UPDATE: Hingham Fire Leaves Historic Lincoln Home Uninhabitable

The Hingham Fire Department responded to a blaze at the historic Lincoln home just before 10 p.m. Thursday night that left the home uninhabitable.

Hingham Fire Chief Mark Duff said the cause of the fire was accidental and said it is still under investigation.

Duff said the homeowner was able to escape along with his wife and kids. They stayed at a neighbor's home while the fire department extinguished the flames.  No one was injured. 

The historic home, located at 170 North St., was the home of President Abraham Lincoln's great great grandfather, Samuel Lincoln, one of the eight early settlers of Hingham with the same name.  Samuel Lincoln purchased the land in 1649, built the home in 1721, and seven generations of Lincoln descendants lived there. The home was renovated in 1930. A statue of Abraham Lincoln sits in a park directly across the street from the Samuel Lincoln house.

Duff said firefighters were able to respond within five minutes and had the flames extinguished within 25 minutes.  He said the hydrant was very accessible even with snow surrounding it and said firefighters worked efficiently even in slippery conditions, due to ice on the ground. 

“They did a great job,” he said. “There was an aggressive interior attack.”

Duff said the home is currently unlivable as extensive damage was caused throughout the house.

The windows were boarded up on Friday morning.  A Hingham DPW official who was at the residence said the home will most likely be repaired.