Quick History Stops: Plymouth, MA

After spending the morning and early afternoon at Plimoth Patuxet Museums, I took a two-mile, out-and-back walk from the the free public parking at the Plimoth Grist Mill to Fisherman’s Memorial Park. Along the way, I stopped by Plymouth Rock, Mayflower II, Hedge House, and three statues dedicated to immigrant women. As an added bonus, I saw multiple public art displays, including the Plymouth Harbor Seals, which will receive their own post.

A 17th-century ship moored in a shallow harbor A small reproduction post-medieval style house with casement windows An electrical box painted with Mayflower II and a blimp

Mayflower II is managed by Plimoth Patuxet Museums and has gift shop built in the post-medieval style. The boat was launched in 1957, sailing from Plymouth, England to Plymouth, Massachusetts. After a restoration completed at Mystic Seaport between 2014 and 2020 for the 400th anniversary celebration, which was unfortunately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the boat was listed to the National Register of Historic places on October 22, exactly five years before my visit.

A stone compass with a smiling sun and letters for the four directions: NESW A stone circle with stones about three feet high around the edge. An information sign explains how to use the stone circle. A two-story, yellow-painted, Federal style house with black shutters and an expansive lawn.

Fisherman’s Memorial Park, also known as Mabbett Park, is a small grassy area between the harbor and on-street parking. The park is cared for by North and South Rivers Watershed Association, a nonprofit organization based in Norwell, MA and dedicated to preserving the watershed in the South Shore region. The most interesting part of the park is the Solar Calendar, an Eagle Schout Project built by Kevin Arruda. A circle of stone pillars indicate where the location of the sun at sunrise and sunset during different points of the year. Pilgrim Memorial State Park is home to Plymouth Rock, the most disappointing tourist attraction in America. The rock is covered by a neoclassical portico, reminiscent of a Greek temple, that was built as part of the 300th anniversary of the landing. Very little of the original rock remains, as tourists used to break off pieces as souvenirs. On the day of my visit, a state park ranger gave a brief talk about the first colonists of Plymouth Colony and answered questions, the best part of the experience.

A building resembling a small Greek temple on the edge of a harbor A blah rock with 1620 carved on its top. A stone statue of a women wearing early 17th century clothing with her back to a stone pillar holding up a fountain

Often overshadowed by earlier local history, Hedge House is a Federal style home built in 1809 on Court Street, now the location of Plymouth Memorial Hall, and maintained by Plymouth Antiquarian Society. The building was named for Thomas Hedge, a merchant who bought the house in 1830 and quickly expanded it. The last resident of the house was his daughter, Lydia Goodwin Hedge Lothrop, who died in 1918; the antiquarian society bought and moved the house to its current location on Water Street the next year in 1919.

A pillar carved with the faces of immigrant women Statue of a young 17th-century women standing in front of a small, manmade pond and a plaque describing its origins A three-foot-tall statue of a lobster painted like an American flag with the Statue of Liberty face on its head

Next door is the Pilgrim Mothers Memorial, erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) in 1922. The monument was designed by McKim, Mead, & White, a New York City architectural firm led by prolific Charles Follen McKim. His other works previously appearing on the blog are the redecorated interior of Governor John Langdon House in Portsmouth, NH; the McKim Building of the Boston Public Library; the St. Paul’s Protestant Episcopal Church in Stockbridge, MA; and Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library in Manchester, MA. The monument was restored for the 400th anniversary, although celebrations were delayed a year due to the pandemic. A nearby pillar carved with the faces immigrant women celebrates all those who have moved to the United States. A third statue, depicting a young English woman in 17th-century clothing, was erected by the National Society of New England Women (NSNEW) in 1924, perhaps in competition with the DAR. There are no shortage of public memorials in Plymouth.

Location: Plymouth, MA, USA