The Town of Hingham covers an area of 22.5 square miles and is approximately 15 miles south of Boston. The town's history is reflected in its many immaculately kept antique houses, including the "Old Ordinary" on Lincoln Street, which now houses the Hingham Historical Society Museum. Derby Academy, founded in 1784, is the oldest co-educational school in the country and Hingham's First Parish Old Ship Church is the oldest wooden structure in the country in continuous use as a place of worship. Hingham has created six historic districts which will help the town maintain its unique character in the future.

Hingham is proud of its location on the water, including 21 miles of shoreline and construction of a new harbor park further expands the public use of Hingham Harbor. The acquisition of the South Shore Country Club by the municipality provides additional recreation opportunities for residents while preserving the suburban character of this historic seaside community.

Town Phone and website
www.hingham-ma.com
781-741-1410

Type of Government
Elected 3-member Board of Selectmen
Town Administrator
Open Town Meeting

Year Incorporated: 1635
Total Area: 25.04 sq. miles
Land Area: 22.59 sq. miles
Population: 20,720 (2004)
Density: 882 per sq. mile

Households by Type: (2000 Census)
  Households %
Married Couple Family 4,721 65.7
Non-Family Household 1,710 23.8
Female Householder 610 8.5
Male Householder 148 2.0
Average Household Size 2.72  
Average Family Size 3.19  

Median Housing Price (as of 2002 Census)
$465,000. Residential
$240,950. Condominium
$425,000. Both

Median Family Income
$98,598. (as of 2000 Census)

Tax Rates
Commercial Tax Rate $9.96 (2005)
Residential Tax Rate $9.96 (2005)

Climate:
Normal temperature in January.....27.4°F
Normal temperature in July........71.5°F
Normal annual precipitation.......47.7"

Student Population: (as of October 1, 2002)
Total students : 4,001

Hingham Students Enrolled at: Number Percent of Total
Public Schools 3,497 87%
High School 946 24%
Middle School 874 22%
Foster Elem. 562 14%
Plymouth River Elem. 587 15%
South Elem. 528 13%
Pre-K 57 1.4%
Public Vocational 8 0.2%
South Shore Charter School 6 0.1%
Private Schools 490 12%



 
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Largest Employers

Name Of
Company		 Approximate
Current Employment
Talbots 1,120
Serono Labs 400
Russ Electric 257
Stop & Shop 208
Eat Well 170

Downtown Hingham/Hingham Harbor
Downtown Hingham is a small scale, pedestrian oriented downtown area that successfully competes with shopping plaza and regional malls. The downtown caters to an upscale market, with such national and regional chains as Talbots and J. McLaughlin, as well as a variety of smaller locally owned shops, restaurants, and professional offices. The area is characterized by narrow streets with shops opening onto the sidewalks. The Downtown includes over 200 businesses employing over 1,200 people. The Downtown is also a focal point for community activity, with a community center, parochial school, historical attractions and several churches.

Hingham Shipyard/Route 3A
The Hingham Shipyard area was made available for private use following military presence in World War II. The Hingham Ferry Boat Terminal, located in the Shipyard, provides commuter service to Boston as well as excursions to the Boston Harbor Islands. As many as 2000 riders use the commuter boats on a round-trip, daily basis. A redevelopment of the shipyard to include residential, retail and commercial uses is currently underway.
The adjoining area across Route 3A includes a sizeable area which is industrially zoned and includes a vibrant shopping center, a Flatley Office Park, and Talbot’s World Headquarters.


Industrial Parks
The South Hingham area includes the area adjacent to and south of Route 3. Several large retail and industrial uses exist in this area, including the South Shore Industrial Park and the new Derby Street Shoppes Development. Much of the commercial land in South Hingham remains undeveloped and much of the land zoned for industrial use is owned by a single owner. A buildout analysis conducted in1999 estimated that approx. 4 million sq. ft. of industrial or commercial development may take place on 91 acres of developable land in the Industrial Park District (south of Route 33)


Office Parks
There is a large parcel of land zoned “Office Park” on Rte. 53 across from the Derby Street Shoppes. In this parcel, there is one small office complex. Additional land can be developed. In the past, the presence of ledge have prevented development, however, recent technological developments may make it possible to develop this area as zoned.

Major Available Sites for Development
The bulk of developable land in Hingham is already developed. There are, however, still a few sizable parcels left. These include but are not limited to

• Flatley Property (William B. Terry Drive and Beal Street) – zoned Industrial
• A.W. Perry Parcels on Commerce Road – zoned Industrial Park
• Selectmen’s Parcels on Beal Street (Town Meeting voted to sell for development of housing) – zoned Official & Open Space
• Land on Abington Street – zoned Industrial, but currently sparcely developed with residential properties
• South side of Whiting Street behind Penniman Hill Farm & Driving Range – zoned Residence C
• Queen Anne Corner – possible site of 1-2 40B Projects
• Land on 3A heading south from the Rotary – zoned Residence C – potential site of 40B developments

The recent redevelopment of the Hingham Plaza as the Derby Street Shoppes has illustrated the potential for redevelopment in the Town.


Labor Force and Unemployment
(from 2001 Mass. Div. of Employment & Training)
Labor Force: 10,912
Employed: 10,681
Unemployed: 231
Unemployment Rate: 2.1%

Employment by Industry
(2002 Div. of Employment & Training)

Year Establish-
ments		 Total Agriculture
Forestry
Fishing		 Govern-
ment		 Const-
ruction		 Manufac-
turing		 TCPU Trade FIRE Services
1999 843 11,494 85 1,116 1,039 913 100 4,805 714 2,697
2000 851 11727 114 1146 1222 924 120 4813 652 2709
2001 866 11360 124 1175 1109 946 173 4461 720 2626

Location
Eastern Massachusetts, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and Hull on the north, Cohasset and Scituate on the east, Norwell and Rockland on the south, and Weymouth on the west. Hingham is 15 miles southeast of Boston; 16 miles northeast of Brockton; 30 miles north of Plymouth; 42 miles from Providence, Rhode Island; and 218 miles from New York City.
Latitude: 42.22569
Longitude: -70.88878

Transportation
Hingham is situated in the Greater Boston Area, which has excellent rail, air, and highway facilities. State Route 128 and Interstate Route 495 divide the region into inner and outer zones, which are connected by numerous "spokes" providing direct access to the airport, port, and intermodal facilities of Boston. Principal highways are State Route 3, the Southeastern Expressway connecting Boston to the South Shore and the Cape, and State Routes 3A and 228.
Rail:
Commuter rail service in Hingham is currently under consideration. The MBTA Red Line (Rapid Transit) is accessible from Braintree and Quincy. Travel time to Park Street station (Downtown Boston) from Quincy Center is approx. 20 mins. The Bay Colony Railroad provides freight rail service to Hingham.
Bus:
Hingham is a member of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
(MBTA). There is fixed route service to Quincy Station. The MBTA also provides
THE RIDE, a paratransit service for the elderly and disabled. The Plymouth and Brockton Street Railway Company provides bus commuter service to Boston.
Other:
Commuter boat service is available from Hingham to Rowes Wharf, Boston, by Boston Harbor Cruises. The Airport Water Shuttle provides transportation to Logan Airport from Rowes Wharf in Boston.

Arts & Culture

Hingham Public Library:
66 Leavitt St.
(781) 741-1405

Museums:

Old Ordinary
21 Lincoln Street
(781) 749-0013

Bare Cove Fire Museum
Bare Cove Park
19 Fort Hill Street
749-0028

Hull Lifesaving Museum
PO Box221
1117 Nantasket Ave.
Hull, MA
Barbie Guild, Associate Director
781-925-5433 (phone)
781-925-0992 (fax)
hullmuse@channel1.com

Music/Theater

Hingham Civic Music Theatre
Joel Leonard
14 Brewster Rd.
749-6431

Hingham Symphony Orchestra
Nina Wellford
740-4362

Kids´ Cabaret
7 Boulder Glen Road

Michael Hines
740-1514

South Shore Conservatory
1 Conservatory Drive
749-7565

Recreation

Recreational Facilities:
Recreation Center
Fully staffed Recreation Center providing video game room, regulation size gymnasium, indoor and outdoor basketball courts, weight and fitness facility, large number of exercise/athletic classes, sport and recreational programs for youth, an outdoor street hockey rink, an outdoor track, soccer and baseball fields, tennis courts, and summer camp servicing 400+ youth annually.

South Shore Country Club
South Shore Country Club is owned by the Town of Hingham. The club features a beautiful and challenging 18 hole golf course, a 10 lane candle pin bowling alley, three tennis courts and an outdoor swimming pool! To complement these activities is a full service restaurant and two function rooms.Parks/Woodland

Wompatuck State Park (2,877 acres)
bicycling, camping, cross country skiing, general play, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, nature observing, picnicking, sight seeing, snowmobiling, walking/jogging

Bare Cove Park (468 acres)
hiking, bicycling, boating-non motor, hiking, horseback riding, ice skating, motor boating, nature observing, picnicking, sight seeing, walking/jogging

Whitney Woods (320 acres)
hiking, horseback riding, nature observing, picnicking, walking/jogging

Worlds End Reserve (251 acres)
bicycling, cross country skiing, hiking, nature observing, walking/jogging

Fulling Mill Pond (162 acres)
boating-non motor, hiking, ice skating, nature observing, picnicking

Town Forest (107 acres)
bicycling, hiking, horseback riding
More Brewer Park (106 acres)
bicycling, cross country skiing, hiking, horseback riding, ice skating, nature observing, natural history, picnicking, walking/jogging

Historical Attractions
The town's history is reflected in its many immaculately kept antique houses, including:
The "Old Ordinary" on Lincoln Street, which now houses the Hingham Historical Society Museum.

Derby Academy, founded in 1784, is the oldest co-educational school in the country Hingham's First Parish Old Ship Church is the oldest wooden structure in the country in continuous use as a place of worship.