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Lincoln Day Celebration
Saturday, February 7, 2004Schedule of Events 10:15 a.m. - Hingham Militia and Civil War re-enactors assemble outside of Old Ship Church and march into the
Hingham Cemetery to fire salutes at the graves of General Benjamin Lincoln and Governor John Andrew 11 a.m. - patriotic ceremony in Old Ship Church - period music, including Favorite pieces of Abraham Lincoln, and
speeches 11:45 a.m. - parade to Fountain Square 12 noon - wreath-laying ceremony at President Lincoln's statue and at General Lincoln's memorial, followed by appropriate salutes by uniformed units For more information, please call
781-749-5374 or 781-749-0176 President's Message
Thank You Yes, Winterfest was impacted by the early December snowstorm. Notwithstanding the
weather and road conditions, attendance was reasonably good - and the exhibits were very interesting. Our thanks to Society members who assisted in the show, and particularly to Diane Jumper for all her efforts.
A Sign of the Times Responding to the bottom line of the financial condition of the Society, the Board, at its December meeting, decided to raise the Dues. The revised dues are as follows:
Single - $15
Household - $25
Sustaining - $35
Patron - $60
Corporate - $75
Life - $300 (a one-time payment) Just Some Ordinary New
A regular column of news from the Old Ordinary Committee OO Committee Field Trip
The Committee of the Old Ordinary enjoyed a field trip to the Braintree Historical Society (BHS) in November. The purpose was to learn new ways to organize, conserve and display historic artifacts. All participants
left feeling excitement at new possibilities. Jennifer Potts, curator at the BHS, led the group through the object and archival storage areas, temporary displays and the Sylvanus Thayer House. "We learned many ways to
organize textiles and awkwardly shaped objects," noted Nancy Tiffin. Of special charm was Ms. Potts' use of many "low-tech," inexpensive ideas. "For example, instead of throwing out a leftover security gate, she had it
attached to the wall and hangs paintings on it - a great way to store them and also be able to see them," observed Virginia McLaughlin, one of the attendees. Another solution was to the problem of open cupboards in a
house museum. At the Thayer House the cupboard was covered in plexiglas, allowing visitors to see the contents but not be able to touch them. The group toured the current BHS exhibit on the Civil War. Many were
impressed with the quality of work Ms. Potts is able to generate using judicious use of in-house printing and outside printing companies, including text for exhibits and pamphlets put on sale. Susan Achille, as well as others, felt
it was valuable to see what items the Society has on sale in the gift shop. "They have a great range of items, including crafts from their volunteers," she remarked. The Committee members hope to put many of Ms. Potts'
ideas in place during the next year. "One of our goals this year is to revive the idea of field trips, hopefully to places of interest to the members that will help us improve as a committee," said member Andrea Wilson. "This one
was an inspiring start!" Lisa Hemphill The Braintree exhibit, "The Civil War," runs through the end of July 2004 and includes letters, photos and other memorabilia about the Civil War. The
exhibit is in the building located behind the Sylvanus Thayer House at 786 Washington Street and is open Wednesday through Saturday. Call 781-848-1640 for exhibit hours. Briefly Told
- Limited quantities of three scenes of the Hosea Sprague woodcut tiles are available from the Old Ordinary. Please contact Susan Achille at 781-749-0706 or any Old Ordinary Committee member.
- The 80th Annual Hingham House Tour is coming Sunday, June 13, 2004!
- Tool Trivia (interesting facts found while researching the 2004 tool exhibit): In colonial times a large warship required some 2000 oak trees, each of them needing a century to reach maturity. This meant stripping about 50
acres of land! Note: the tool exhibit will open the day of the House Tour, Sunday, June 13, 2004. The exhibit will display the extensive tool collection of the Society and will also note the Hingham industries in which the
tools were used.
The Early Years of Hingham's Water Supply
by James L. Rodgers, Jr. The annual meeting of the Town of Hingham, held March 8, 1875, voted that a committee be established to determine the
feasibility of obtaining a water supply from Accord Pond for "use of the inhabitants of the town, to estimate the expense of procuring water, and to recommend in what streets the pipes should be laid." The committee consisted of E.
Waters Burr, Andrew C. Cushing, Ebed L. Ripley, Geo. P. Hayward, Arthur Lincoln, Luther Stephenson Jr., Walter L. Bouve and John D. Long, then a member of the Massachusetts Legislature. The
"Report of the Selectmen on the Financial Affairs of the town for the Year Ending February 1, 1876," contained the "Report of the Water Committee" and the "Report of William Wheeler, Engineer," both totaling 56 pages of
investigations, estimates of cost, information of water quality and quantity, number and location of customers and areas to be served, and a recommendation to install approximately 95,000 feet of pipe, ranging from 3 inch to 12
inch, with 550 service pipes and 112 hydrants at a total estimated cost of $155,930 for the complete system. The Water Committee Report also stated that the Committee on Water Supply of the Legislature "have reported a bill to
allow the town to take water from Accord Pond, which we have no doubt will be accepted by the Senate and House." About three years later, the Legislature's Committee on Claims reported in the House a bill incorporating
John D. Long, now Lt. Governor of the Commonwealth, and others as the Hingham Water Company. The others included many of the same Hingham citizens who had served on the original Water Committee, and the Committee was authorized to
supply Hingham and "that part of Hull called Nantasket and Nantasket Beach." The period from early March 1879 to early August was required for the organiza-tion of the company, and the directors, at a meeting in
Loring Hall, awarded a contract to Goodhue & Birnie from Springfield, to "build the works proposed for the sum of $70,000." Groundbreaking was held "at an early hour on Wednesday, September 10, 1879 on Otis Street, with Geo. P.
Hayward performing the first excavation. Before using the pick and shovel, he remarked, "I congratulate you, kind friends, on the commencement of measures for furnishing you with an abundant supply of pure water. I congratulate the
workingmen of Hingham who have been selected by special agreement to assist in the construction of these works, that they are to have steady employment for many weeks. Mr. Goodhue is a workingman and he will expect you to do your
part faithfully. God speed and bless this good work." By that night, 600 ft. of trench had been dug. Work continued until November 20, 1879, by which time 6-1/2 miles of pipe had been laid, including a large proportion
of the larger sizes leading from Accord Pond. During excavations on lower Main Street near Hingham Square, "several human skulls were turned up at a depth of about 2 feet." one of the final operations before the work ended for the
winter was "putting in a gate at Accord Pond." The contractors went to Florida for the winter, where they had a contract for other work, and planned to resume in the spring, "as soon as the frost shall be out of the ground." Over the winter, contact was made by the Company with other water utilities in the area, at Newton, Boston, Lawrence and Salem regarding materials to be used for service pipes. The town also reviewed the plans for
installation of fire hydrants and the rates to be charged for water for fire protection. The following spring work resumed as early as possible, and by June 23, "our South Hingham friends were the first to receive the
privileges" of the water being "let on. Friday, the 25th, found Cole Corner supplied with the same luxury: Tuesday night it was allowed to flow as far as Broad Bridge (Main Street, between North and South Streets), and yesterday
(July 1) the people on Lincoln Street and in the West part of town were using the precious fluid." Water pressure was sufficient to "force a stream of water some 45 feet, and at Broad Bridge a perpendicular stream was forced 3/4 of
the height of the steeple on the Catholic Church." The people of Hingham were justifiably pleased with the introduction of a public water supply to their town. In the Hingham Journal of July 30, 1880, an article
appeared, entitled "Happy Hingham," which said "No town could be more favored with a natural reservoir. The Accord Pond, mostly in the town of Hingham, is five and a half miles from our railway station, and is 127 feet above the
foundation of that building . . . The supply is regarded as ample. The quality is of the best kind. Analysis shows it to be superior to Cochituate, and hardly second to two other supplies [which were not identified] which have the
purest water known in Massachusetts. Just over six months later, however, a citizen's letter to the Journal raised the issue on water supply which has continued to this day, the familiar "The Water Question." The
writer suggests that the town would have been able to install the facilities at a much lower cost than had been incurred by "our most liberal and enterprising citizens, and we are enjoying the blessing of an abundant water supply,
while in many other places the people are deprived in a great measure of this great agency in the promotion of health and comfort." James L. Rodgers, Jr. was President of the Hingham Water Co. from 1973 continuing
after its merger into Massachusetts-American Water Co. until his retirement in 1983. Prior to 1973 he was vice president and engineer. In Her Own Words . . .
If you have noticed Christmas lights twinkling in the windows this season at the Old Ordinary, you can thank Virginia McLaughlin, one of the
newest members of the Old Ordinary Committee. This spring look for the new Hingham Historic House Tour signs around town announcing the 80th tour date which Virginia is currently designing. These are just some of the many projects
Virginia has undertaken since joining the committee this year. The rest is "In Her Own Words."I grew up in Walpole, MA and lived in several other
South Shore communities before marrying Kevin and settling in Braintree. At the time I was production manager for New England Business Magazine in Boston. Like many newlyweds we spent weekends skiing, traveling and
renovating our 1930s home. Our son, Kyle, was born in 1991 and by 1992 we moved to Hingham for its great schools and friendly community life. During those early years Kyle attended Wilder Memorial Nursery School and then South
Elementary. Now a stay-at-home mom, I was able to volunteer at school as a room parent, be on the PTO board and coordinate the Get Smart About Art Program. When Kyle joined the Cub Scouts and then Boy Scouts, there was plenty for
me to do as a troop volunteer. Last year I became involved with the "No Place for Hate" program and participated in the first Diversity Day in May. Though volunteering has kept me busy, I have found time to perform in community
theaters and take dance and voice lessons. My volunteer efforts in the schools changed when Kyle reached the Hingham Middle School and I began looking for other ways to get involved in the community. Penni Hughes asked
me to help her disassemble an exhibit at the Old Ordinary and I was impressed with the museum and its collections. The Old Ordinary is a treasure and the people who volunteer have been wonderful and so welcoming to new members;
it's an organization that has lots to offer. I'm able to use my graphic arts background on projects and in return I've learned about Hingham and colonial history. It's been very rewarding.
When not working on projects for the Old Ordinary, Virginia, Kevin and Kyle enjoy skiing, international travel and exploring local forests with their English Setter, Ginger. If you are interested in volunteering with
the Hingham Historical Society and Old Ordinary House Museum, please call our new member coordinator Andrea Wilson, 781-749-3857, for more information. Penni Hughes |
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