Plumbing across Hingham Square, the Harbor and the shore
Hingham was settled in 1633 as Bare Cove and incorporated in 1635, and its houses show it. The Old Ship Church on Main Street dates to 1681, and many homes around Hingham Square and Hingham Harbor were built long before modern plumbing. A house of that age often has stone or early concrete foundations, tight basement stairs and pipe that has been patched over the years, so a plumber plans the job before opening a wall.
Newer areas have their own patterns. Hingham Shipyard on the waterfront and the shops along Derby Street mix older and newer plumbing in the same blocks, and Route 3A and Route 53 are the main roads between them. Out at World's End and Bare Cove Park, the shoreline reminds you that salt air and wet weather wear on fittings. Parts of town have a different mix of public sewer, septic systems and wells, so ask the town which applies to your street.
Part of Hingham is on public sewer served by town pump stations, and part is not. Hingham's water comes from the Weir River Water System, which also serves Hull and North Cohasset, and its 2023 water quality report does not list hardness. If you notice scale on fixtures, test your tap or ask the water company for its annual report.