Bucket Town: Four Centuries of Toymaking and Coopering in Hingham

Old Sturbridge Village, working collaboratively with the Hersey Farm Collection, will host an exhibit celebrating the rich traditions of coopering and toy-making in Hingham, Massachusetts. For nearly two centuries Hingham served as the woodenware capital of the country, earning the nickname ‘Bucket Town.’ By the 1770s enterprising coopers had begun to produce miniature versions of these goods to sell as keepsakes and novelties. From their shops emerged the first and largest community of professional toy-makers in America. The exhibit centers on the recently re-discovered Hersey Farm workshop, covered with vines and untouched for the last hundred years. Entering this time capsule, one is met with handcrafted toys, personal artifacts, and tools left as if the artisan had just stepped away from his workbench. This exhibit will include many of the workshop’s rich contents and an abundance of Hingham’s charming handcrafted toys and woodenware.

Exhibit runs from June 21, 2014 to January 18, 2015.