USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Hingham > History of the town of Hingham, Massachusetts, vol 1 > Part 19
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The house near Main Street was one of the old inns of earlier days. It was known as BRIGADIER CUSHING'S TAVERN. Reaching Main Street, we will turn to the right. The first hill on the road, going south, was in early days called MAYSE'S or MAY's, now LIBERTY POLE HILL. The country south of this locality, to the town line, is called LIBERTY PLAIN.
At the foot of the southerly slope of this hill, a blind lane leads west through the woods, towards Eel River. This is EEL- RIVER LANE. The gradual rise on Main Street from this point, south, is called DIG-AWAY HILL (in some old papers DIDGEWAY). Further on, to the west of the road, at Gardner Street, is WHITE- OAK PLAIN. Half-way between Gardner Street and the town line, at GARDNER'S BRIDGE, Main Street crosses BEECHWOODS RIVER, sometimes called MILL RIVER, the little stream flowing northeast from Accord Pond, which unites with others near the centre of the township to form WEIR RIVER.
On the town line where Main Street meets "Queen Ann's Turn- pike," now Whiting Street, is QUEEN ANN'S CORNER, and a few rods to the west is ACCORD POND, from which Hingham draws its water supply. It is a beautiful sheet of water, of about three- fourths of a mile in length, lying within the limits of three towns, - Hingham, Rockland, and Norwell (formerly South Scitu- ate). The easterly shore is bordered by open country, the west side generally heavily wooded. The forest in this vicinity is largely composed of the Scarlet Oak, and at this season is in a blaze of brilliant coloring.
It is a singular fact that of all the ponds of any considerable size in Hingham, but one is a natural pond. All the rest, - Cushing's, Fulling-Mill, Trip-Hammer, Thomas's, and the Mill-
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History of Hingham.
pond, are artificial. According to one tradition Accord Pond received its name from the following circumstances.
A treaty with the Indians was about to be concluded by the inhabitants of the adjacent country, and it was decided to as- semble for the purpose at the point where the three towns of Abington, Scituate, and Hingham at that time met, somewhere near the middle of the pond which lay within the limits of these three townships. The conference was held in winter, on the ice, and was entirely successful, the questions at issue being settled amicably. On account of the happy accord which manifested itself between the contracting parties, the sheet of water received from that time the name of Accord Pond.
There are other traditions of similar import, but this one seems the most interesting.
One other large natural pond was within the original limits of Hingham, - Scituate Pond ; but it lies in Cohasset, which town, as previously stated, was set off from Hingham in 1770.
A small stream called SLOUGH RIVER flows from the Farm Hills across Gardner Street, and empties into the northern ex- tremity of Accord Pond.
On Main Street, a long house, almost the last building in Hing- ham before reaching the town line, was in the early part of the century SIVRET'S TAVERN. The old country taverns in those days were vastly more numerous than they are now, when the railroads covering the country have rendered them superfluous.
And now that bright yellow sunset over there, beyond the Blue Hills, indicates a fine day for to-morrow.
This bright morning follows appropriately in the wake of the past few perfect days ; and now let us start for a stroll at the old cove itself. From the Mill bridge, passing west through North Street (the old TOWN STREET of the early settlers) we come within a few rods to where the road bends slightly to the right. Here, where the millpond contracts to half its previous width, there was in the early days of the town, a second mill, and mill-dam across to the cemetery hill. A short distance farther west is Ship Street on the right, in old times FISH STREET. At this spot the early settlers with Rev. Peter Hobart landed from their boats.
The old houses on either corner of Ship and North Streets were formerly the WATERS TAVERNS. An old house next to the one of these two on the westerly corner, was the NYE TAVERN. Here is where certain British officers, quartered in town as prisoners of war during the Revolution, were brought for their meals. The old house next west of the Nye Tavern, standing on rising ground, with many trees about it, the GAY MANSION, was the home of the
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Ancient Landmarks.
Rev. Dr. Gay, long the celebrated pastor of the First Parish. Immediately west of this stands a building which, now enlarged and rebuilt, was in its original condition the home of the Rev. John Norton, the second pastor of the First Parish.
Opposite this spot, South Street enters North Street diagonally. This road also was termed TOWN STREET when laid out by the first settlers. At its very beginning it crosses the Town Brook by MAGOON'S BRIDGE.
Passing on a few rods more, we come to Main Street, which runs south from the railroad depot. On the easterly corner of Cottage Street, which enters North Street opposite Main, stands the Cushing House, formerly the UNION HOTEL, and earlier yet, LITTLE & MOREY'S TAVERN. This was a noted old inn in its day. Next east of it is a very old house, which was one of the " GAR- RISON-HOUSES " of the time of King Philip's War.
Main Street crosses the Town Brook by BROAD BRIDGE. The old bridge, notwithstanding its name, was formerly hardly wide enough for two teams to pass abreast, and a watering place for horses and cattle existed by the roadside where it crossed the brook. It is related that a worthy citizen, hurrying in a violent thunder storm to fetch the doctor, was obliged to wait for a flash of lightning to show him the bridge, which in the darkness was quite invisible. There is no locality in Hingham of which the name has a more familiar sound than that of the " Broad Bridge." Very near it, on both sides of the road, stood many of the shops where the town wits and celebrities used in the old times to gather in the winter evenings to talk over news and politics, crack jokes, and tell stories, some of which have come down to posterity with all their pristine savor. Pertinent to this subject may be a little circumstance which took place at a fine colonial mansion hard by, where dwelt in former days a gentleman of the old Hingham school, Squire Blank. Some French officers who had served with General Lincoln under Washington, were travel- ling in this country, and came to Hingham to pay their respects to the old general. Squire Blank gave a soirée in their honor, and considered himself in courtesy bound to converse in French instead of the vernacular. Consequently, after welcoming his foreign guests, he launched into a general conversation with the most prominent Frenchman, who stood gracefully bowing and smiling, and using the most agonized endeavors to comprehend the Squire's French. At last, in despair of coming at his enter- tainer's meaning, he broke out deprecatingly but vigorously, and in the Squire's mother tongue, "For Heaven's sake, Mr. Blank, speak English if you can !"
On North Street, facing Broad Bridge, where the Catholic Church now is, there stood until recently a fine old colonial mansion, having tapestried halls, and with some of the door- panels decorated by sketches painted by the celebrated Madam
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History of Hingham.
LEWIS ENG.CO,,BOSTEN.
THE THAXTER HOUSE,
Which stood on North Street opposite Broad Bridge.
Derby, - the old THAXTER HOUSE. At the time of the Revolu- tion it was owned and occupied by a Mr. Elisha Leavitt, who was a bitter Tory. It was thought by the patriots that he suggested to the British commander, during the siege of Boston, the sending of the expedition to Grape Island for the purpose of securing for- age. To punish him for this, a mob assembled and started for his house, with the idea, perhaps, of destroying the mansion, or pos- sibly, even, of offering him personal violence. He got wind of their coming, however, and had a barrel of rum rolled out of his cellar in front of the house, with other refreshments, such as crackers and cheese, for the rank and file of the mob, while cake and wine were provided in the house for the gentlemen leading the populace. Upon the arrival of the crowd, they were invited to help themselves to the refreshments, while the gentlemen aforesaid were received by Mrs. Leavitt in elegant dress, and urged to walk in and partake of the wine. This unexpected and politic courtesy disarmed the fury of the Whigs, and the threat- ened violence was drowned in good cheer.
Just beyond South Street the road formerly divided. The prin- cipal roadway came over the low hill upon which the DERBY ACADEMY stands, the westerly portion of which has since been cut down. The other road ran along the foot of this hill. Be- tween the two roads on the high land stood the post-office, and one or two other buildings. Several old gravestones also were
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Ancient Landmarks.
there, as the slope had been in the early days a part of the burial ground, and the FIRST MEETING-HOUSE of the early settlers with Rev. Peter Hobart stood in front of the present site of the Derby Academy. It was probably a log house, and there was a belfry upon it, containing a bell. It was fortified by palisades.
When the street was lowered to the present level by cutting down the hill and removing the buildings upon it, many graves were found in and about the roadway, containing the bones of some of the first settlers. These were reverently gathered to- gether and reinterred within the breastworks of the OLD FORT, which is a circular earthwork on the summit of the burial hill, back of the Academy. This fort was built to command the ap- proach by water, either of Indians in their canoes during King Philip's War, or in anticipation of a possible attack at the time of the troubles with the Dutch at New York. It is kept in a fine state of preservation, and a plain granite shaft in the centre was erected by the town to the memory of the first settlers. Around its outer slope are set many very quaint and ancient gravestones, unearthed here and there in the process of repairs or improve- ment of this beautiful cemetery. In the arrangement and adorn- ment of this resting-place of the dead, the taste displayed and the great work done by Dr. R. T. P Fiske and Mr. John Todd, the gentlemen who have had it in charge during the past fifty years, have been in the highest degree creditable and honorable to them.
In this cemetery are interred some of the most distinguished of Americans, as well as those men who came from over the sea to make Hingham their home. Here sleep the long line of eminent pastors of the First Parish, who preached in the Old Meeting- house yonder, - Hobart, Gay, Norton, Ware, Richardson, Lincoln. Many families whose members have attained to high position in the political, military, professional, or business circles of the re- public bring their dead here to the home of their ancestors, to slumber in the beautifully wooded hills or valleys of this lovely spot.
Many a soldier, from the general commanding an army to the riflemen who stood shoulder to shoulder in the line of battle, awaits the last reveille here. Many a sailor, who fought under "Old Glory " behind the cannon on the high seas, is ready to start up from this ground when " All hands on deck !" is piped for the last time. The tomb of Major-General Benjamin Lincoln, of the Rev- olutionary Army, is here. John Albion Andrew, the " great war governor" of Massachusetts during the Rebellion, rests here by his monument. The shaft to those who died by land or sea in the war for the Union crowns one of these beautiful heights.
On Main Street, in front of the entrance to the cemetery and on a height above the road, the handsome retaining wall of which is draped with ampelopsis, now beautiful in autumn coloring, is THE OLD MEETING-HOUSE of the First Parish, now in the two hundred and eighth year of its existence. Standing far apart from and
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History of Hingham.
above all other buildings, and embowered in fine trees, it is too well known to need description here. In simple, homely grand- eur it towers there, a century older than the republic itself. If it could speak so as to be heard by mortal ears, what might it not reveal of the dead and of the living, of the story of the past! But to those who love Hingham and her history, it has a thousand tongues which are never silent.
Main Street, as far as PEAR-TREE HILL, which is the steep bluff at the beginning of the Lower Plain, was, in the earliest times, known as BACHELOR'S ROWE, or BACHELOR STREET.
The salt marshes east of the road, below Pear-Tree Hill, are the HOME MEADOWS.
Having surmounted Pear-Tree Hill, we are upon the LOWER PLAIN, which is a tract of mainly level country extending south as far as Tower's Bridge, on Main Street. But we will leave this street and take Leavitt Street eastward. A large, low building on the corner, under a noble buttonwood-tree, was, in former days, LEWIS'S INN. The large, old-fashioned building east of it was once the old ALMSHOUSE.
Leaving the Agricultural Hall upon the left, we soon come to Weir River, here crossed by LEAVITT'S BRIDGE. A short distance further on, a way is reached winding off to the right and south, which is POPE'S LANE, or POPE'S HOLE. At the first turn on this lane are the CLUMP BARS, known also to the boys of past genera- tions as PLUMB BARS. This is evidently a corruption, as they de- rived the name from being, in former times, near a clump of trees when there were but few trees in the vicinity. The country there- abouts had not then grown up to woodlands, but was devoted to tillage or pasturage. Between this lane and Weir River lies ROCKY MEADOW. Turning to the eastward, the way leads into thick woods, in a rocky, rolling country, and among these, on the right side of the lane, is the wild and romantic ledge known as INDIAN ROCK.
Nearly opposite this rock is CHUBBUCK'S WELL, and the cellar of CHUBBUCK'S HOUSE, which house itself was demolished in 1759. This old well, now filled to the brim with leaves and debris, yet shows the carefully built wall, as good now as when constructed by Thomas Chubbuck, who was an early settler in 1634.
Further down the lane there is a rocky place in the woods called THE HOGPEN.
The lane, turning westward, crosses TRIP-HAMMER POND by a causeway. This pond is formed by Weir River, which flows through it. There were formerly iron works here, with a trip- hammer, and also a shingle factory.
Returning to Leavitt Street (the part of which leading into Third Division Woods was the old THIRD DIVISION LANE) we will stop to look into JAMES LANE, now so overgrown with woods that it cannot be distinguished, except by its location, from other cartways into the forest. It leads to JAMES HILL, in Cohasset.
CORNER OF MAIN AND LEAVITT STREETS.
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Ancient Landmarks.
Near its junction with Leavitt Street is PINE-LOG HILL. The IRON MINE (so called) is here at the corner of the lane, although indistinguishable in the undergrowth. It is hard to say now what gave this name to the locality. Ncar it is BLACK SNAKE HILL. DISMAL SWAMP is northeast of the Iron Mine, and ex- tends into Cohasset. Close by is, or rather was, the famous FOREST SANCTUARY. This was an open grove of noble pines, the growth of centuries, -the ground beneath them being carpeted with a thick layer of fragrant pine needles, with gray and mossy rocks here and there. The name was a fitting one, and well ex- pressed the quiet grandeur of the natural beauty of this remote spot. But it was deemed desirable to sweep away these superb trees in order to
" coin their blood for drachmas,"
and Forest Sanctuary has accordingly long been a thing of the past.
We are now in the THIRD DIVISION WOODS, which extend far and wide, over hill, dale, and swamp, and form probably the near- est approach to the primeval wilderness which can be found within fifteen miles of Boston. They spread over into Cohasset, and far southward. The deciduous part of these woodlands is largely composed of various species of the oak family ; the ever- green portion principally of the white pine, although many other species of both classes of trees abound. At the side of the old Third Division Road, on the line between Hingham and Cohasset, is a mark which was called the STONE BOUNDS. When the select- men of the two towns "make their rounds," they are popularly and mysteriously supposed to reach this mark at high noon, and according to the ancient custom "crack a bottle" against it. Other landmarks in Third Division Woods are JOSH LEAVITT'S BARS, on the right side of the way near the road to Beechwoods. Near by is THORPH. BURR'S HILL, so called from a Mr. Burr, who owned land at its foot. GLASS ROCK was on the line of the Third Division, far south.
Now let us return again to Leavitt Street, and, retracing our former course, turn to the eastward into TURKEY HILL LANE, which leads up over three quite elevated eminences, until we reach the principal height of TURKEY HILL. It is nearly a mile to this summit. At the first bend, to the right of the lane, are the re- mains of what was once a ledge, or enormous bowlder, about twelve feet high, with a rounded top sloping off smoothly to the south. This was GREAT ROCK. Upon this smooth surface an eccentric individual had chiselled in large letters this odd inscrip- tion : -
" When wild in woods the naked savage ran, Lazell, Low, Loring, Lane, Lewis, Lincoln,
Hersey, Leavitt, Jacobs, King, Jones and Sprague, Stemmed the wild torrent of a barbarous age, And were the first invaders of this country From the Island of Great Britain, in 1635."
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History of Hingham.
A few feet away from the above, was also cut the following : -
" THIS INSCRIPTION WAS WROUGHT BY HOSEA SPRAGUE, A NATIVE OF HINGHAM, WHO WAS A TRAVELLER HERE JULY 4th, 1828."
It was regarded as a great curiosity, and would have been more and more interesting as time passed on. But, unhappily, in the year 1833 certain persons considered that the only value in the great rock was the handful of dollars which it would bring for building purposes, and it was blown to pieces and sold for a pittance.
As one mounts higher and higher upon this hill, or rather upon this series of heights, the view in all directions grows more and more beautiful, until, when the top of Turkey Hill is reached, it may be called sublime.
Look at it now in this red October sunset ! To the east on the horizon lies the deep blue line of the broad Atlantic, whichi sweeps round toward the north. North and northwest are the headlands and islands of the bay. In the extreme distance in this last di- rection the sun's rays flame upon the roofs and towers of the city. In the nearer space they are reflected in golden light from the placid waters of the harbor. Weir River shines between the green meadows, almost at our feet, like a silver thread. The Blue Hills are misty in the far west. Villages and houses speck the landscape here and there. That great hill to the southeast is SCITUATE HILL.
Now turn southwards. There are brilliant woodlands in the other directions, but what a glory of scarlet, yellow, and green from the painted forests that stretch away to the southern hori- zon's edge here ! This surpasses any other Hingham view.
In the War of 1812 people came to this hill on a sorrowful June day to see a famous naval duel. The British frigate "Shannon " had been cruising off Boston harbor, and the captain sent a chal- lenge in to Captain Lawrence, who commanded the frigate " Chesa- peake," then lying at the navy yard, her crew having been paid off. The American officer gathered as good a crew as could be ob- tained from the sailors in port, and hurriedly set sail to meet the enemy. The encounter was off Scituate, and was very sanguin- ary. In the midst of it the brave Lawrence fell, mortally wounded. As they carried him below he cried, " Don't give up the ship!" But with his fall, the Americans lost heart, and after a hopeless struggle they were forced to surrender. A sad and wretched pageant for the spectators on Turkey Hill and along the shore !
Turkey Hill lies mostly in Hingham, but a part is in Cohasset. Its name was bestowed on account of the early abundance of wild turkeys there.
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Ancient Landmarks.
In descending the hill at the easterly end, we leave the old way and pass over a private road, which has been laid out through the dark pine woods, winding beautifully down the slope till it reaches SIDE-HILL ROAD, following which, northward, we come out of these charming woods upon East Street, which we will turn into and proceed toward Cohasset. THE BATTERY PASTURE, or THE BATTERY, was near Side-Hill road. The origin of the name is obscure. There is a very singular tongue of Hingham territory which extends over half a mile into Cohasset, and is known as THE HOMESTEADS. It is only a few rods in width, and tapers off to nothing at the railroad crossing at its east end. "The Home- steads" were the home lands of certain of the inhabitants, who, soon after Cohasset was laid off from Hingham, petitioned to be allowed to have their lands here re-annexed to Hingham. On the north side of East Street are the TURKEY MEADOWS, and the little stream which crosses the road from the south and eventu- ally flows under Lambert's Lane, emptying finally into Lyford's Liking River, is TURKEY-HILL RUN.
Retracing our course, we come back to where Side-Hill Road ends on East Street. Near this junction once stood the BLACK- HORSE TAVERN, a famous resort for gunners and persons on their way to or from Hull. Ebenezer Beal was the old-time host of this inn.
Hull Street leads north from this point to Nantasket Beach. From the extreme northwesterly part of "The Homesteads" it forms the boundary line between Hingham and Cohasset. About half a mile from the railroad crossing, Canterbury Street leads away on the left, through the district called CANTERBURY.
The village on Hull Street, extending from Canterbury Street to Jerusalem road, is known by the singular name of TUGMANUG, and it used to be one of the most quaint and interesting localities along the shore. Its odd little houses, many of them having the front door painted in most gorgeous hues, the rough and rocky road, the queer little nooks and corners here and there, and the salty savor which pervaded the whole place, and the inhabitants, whose characteristics were in some respects peculiar to a village on the New England coast where wrecks were not uncommon, lent a picturesque glamour to the hamlet and its people. Alas ! all this is gone now, and the charm which once hung over this mysterious locality is fled forever. All is now " spick and span," tidy and humdrum.
This day, which will be the last of our wanderings among the ancient landmarks, is far colder than the lovely Indian-summer days which have been granted us until this morning, and sharp riding will be necessary in order to keep comfortably warm.
We will turn back again to East Street and make our way west- ward. That little road, crossing the railroad track and winding VOL. I .- 13
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History of Hingham.
through a rocky, shrubby country and over high lands toward Rockland Street, is Weir Street, once the old WEIR-RIVER LANE. It affords one of the beautiful and sequestered rides for which Hingham and Cohasset are famed. The tract of high land lying east of it, now largely overgrown by woods, used to be GREAT PASTURE.
A little further on, around a bend in the road, we come to CUSHING'S BRIDGE, across Weir River. Many fine " wine-glass . elms " are scattered here and there in the meadow by the river's banks, and by the roadside, across the stream, is the magnificent OLD ELM, which was transplanted to this spot in 1729, three years before the birth of Washington. It is justly celebrated for its size and symmetry. All the territory in this vicinity, from Hull Street to Summer Street, has always been known as ROCKY NOOK.
The road, after passing a row of sturdy red oaks on the left, which must have been old trees when the Pilgrims landed, reaches a descent cut through a rough ledge and known as ROCKY HILL. Just beyond the high lands to the right is CHAMBERLIN'S SWAMP, and the little stream running through the meadow, parallel with the road and crossing it at last, to empty into Weir River at the foot of the Agricultural Society's grounds, is CHAMBERLIN'S RUN. It is nearly dry in summer. The large white house between it and the Agricultural Hall, now a private residence, was, in the old days, a tavern. ,
East Street ends at Leavitt Street, passing over which west to Main Street, we find ourselves in the middle of the village of " Hingham Centre," upon LOWER PLAIN, which extends from Pear-Tree Hill to Tower's Bridge, as generally understood, al- though the town book giving the " names of streets, lanes, plains, and bridges, as established by the town May 7, 1827, and since," gives the boundaries of Lower Plain, " Pleasant Street to Pear- Tree Hill."
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