The Old Ordinary

Seasonal Musuem.
This year, the Old Ordinary was open from June 12^th through September 1, (2007), Tuesday through Saturday, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Admission: adults, $ 3; children, $ 1. After Labor Day, the museum will be open by appointment.
Really excellent value if you love New England History.
Eleanor Roosevelt called Hingham’s thoroughfare «the most beautiful Main Street in America.» It has a mile or so of wide, tree-​lined Main Street with homes that get progressively older as you get closer to the center of town.
The Old Ordinary is a wonderful place to visit. It only costs $ 3.00 and there’s are a variety of well-​informed tour guides to walk you through the house and explain the rich history of Hingham. You can see house construction, fabric, furniture, toys, tools, clothing, advances in fireplaces, etc. progress as you travel through the rooms. Awesome state of the art kitchen and woodwoodworkshop.
There was a quilt and embroidery exhibit when I went through, with examples on loan from the Old Derby school (down the street), one of the first coeducational schools in America, including an example of a rare and beautiful blue and white double anchor patterned quilt. Girls had to do a sampler to graduate, and boys had to make a wooden toy/​piece of furniture.
You will find a small tavern that qualified the house as an «ordinary» where Daniel Webster is reported to have stopped by for refreshment and conversation on his way through town on occasion. I was struck by how small the space was and that the revolution surely ignited in little places such as that.
There are many artifacts including a 1722 Bonner map of Boston, a grandfather clock made by Hinghamite, Joshua Wilder, and Lincoln memorobilia as it is thought (hoped?) Abraham Lincoln may be descended from the Lincolns of Hingham. I believe I read somewhere that Abe never knew his ancestry, though. Nevertheless, there is a statue of him erected just outside the Old Ordinary on the green.
Very good day trip.