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Explore > Old Ship Meeting House > Story Archives
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finding a fellowship
Submitted by corey, South Shore
my husband and i met 18 years ago while i was still married to another man who we remain close to and fond of today but with whom i separated from peacefully after 10 years of marriage. i had been raised in a Christian household and likewise my future husband had a similar background but when we decided to marry there were no Christian churches in the area that were welcoming to us. We also had dear dear friends we wished to include in our wedding party who were gay and lesbian humans who were likewise not entirely accepted and celebrated in other parishes so we had a dilemma...until we discovered Old Ship and Ken Reed Brown and a 400 year old legacy and testament to Truth Justice Love and the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment within the walls and housed within the members who continue to worhip at this meeting house and are trusted stewards of this blessed sanctuary of great historical significance in Hingham .The social and cultural tradition and values of Unitarian Universalism are steeped in community activsm,social justice and personal accountablity and i think there has never been a greater more crucial time in our collective history when these concepts and actions ought to be embraced and supported by society at large philosophically and financially That is part of why we have voted for Old Ship today.
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Living History
Submitted by AMA, South Shore
As we can all see from this contest, the Bay area is filled with important and historical places. It is tribute to our communities that most of them have been cherished and well preserved, From my perspective as a resident of both the north and south shores of Boston, Old Ship Meeting House is a unique example of this. Its role in the early history of the South Shore and, hence, in the history of New England where it served as meeting house, town hall and general gathering place is difficult to capture in writing. It is a living piece of history not just a museum. I am sure that the cost of preserving this building while in ongoing use must be significant so I hope that the Old Ship will receive some of the funds from this contest.
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what old ship did for me.
Submitted by kevink, South Shore
I was not what you would call the" typical church goer" the day I walked into Old Ship meeting house. In fact I was anything but, I was just recovering from a twenty year bout with drug addiction, living in a near by drug treatment center. Seeking a little spirituality to aid in my recovery I wandered into Old Ship, I found that and much more, not only did I develop my personal creedo which sustains me to this day, I found a sense of inclusion, a warm welcome back into society by a group of everyday people who never looked down on me for being an addict starting life over at forty years of age. Recreating your life sober is hard enough, doing it while feeling like a outcast makes it nearly impossible,but thanks to the warm welcome and continuing interest shown me by the Old Ship community I have recreated my life and am now in my thirteenth year of soberity.
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First ancestor in America
Submitted by Margery Campbell, South Shore
My First ancestor in America , Robert Corthell,went to this meeting house and he married Deborah Tower whose family worshipped here as well. It gives me goosebumps when I drive by to know that something like 13 generations ago people used this building and because of them I exist! I would like to see it continue to be used for the good of the Hingham community.
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Traveling Abroad
Submitted by CF, South Shore
I have just spend a semester studying abroad and it has made me realize how important preserving the stories and structures from the past really is. Old Ship has a long history to tell about how community, government and religion evolved in this country. It is really a national landmark.
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A Cultural Haven & the Oldest of its kind.
Submitted by Peg, South Shore
Though not a member of the church, I worked in the office for many years. I had an opportunity to see Old Ship's impact on the community. During the summer months, volunteers keep the building open to welcome visitors from around the world to see this oldest wooden church (built in 1681) in continuous operation in the US. The arching beams inside are reminiscent of English grannery buildings of the period. To many they resemble the frame of a ships hull, hence the name Old Ship Meeting House. Free family musical concerts are given in the Meeting House several times a year. An annual Lincoln Day celebration is held for the whole community. An eccumenical Thanksgiving celebration is held on Thanksgiving Eve each year. The history of the early colonies is bound up in this building. Families with routes in this area, come back to find their ancestors and often to have family reunions. That it is also a vibrant and active church community which has always welcomed peoples of diverse backgrounds and beliefs, seeking a caring spiritual home where they might serve humanity and the earth with compassion and justice, makes it even more special.
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Visiting soon......
Submitted by Patricia, South Shore
Hi, I've not yet had the pleasure of being involved in the Old Ship community. This summer, my family will hold a service at Old Ship and feel history swirl around us. Our ancestor John Tower, worshipped in Old Ship as did many of his descendants. I will am proud to be part of such a rich heritage and hope that everyone will reach out and do what they can to preserve the most Historic Church there is in what is now the United States. Let's do what we can to support it. Please cast your vote.
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Not Just a Building
Submitted by Mary, South Shore
This is an historic building, but it is also the home of an incredible community. The history of the Old Ship Meeting House is stories of people who are drawn to this beautiful structure and its community. I have been involved with the Old Ship since 1993, and for me, it is a symbol of a home. I was drawn to the structure and the reputation of the people in its community. I was married here in 2004, when same-sex marriage was legalized in Massachusetts, and this, too became part of the rich and diverse history of what is the "Old Ship".
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a place of history, heart and hope
Submitted by Constance, South Shore
One need only enter this ancient building to sense its extraordinary past and importance to our country. A witness to all that has happened in this land since long before it became the United States, Old Ship is one of the few living reminders of those who have come before us and and made possible through their hard work, strong beliefs and perseverance a free society to which the rest of the world looks for leadership. Without exaggeration, one can say it is a sacred duty to preserve this most precious treasure. Because once it is gone nothing can replace it and and we will have cheated all who come after us.
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Perspectives
Submitted by BetECrocka, South Shore
I married into "Big Sister's" family the day we had her youngest son ring the church bell, all spiffed up in his tuxedo, and reading her comments below brought that beautiful day back in full emotion. That's what happens when people enter the Old Ship Meetinghouse; there is an instant connection with the incredible sense of history from so many people who have sat in those unique boxed-in pews for the past 328 years. Like "Nina", I have serve as a summer tour guide. It is a most powerful experience to sit in the silent Meetinghouse when there's nobody looking for a tour (or during candlelit Vespers services to take a break during the busy holiday season in December), observing the sounds and smells and sights of history. It is an equally wonderful thing to meet fascinating people from all over the world who come to feel the presence of those who have been there in years past, and to hear the stories of the 900 year old wood in the beams, the original positioning of the pulpit prior to the addition of two small wings so many years ago, and the citizen who made his point that renovations were in order centuries ago by snatching a handful of wildflowers and telling people the building was in such disrepair that he'd pulled them from the floor of his pew! As a member of the current Board of Trustees, I can speak to the fact that 328 year old buildings (even if National Historic Landmarks) require a lot of maintenance whose costs a small church community cannot bear alone. Maintenance can go untended until it reaches crisis proportions. Although not to the point of growing wildflowers in deteriorated pews just yet, we appreciate any support we can get to allow future generations and present citizens to enjoy this architectural gem as we do. It was so exciting to see the original doors, discovered and temporarily revealed not very long ago by contemporary historic scholars. It will be an amazing day when those original doors can be made visible in an historically appropriate manner through opportunities afforded such as by this grant. It was an amazing day the first time I walked into this cherished building, completely unaware of the powerful connection I would make to my new family once married there, and the connection to the welcoming community of the present-day parish. The building is historically significant and uniquely worth preserving and enhancing beyond our financial means. We thank you for your support and your votes.
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a strong community
Submitted by kathy, South Shore
The Old Ship Meeting house will always be of particular significance to me.
It is the first church where I proudly call myself a community member.
This historical building brings people together to talk, listen, pray, laugh and cry.
People are welcomed. Individuals make connections with other people. It is a place where people are comforted and can comfort others.
People of different ages, points of view and walks of life work side by side.
We celebrate births, passages of time as well as mourn tragedy and death of loved ones Children grow up together and gain support from a spiritual community. Adults have the opportunity to explore philosophical and political interests with other people. Adults minister to each other. A sense of extended family develops over time.
The community honors diversity, advocates for social justice and takes action.. These are just a few of the many reasons why the Old Ship Meeting House is important in my life.
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old ship church
Submitted by usafi, West of Boston
It was a thrill to go down to the Old ship Church and be able to be drawn right to the grave sites of my fore fathers family. (Thomas Joy) And back in the 1970's my late husband was able to talk State Street Bank into giving him the grave rubbing of (Thomas Joy) that they were using as a window display. My husband then gave it to me as a Christmas present. My late father was so impressed with the gift that I regifted it to him (Frederick van Beuren Joy) for his lifetime. The grave rubbing has come home to rest with me now and I always look at it as a privalage to have.
I hope you get nominated for the funds.
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Memories of Old Ship Meetin House...
Submitted by Big Sister..., South Shore
My parents were married here...I am one of five of their children...ALL of us were Christened here...I have so MANY fond memories of attending church here with my grandparents! My sons were part of their Aunt's wedding here... to see a child all dressed in a tux and grinning from ear to ear as it was his job to ring the Old Ship's bell...I want these memories to live on so that others may enjoy them as well!
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Old Ship is living history
Submitted by Nina, South Shore
I have served as a volunteer tour guide during the summer at Old Ship, which means sitting in the Meeting House or under the apple tree outside for three precious relaxing hours, waiting to help whomever comes by. It’s always fascinating who comes through the door. I’ve spoken with people from across the United States and some from other countries, who come to Old Ship because they have a connection. It might be personal – their grandparents were married there, they are a distant relative of a long-ago preacher, they are doing a New England tour with their kids and a friend from back home told them they had to visit, they have always lived on the South Shore yet never been to the Meeting House. Or it might be academic – they are studying early colonial history, or architecture, or the development of religious thought from Puritanism through liberal Protestantism, or the process of historic preservation itself. As I help fill in the facts and folk lore about those early settlers and the big issues people have wrestled with for the past 350 years, we look at plaques and beams touch the original wood pews and I always learn something new. I marvel at the story of our history as a nation that unfolded right here, in this very building. It’s an untold story in many ways, and I hope that by preserving this treasure for generations to come, we can also use it to explore who we are as an American people.
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Old Ship Church/Meeting House
Submitted by jack, South Shore
You have to be inside this magnificent building to experience its relevance and beauty. There are very few of these left. You are immediately grabbed by an age gone by, of what it must have been like 300 years ago in this town. This is a remarkable, ORIGINAL, and amazing place--for anybody, of any religious or ethnic background. Amazing. This is very IMPORTANT part of our cumulative heritage! JD
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In the Family
Submitted by Amy, South Shore
I was married in this church, as were my parents and grandparents. It is a beautiful church with a lot of character and it deserves to be properly preserved.
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welcome to the south shore
Submitted by kate, South Shore
I must say I am a north shore girl! I grew up in Marblehead and that is the place my heart will always be ! I moved to the lovely sea side town of Hingham 10 years ago because of work! I have gone or been inside most of the churches in the area and have found Old Ship Church a very moving experience. First of all you are in aw when you open the door. This was not a church built to impress but, impress it does. You can feel that this church was built out of the need for community and the love of gathering together. My family and I do not attend this church as our regular church, but we are always welcomed when we do get the honor of going whether it be a funeral, a wedding or just the many social gathering they do. If anyone reading this has a true need to be connected to the past then you must go for a visit to Old Ship Church! The Pastor is funny and will make you want to go to be apart of this great church. Be kind -be good to others and give back to your community - that is the message that we walk out of the service with. I know that that is the same message that was being sent from that very church hundreds of years ago too.It is what our country was founded on. Please vote"Old Ship Church" Thanks kate
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Beautiful place, beautiful memories
Submitted by Andrea, North Shore
We got married in this beautiful church in 1996 - it is so meaningful not only in its beauty, but as the longest continually operating place of worship, its historic significance is irreplaceable.
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Old Ship Treasure
Submitted by gini, South Shore
Having lived in Manhatten it was a thrill to see a replica of this precious treasure at the Met. The wisdom of the ages is seeped in its wood and in the hearts of its people.
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Historic Treasure
Submitted by Jay & Di, South Shore
Old Ship Meeting House provided the perfect setting for our wedding in 2000 and will always be a special place for us. Cast your vote and help preserve a beautiful, sacred piece of history!
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my memories
Submitted by marge, South Shore
When our younger son turned 13 the Temple in hingham Massachusetts had yet to be built. Andy was Bar Mitzvah at The Old Ships Church. The interior is clearly a sacred place. The space was welcome and joyous for our friends and family.
I love to visit Old Ships. It is a place of happy memories for my family and for hundreds of families over hundreds of years.
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Old Ship Mtg House on Lincoln Day
Submitted by George, South Shore
Recently, I spent the morning at The Old Ship Meeting House to celebrate Lincoln Day with a diverse set of folks from our local South Shore community. And, though I recognize that this is not especially noteworthy, it demonstrates the lasting significance and functional quality of this building - one of our country's oldest structures of ongoing public gathering (1681).
Hingham's Lincoln Day, itself, celebrates the homeplace of Abraham Lincoln's ancestors as they came to the New World. Lt. Givernor Tim Murray delivered a great talk as the featured speaker. The assembled group of all ages and creeds (~200 people) then walked over to the Lincoln Street statue for a armed salute by several reenactment militias.
On this day, we paid tribute to the Lincoln family's impact on our country and we leveraged an edifice that has long served this country as a beacon of gathering and community will - the very essence of one of our country's great traditions.
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