Lincoln Statue – Hingham

On Hingham Common sits a large bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln is seated, reflective and contemplative. The statue was dedicated in 1939, placed there as a tribute not only to Lincoln’s national significance, but to a deeper, local connection.  

Long before Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky or rose to lead the nation through the Civil War, his ancestors lived in Hingham. In the 17th century, Samuel Lincoln emigrated from Hingham, England, and settled in Hingham, Massachusetts. From that New England root, the Lincoln family line eventually moved westward, culminating in the birth of the 16th President. Though Abraham Lincoln himself never lived in Hingham, the town holds pride in this ancestral link.

The inscription on the sculpture recalls Lincoln’s words: “With malice toward none, with charity for all,” capturing the spirit of reconciliation that marked his Second Inaugural Address.

Hingham is known for its colonial architecture, its meetinghouse and its deep 17th-century roots. The presence of Lincoln here bridges centuries, connecting early Puritan settlement to the defining moral struggle of the Civil War.