Isaac Hinckley House -1811
Isaac Hinckley went to sea as a boy and became a captain in the China Trade. According to legend, he dreamed of building a house for his family and drew the plans for it while he was at sea. When he came home, he threw his bulging money belt in front of his wife and said, “Here is your house.” It was built under his supervision in 1811. Hinckley died at sea in 1818, but seems to have left his widow and six children comfortable enough to remain in the house. In 1872, the estate was sold to Joseph B. Thaxter, an optician, and remained in the Thaxter family until 1911.
Situated on “Bachelors’ Row,” 126 Main Street is one of the finest Federal period residences in Hingham. Built primarily of wood, it has brick ends into which are set twin chimneys. The doorway is the center of the design. The entrance portico, supported by slender fluted columns, frames the doorway with its elliptical fanlight. Above the portico, a Palladian window is centered in the second story. The central hallway inside the front door reflects the design of the fanlight and two smaller ones in the end wall. A photograph of this fine entrance appears in Eleanor Roosevelt’s 1942 book, This is America.
For some time there was an apartment in the back wing, presumably added in the mid 19th century as living quarters intended for servants. This was incorporated into the house by former owners.
When the current owner bought the house in the early 1990s, she incorporated a former porch into the existing kitchen to make a large kitchen-dining area with a bay window on the south to catch the sun and brighten the whole room. Outside the kitchen on the north is a new covered porch leading onto an open deck. A renovation above the kitchen utilized one of the former servant’s rooms to make a luxurious master bathroom.
Situated on “Bachelors’ Row,” 126 Main Street is one of the finest Federal period residences in Hingham. Built primarily of wood, it has brick ends into which are set twin chimneys. The doorway is the center of the design. The entrance portico, supported by slender fluted columns, frames the doorway with its elliptical fanlight. Above the portico, a Palladian window is centered in the second story. The central hallway inside the front door reflects the design of the fanlight and two smaller ones in the end wall. A photograph of this fine entrance appears in Eleanor Roosevelt’s 1942 book, This is America.
For some time there was an apartment in the back wing, presumably added in the mid 19th century as living quarters intended for servants. This was incorporated into the house by former owners.
When the current owner bought the house in the early 1990s, she incorporated a former porch into the existing kitchen to make a large kitchen-dining area with a bay window on the south to catch the sun and brighten the whole room. Outside the kitchen on the north is a new covered porch leading onto an open deck. A renovation above the kitchen utilized one of the former servant’s rooms to make a luxurious master bathroom.
This photo appeared in Eleanor Roosevelt’s book This Is America. It shows the doorway of the Isaac Hinckley House with the extra columns.