Mission Statement:
Believing that awareness of our place in the stream of history enriches our lives and heightens appreciation and respect for the people, institutions and natural world around us, the Hingham Historical Society (incorporated June 14, 1914) undertakes to achieve the following goals and missions:

-To collect, preserve and exhibit for cultural and educational purposes, items of historical significance, including those related in particular, to Hingham and Hingham families.

-To promote the study and appreciation of history, and in particular, to stimulate interest in and to develop knowledge about the history of the Town of Hingham.

-To maintain the Society's properties, buildings and landscapings, including the Old Ordinary, the Annex, and Old Derby, architectural preservation restrictions and the like, in its possession, preserving as much as possible their historical character.

-To maintain relations with other societies and associations having similar purposes; historic links with other Hingham communities in England, Wisconsin and Montana and to advise, support and cooperate with groups, organizations and government agencies concerned with the preservation and improvement of the Town and region, especially in relation to its history and historical character.

-To publicize activities of the Society, sponsor tours and lectures of historical interest, and generate financial support for the Society's missions and activities.

History Of The Society:

The Hingham Historical Society was founded in 1914 by eight citizens of the town for the purpose of preserving and promoting Hingham's rich past.

Led by former Massachusetts Governor John D. Long, the Society met in members' homes, until 1920, when J. Wilmon Brewer made a gift to the group of the Old Ordinary, a 17th-century, one-time way station for travelers that became the Society's headquarters.

Today, the Society maintains its headquarters at Old Derby Academy, a handsome Federal-style structure on lower Main Street that more than 200 years ago was a co-educational school, one of the first in the country. Besides being a meeting place for the Society and repository for many of its archives, Old Derby is available to rent for special occasions.

As part of its mission to preserve and promote Hingham's history, the Society offers many programs for adults and school children, including annual tours of the Old Ordinary for fifth graders. In addition, the organization presents prizes to students in recognition of outstanding projects dealing with Hingham history, and makes awards to homeowners and businesses for the preservation and restoration of historic buildings.

The house tour is the Society's biggest event, attracting visitors from all over New England. The Society's activities are chronicled in the monthly newsletter, "News and Notes Out of the Ordinary", which also contains articles about the town's history.