Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot Annex
Encyclopedia
The Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot Annex, sometimes called the “Cohasset Annex” or "Hingham Annex" by local residents, covered sections of the towns of Hingham
, Cohasset
,
Norwell
, and Scituate
Massachusetts
.
, in Hingham. The Depot was the main ammunition supplier for Naval Forces of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet
, during World War II
, employing 2,091 civilians along with 721 naval officers and sailors and 375 Marine
guards at its peak in June, 1945.
A rail spur, sided off the Old Colony
Greenbush Line
, was built to facilitate the transfer of ammunition, stored in cement bunkers at the Annex, to the Depot at the Hingham Shipyard.
, during which time it held some of the Navy's first experimental nuclear depth charge
s, in bunker
N9. Depth charges, bombs, and rocket motors were assembled at the Annex until declared surplus, by the Navy, in 1962.
. The last military activity at the Annex took place when the U.S. Army Reserve 187th Infantry Brigade
was stationed at United States Army Reserve Center Hingham from 1971 to 1982.
In the late 1990s the government, who were in charge of the remaining section of the Depot that was not turned into Wompatuck, announced they were going to donate the remaining part to the park. This involved, first, cleaning the area, featuring the demolition of the remaining buildings, despite their historical value. This task has not been fully accomplished to date.
Some old buildings, bunkers, and track exist today, and can be seen from some of the Park’s hiking trails or accessed from the end of Levitt Street, Hingham. Bunkers here as well as thoses in the remains of the original Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot (in Wompatuck State Park), had been used as shelters for homeless persons. Following the grisly torture-murder of two homeless men in Bare Cover Park in 2005, the authorities sealed off the remaining bunkers in Bare Cove Park.
However, local Boy Scout
s have worked to preserve some of these bunkers, including N9, as a memorial to the military and civilian personnel who served at the Depot.
Hingham, Massachusetts
Hingham is a town in northern Plymouth County on the South Shore of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and suburb in Greater Boston. The United States Census Bureau 2008 estimated population was 22,561...
, Cohasset
Cohasset, Massachusetts
Cohasset is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, though it is not contiguous with the main body of the county. The population was 7,542 at the 2010 census.- History :...
,
Norwell
Norwell, Massachusetts
Norwell is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population is currently 10,506 at the 2010 Census.Norwell was first settled in 1634 as a part of the settlement of Satuit , which encompasses present day Scituate and Norwell. It was officially created, in 1849 and soon became...
, and Scituate
Scituate, Massachusetts
Scituate is a seacoast town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, on the South Shore, midway between Boston and Plymouth. The population was 18,133 at the 2010 census....
Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
Beginnings
The land for the Annex was bought by the U.S. Navy in 1941, from local landowners, to expand the nearby Hingham Naval Ammunition DepotHingham Naval Ammunition Depot
The Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot, is a former United States Navy ammunition depot located in Hingham, Massachusetts. At its peak, it employed over 2,400 people. It also consisted of 90 buildings at that time.-History:...
, in Hingham. The Depot was the main ammunition supplier for Naval Forces of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet
U.S. Atlantic Fleet
The United States Fleet Forces Command is an Atlantic Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources that are under the operational control of the United States Northern Command...
, during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, employing 2,091 civilians along with 721 naval officers and sailors and 375 Marine
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
guards at its peak in June, 1945.
A rail spur, sided off the Old Colony
Old Colony Railroad
The Old Colony Railroad was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island. It operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall River, New Bedford, Newport, Providence, Fitchburg, Lowell and Cape Cod...
Greenbush Line
Greenbush Line
The Greenbush Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system. The line restores service along the New Haven Railroad's Greenbush Branch, from downtown Boston, Massachusetts through the towns of Braintree, Weymouth, Hingham, Cohasset, and Scituate on the South Shore of Boston...
, was built to facilitate the transfer of ammunition, stored in cement bunkers at the Annex, to the Depot at the Hingham Shipyard.
Reactivation
Reverted to maintenance status after the War, the Annex was reactivated for the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, during which time it held some of the Navy's first experimental nuclear depth charge
Depth charge
A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare weapon intended to destroy or cripple a target submarine by the shock of exploding near it. Most use explosives and a fuze set to go off at a preselected depth in the ocean. Depth charges can be dropped by either surface ships, patrol aircraft, or from...
s, in bunker
Bunker
A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
N9. Depth charges, bombs, and rocket motors were assembled at the Annex until declared surplus, by the Navy, in 1962.
Post-Closure Usage
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts took possession of the Annex, in 1966, and later turned the 3500 acres (14.2 km²) into the present day Wompatuck State ParkWompatuck State Park
Wompatuck State Park is a recreational area of about 4000 acres in size located primarily in Hingham, Massachusetts, in the United States. Portions of the park extend into the neighboring towns of Cohasset, Norwell, and Scituate...
. The last military activity at the Annex took place when the U.S. Army Reserve 187th Infantry Brigade
187th Infantry Brigade (United States)
The 187th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the United States Army. It was first formed under the United States Army Reserve's 94th Army Reserve Command, which wore the patch of the inactivated 94th Infantry Division, from which the 187th was formed when the 94th was inactivated and the...
was stationed at United States Army Reserve Center Hingham from 1971 to 1982.
In the late 1990s the government, who were in charge of the remaining section of the Depot that was not turned into Wompatuck, announced they were going to donate the remaining part to the park. This involved, first, cleaning the area, featuring the demolition of the remaining buildings, despite their historical value. This task has not been fully accomplished to date.
Some old buildings, bunkers, and track exist today, and can be seen from some of the Park’s hiking trails or accessed from the end of Levitt Street, Hingham. Bunkers here as well as thoses in the remains of the original Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot (in Wompatuck State Park), had been used as shelters for homeless persons. Following the grisly torture-murder of two homeless men in Bare Cover Park in 2005, the authorities sealed off the remaining bunkers in Bare Cove Park.
However, local Boy Scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
s have worked to preserve some of these bunkers, including N9, as a memorial to the military and civilian personnel who served at the Depot.