September 13, 2024 Submitted by The Hingham Maritime Center, Photos by Jack Burns
In response to the Town of Hingham’s recent survey exploring uses for the newly acquired 30 Summer Street property (the former Gallery 360 building on 3A at the rotary), and as the only group specifically identified in the survey by name, Hingham Maritime Center (HMC) wanted to take this moment to supply a bit of supplemental information for the Citizens of Hingham on how we would hope to use the space at 30 Summer Street, should we have the opportunity. We envision 30 Summer Street as a classroom, a lab space, and a launching pad for our community to engage in maritime educational programming and appreciate our Harbor all year round and at every age.
As a bit of background, for those unfamiliar with HMC’s Boathouse at Barnes Wharf, it is a wonderful space that allows our staff and students some protection from the elements during the summer months as well as limited storage space for sailing, rowing, and safety equipment used in our programming. That said, it is also an unheated and uninsulated space that does not have running water, plumbing, or indoor restrooms. In short, it is not a space HMC is able to utilize during the winter months for programming.
The building at 30 Summer Street is a single story, 1,400 square foot building on 0.2 acres. The building is comprised of two office-like rooms and a bathroom in between. There are five parking spaces in the front of the building. Currently, there is no dock or direct link to the water from the property.
As 30 Summer Street is the directly adjacent property on the harbor, after the rotary, to Barnes Wharf and the HMC Boathouse, this is a tremendous and rare opportunity for HMC to have access to a fully functional space that is accessible in all seasons. Should HMC be granted the opportunity, our primary interest in the space is to expand our marine education programming, the first component of which was successfully launched this past season as Little Mariners. This program introduced children ages four to seven to the different marine life found in and around Hingham Harbor with the aim of forming the building blocks of respect for our environment and appreciation for the many forms of wildlife and the dynamic ecosystem that Hingham Harbor has to offer in our young minds.
With the facilities at 30 Summer Street, HMC would plan to expand marine education programs to include:
- Extending HMC’s Little Mariners Programs to teach young children about the ecology of Hingham Harbor year-round
- Hosting Maritime STEM classes for Hingham Public Schools (K-12), local private schools, and other local nonprofit groups
- Introducing Marine Programming for Seniors (Linden Ponds residents visited HMC this summer!)
- Offering year-round Water Safety & Boating Courses, allowing all age groups of our community to safely enhance their own experiences on the water with confidence at any time of year
HMC is a nonprofit organization focused on our core mission of “Boating for All” since 1971. More recently, with only about 6% of Hingham’s waterfront publicly accessible, HMC has adopted a mission of “Waterfront Access to All,” as we strive to provide as many of our community members as possible a range of opportunities to engage with the amazing asset that is Hingham Harbor. Access to 30 Summer Street would allow us to broaden our mission even further to “Marine Learning for All.”
Just this past season, HMC has been happy to host more than 1,000 individuals of all ages with a wide variety of interests at Barnes Wharf—.nearly 500 sailors, including groups from South Shore SNAP and Sunset Point Camp, more than 400 rowers, dozens of children in our Little Mariners program and paddleboarders young and old. We have enjoyed the company of hundreds of visitors to our pop-up beer garden series Making Waves, hosted in partnership with local microbrewery, Untold Brewing. We also held a gathering for the Hingham Citizens Police Academy, a luncheon for residents of Linden Ponds, and a field trip for students from Derby Academy to learn about the ecology of Hingham Harbor. During the school year, we host the Hingham High School Crew and Sailing teams, bringing more than 120 students to the wharf in the fall and spring seasons.
HMC would very much like the opportunity to further expand our maritime programming to the community with access to 30 Summer Street. We hope that community members agree and will respond to the survey and encourage the town to consider HMC for this use at 30 Summer Street.
The survey can be accessed here:
https://www.hingham-ma.gov/FormCenter/Select-Board-15/30-Summer-Street-Questionnaire-99
More information about Hingham Maritime Center can be found on our website: https://www.hinghammaritime.org/