June 4, 2025 by Geri Duff
March 8, 1942 the Town of Hingham accepted a completed Central Fire Station. During construction there was placed in front of the building a memorial stone inscribed: “In memory of our departed comrades, erected by Hingham Firemen’s Relief Assn. 1942.” Russell Morse of West Street was a representative of the Sand Memorial Company and through them the stone was purchased from the Black Mines of South Dakota. The stone is of Rose Quartz and in 1942, it was the only one of its kind in Hingham. While Hingham has lost firefighters and friends during WWI and WWII it has been fortunate to lose only two men in the line of duty, J. Arthur Batchledor, died from injuries sustained during the Bucket Mill Fire in 1902 and William Lane died when he crashed his car while responding to a fire in 1945. During the last renovation of Central Fire, the stone was tenderly removed by the Hingham firefighters and stored until it was safe to be returned and placed in front of the building today. The photograph is by Geri Duff.