David Fearing House-1818
David Fearing built this home in 1818. He was a trader, representative and treasurer of Hingham Cordage Company. David is a descendant of John Fearing, a man of prominence in Hingham’s early local history. The Fearing family is one of some twenty families that came to Hingham aboard the Ship Diligent in 1638. Town records dated July 6, 1835, show that David was appointed to a committee that considered the expediency of celebrating the 200th anniversary of the settlement of Hingham in 1635. The Committee recommended a public celebration be organized and that was carried out on September 28, 1835.
David’s father, Hawkes Fearing, began the manufacture of cordage in Hingham in 1794. The Hingham Cordage Company was located on Central Street, roughly where the Town Hall and playing fields are today and where a remnant still remains. When Hawkes died, the business continued operating under the watchful eyes of David and his brothers Hawkes, Morris and Albert. The business employed some 80 hands and continued until the early 1880s. David’s brother, Albert, was the founder of the Hingham Public Library.
This lovely home is located in the Hingham Center Local Historic District and is a wonderful example of a brick-end colonial from the Federal Period. Its low-pitched roof and five-ranked windows, as well as the equal number of symmetrically arranged rooms on each floor, are some of the elements that define this home’s style. Inside the home are many understated design elements. In particular, the wooden mantels that frame each fireplace, the wainscoting, and the archway in the dining room are examples of the neoclassical style of the time. The home has six fireplaces, and five are original to the home. The fireplace slip in the living room has lovely detail.
When the home was built, the interior consisted of 2 rooms downstairs and 2 rooms upstairs. In 1892, the home was expanded with two additions, including a 1-story kitchen. Another expansion in 2009, added a large family room on the first floor, two second-story bedrooms and a lower level playroom with a walkout. were added. Not to be missed is a beautiful one and one-half story period barn in the back of the property.
David’s father, Hawkes Fearing, began the manufacture of cordage in Hingham in 1794. The Hingham Cordage Company was located on Central Street, roughly where the Town Hall and playing fields are today and where a remnant still remains. When Hawkes died, the business continued operating under the watchful eyes of David and his brothers Hawkes, Morris and Albert. The business employed some 80 hands and continued until the early 1880s. David’s brother, Albert, was the founder of the Hingham Public Library.
This lovely home is located in the Hingham Center Local Historic District and is a wonderful example of a brick-end colonial from the Federal Period. Its low-pitched roof and five-ranked windows, as well as the equal number of symmetrically arranged rooms on each floor, are some of the elements that define this home’s style. Inside the home are many understated design elements. In particular, the wooden mantels that frame each fireplace, the wainscoting, and the archway in the dining room are examples of the neoclassical style of the time. The home has six fireplaces, and five are original to the home. The fireplace slip in the living room has lovely detail.
When the home was built, the interior consisted of 2 rooms downstairs and 2 rooms upstairs. In 1892, the home was expanded with two additions, including a 1-story kitchen. Another expansion in 2009, added a large family room on the first floor, two second-story bedrooms and a lower level playroom with a walkout. were added. Not to be missed is a beautiful one and one-half story period barn in the back of the property.
