April 17, 2023 by the Hingham Historical Society
The Hingham Historical Society held its Annual Meeting on Wednesday evening, April 12th, at the Hingham Heritage Museum. Officers elected to two-year terms included Jim Taylor, President; Caroline Counselman, Vice President; Cheryl Bierwirth, Secretary; and Bob Mosher, Treasurer. Deborah Edmundson, Lara Thompson, and Matthew Torrey were each re-elected as directors. The Society was delighted to welcome three new directors, Jennifer Hunt, Lauren Mahoney and Matthew MacDonald, while recognizing with gratitude the contributions of retiring directors Craig Bromley and Paula Bagger.
Incoming President Jim Taylor and Executive Director Deirdre Anderson gave special recognition to outgoing President Paula Bagger who has served the Society since 2008 first as a volunteer and then as chair of the Collections Committee, Vice President and President since 2018. Paula has been instrumental in leading the organization’s historical research efforts including her own work on African American artist Prince Demah. She led the Society during the Campaign for the Benjamin Lincoln House including numerous presentations to secure Community Preservation funding and in managing the purchase and sale of the home for the Society with the Lincoln descendants.
The meeting ended with the presentation of the Society’s two annual awards; the W. Bradford Sprout, Jr. Award for significant contribution to the preservation of Hingham’s rich architectural heritage and the Judith Lee Kimball Award honoring volunteer service. The W. Bradford Sprout Jr. Award was presented by Sprout’s daughter Sally Lovett while the Judith Lee Kimball Award was presented by Judith’s brother, Albert “Kim” Kimball.
This 2023 Sprout Award was presented to Nancy and Frank Mellen and Jonathan Detwiler of Buttonwood Renovations, for their stewardship of 182 North Street, the 1650 Samuel Lincoln Cottage and their painstaking and sensitive renovations after a car struck the home in the Summer of 2021 – making international headlines – and causing significant damage.
Jane Cheever Carr was honored with the Kimball Award in recognition of her decades of service to the Historical Society. Jane served two terms on the Board of Directors including as Vice-President and played a significant role in the capital campaign for the Hingham Heritage Museum. She initiated the Society’s Brainstormers efforts when the Museum first reopened and more recently worked to form the Advisory Council. She currently serves as a member of the Historic House Tour Committee and the Benjamin Lincoln House Committe. Jane was deeply influential in the Society’s decision to pursue the purchase of the Lincoln home.
The Hingham Historical Society is a member-supported non-profit organization dedicated to collecting, preserving, and celebrating the history of the town of Hingham, Massachusetts. The Society stewards three iconic downtown Hingham properties – the Hingham Heritage Museum, the Old Ordinary and the Benjamin Lincoln House and maintains a collection of over 20,000 objects related to Hingham and American history. We offer educational programs, exhibits, and year-round activities for all those who seek to gain a deeper appreciation of our community’s and our nation’s history. Learn more at hinghamhistorical.org