May 12, 2026 Submitted By Nina Welford (courtesy photos)
Each of us carries forth the spirit of 1776 in whatever way we live our lives, in this still-young nation of ours. Celebrate your contribution to the community that is our country, by joining the Friends of Old Ship Meeting House and the Friends of Hingham Cemetery for a special weekend of events, Spirits of ‘76, Friday, June 5th and Saturday, June 6th.
Friday at 7 pm we gather at Old Ship, the last remaining 17th-century Puritan Meeting House in America, to set the stage with a brief reflection by historian Jim Conroy. Then we make our way to the Ames Chapel in Hingham Cemetery, for a toast (given with a “spirit” developed for the occasion) by Massachusetts Poet Laureate Regie Gibson. Round out the evening with delicious small bites and desserts, and the company of fellow Spirits of ‘26.
The next day, Saturday, June 6th, our two organizations will guide tours in Hingham Cemetery to the resting places of men, women and children whose lives intersected with the timing of the Revolutionary War. We’ll catch a glimpse of what life was like for ordinary people as well as some who accomplished played a role in the founding of our country.
Both Old Ship and Hingham Cemetery were here 100 years before we became the United States of America. Please join this fundraising event to help pay the past forward.
For more information and to purchase tickets, go to www.hinghamcemetery.org or www.oldshipfriends.org.