As one of the oldest English settlements in America, Hingham is extremely historic. The Hingham Historical Society preserves and protects Hingham’s rich history. It is unusual to be able to rely on such a devoted organization to keep the town’s history alive.
The non-profit organization arranges events and tours while maintaining extensive exhibits, archives, and some of Hingham’s precious historical sites, including the Lincoln house and the Old Ordinary.
Deirdre Anderson, the executive director of the Hingham Historical Society, explained its function, “through our programs and events, and certainly, my favorite aspect, our field trips with the Hingham Public Schools in third, fifth, and eleventh grade (and hopefully the eighth grade soon), we are constantly highlighting the stories and the buildings that Hingham has to share.”
The society has partnered with teachers and students as a reliable source of rich history. Not only through field trips and research opportunities, but also through an internship offered as a semester-long class to Junior and Senior high school students. During the summer, college students also have the opportunity to experience the process of preservation and archiving through a paid internship.
She added, “And for those who are interested, the public history side is giving tours or working the front desk, because there are a lot of people who choose to spend their leisure time going to museums and taking tours, and that’s what we offer.”
One Hingham High School Student, Ciara McGuinness ‘2,7, shared her thoughts. “Hingham Historical Society has helped me to learn more about the history of my town, during different school field trips and town events that they help out with in Hingham.”
Junior Maddie Cleary was also impacted by the society, “by showing me important artifacts and scenes from historical periods of time in Hingham. The staff there had very influential and knowledgeable things to say. They inspired me and educated me about the insides of life during the start of Hingham’s history.”
“I think it is special that Hingham has a historical society; most towns do not have these gems. They really connect you with the roots of your town; they are really personal, compared to large-scale museums or school curricula. Our town especially has a unique history, but each town has its own wonderful story, and it should be normal to have a large database or historical society to keep telling the story.”
“The Historical Society connects the whole town. Every person in Hingham knows every person in Hingham, and the historical society really represents that and influences the town’s togetherness. Hingham has a wonderful community, and so does the Hingham Historical Society.”
Deirdra Anderson also gave advice to those looking to get involved in the town’s history. “I think start with your neighborhood, start with your house, and come down here. We have a lot of resources too, or if you’re interested in a topic, you’ll certainly, we pitch this for the 11th graders, who are doing National History Day topics, to pick something local. So start there, and we have a ton of resources that you’re free to go into our archives and spend time looking at that material. The public library also has a ton of research resources. Just come down and see us! We open Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.”
On what’s coming up for the Society, Anderson added, “Saturday, February 7th” for the 47th year. “We commemorate Lincoln Day, and Lincoln Day is for both Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, whose ancestors were in Hingham. And then for Benjamin Lincoln, who lived a generation before him, and is Hingham’s Revolutionary War leader. Lincoln Day is a program at Old Ship Meeting House, and the Hingham Militia Company (a group of volunteer reenactors) partners with us, as does a Civil War reenactment group from the South Shore. We honor the Lincoln surname and legacy in American civic life. We have a little mini parade to the Lincoln Statue, where we lay wreaths. 2026 is a really important year for American history because it’s the semiquincentennial (America’s 250th anniversary), and there will be a lot of historic commemorations..whether someone takes the time to go to Lexington and Concord to see the reenactment, or takes part in the tall ships, which are happening this July, or goes to the parade on the 4th of July. It’s 250 years since they signed the Declaration of Independence, and I think that’s a big deal. I hope people will tune in to know that where they go to school and where they might live is totally immersed in those early days of American history.”
