1950s through the early 2000s.

What Hingham history is tucked away in your attic, basement, photo albums, or old slide carousels?

It’s a beautiful day for a tour of historic Hingham. Book online in link. Tours start at 10AM.
08/15/2026

It’s a beautiful day for a tour of historic Hingham. Book online in link. Tours start at 10AM.

America’s 250th continues this fall in Hingham! 🇺🇸Some of you may have found our Fall 2026 Hingham Historical Society ma...
08/13/2026

America’s 250th continues this fall in Hingham! 🇺🇸

Some of you may have found our Fall 2026 Hingham Historical Society mailer in your mailbox today—and tickets are now on sale for two favorite fall traditions:

🍻 Tavern Night at Old Ordinary — Saturday, September 12
🏡 100th Historic House Tour — Sunday, September 27

And don’t miss author Jim Conroy at the Hingham Public Library on September 15, sharing the remarkable stories behind Hingham in the American Revolution: Not the Gift of Kings.

Check your mailbox, mark your calendars, pick up a copy of Jim’s book at the museum and join us for a fall filled with Hingham history!

… and how about the beautiful original oil painting on the cover?! “The General’s House” by award winning artist and Society volunteer, Joan Brancale 💛🎨

We look forward to seeing you in Historic Hingham!

08/07/2026

Boston Harbor wasn’t truly free on Evacuation Day.

Even after the British Army left Boston in March 1776, Royal Navy warships remained in the harbor for months, threatening another invasion. That finally changed in June, when Continental forces under the command of Hingham’s Benjamin Lincoln fortified the harbor islands and the shoreline from Hingham and Hull to Long Island, forcing the British fleet to withdraw from Boston Harbor for good.

The victory opened the harbor after two years of British control and marked another remarkable chapter in the American Revolution—one in which Hingham and the South Shore played an important role.

To learn more about Hingham’s contributions to the Revolution and the events that helped secure Boston Harbor, pick up a copy of Hingham and the American Revolution: Not the Gift of Kings by James B. Conroy, available at the Hingham Heritage Museum or online through the Hingham Historical Society.

These are just a few of the stories waiting to be discovered at Tavern Night at Old Ordinary on Saturday, September 12.C...
08/04/2026

These are just a few of the stories waiting to be discovered at Tavern Night at Old Ordinary on Saturday, September 12.

Centuries-old bottles, hand-painted fire buckets, historic hearths- every corner of the Old Ordinary offers a glimpse into Hingham’s past.

Join us for Hingham’s fun evening of history, community, food, drink, and celebration as America’s 250th continues.

🎟️ Tickets are on sale now—gather your friends and reserve yours before they’re gone!

#02043

07/28/2026

Tour our museums in historic downtown Hingham Tuesday- Saturday 10AM-4PM. Get out of the rain and explore:
🏫 Hingham Heritage Museum, 34 Main St.
🍻Old Ordinary Tavern, 21 Lincoln St.
🎖️Benjamin Lincoln House, 181 North St.
Book your visit at link. We can’t wait to welcome you!

Rain in the forecast? Did you know Hingham had an umbrella factory? Hingham Umbrella Manufacturing Company started in 18...
07/28/2026

Rain in the forecast? Did you know Hingham had an umbrella factory?

Hingham Umbrella Manufacturing Company started in 1818 and was incorporated by Benjamin S. Williams in 1925. Edward Cazneau (last picture) succeeded Williams as proprietor.

The late Town Historian John P. Richardson recovered several umbrellas from the attic of what had been Cazneau’s home including the frayed silk umbrella pictured. The note attached to the umbrella reads, “Found in the attic of the Cazneau House on the east corner of South and Hersey St. Hingham, Mass. I, John P. Richardson recovered several umbrellas from this attic. Cazneau owned an umbrella factory at Hobarts Bridge, North St.”

By 1837, the Hingham Umbrella Manufacturing Company had 75 employees (20 men and 55 women) and, that year, it made and sold over 18,000 umbrellas. This success was not lasting, however; the umbrella factory closed five years later, in 1842.

The factory (second photo, center) was located near the current day intersection of South, Thaxter and Hersey Streets.

In the John P. Richardson Collection of the Hingham Historical Society and the Hingham Historic Commission

Address

34 Main Street
Hingham, MA
02043

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm

Telephone

+17817497721

Website

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