Source: Bubba’s Mini Country Cupboards via Pinterest

There is no question that New England has a rich history in fine furniture making, but did you also know that the region is also responsible for growing the largest community of professional toy makers in the country?

Hingham is a quiet coastal town situated on Boston’s South Shore, and for more than two centuries this town has been recognized as the woodenware capital of the country. In fact, it’s not uncommon for Hingham to still be called Bucket Town, which was a nickname that the town earned due to the large quantities of sturdy pails and piggins that were produced there. During the 1770s, miniature versions of these buckets began to be made in Hingham, which inspired the first (and by far the largest) group of professional toy makers in America.

If you read my furniture blog, you’ll know that I like to tell my clients of upcoming furniture exhibits in New England, and for those that are interested in learning about the history of toy making in America, you need to attend Bucket Town: Four Centuries of Toy Making and Coopering in Hingham. The exhibit opens June 21 and will run through January 18 at the Old Sturbridge Village Visitor Center in Sturbridge, Massachusetts. This exhibit will provide you with the unique opportunity to take a glimpse at the contents from a fully-intact Hingham toy and box making shop that dates back to the 1830s, and you can expect to see one-of-a-kind woodenwares and miniature furniture.

To learn more about this exhibit or other upcoming furniture exhibits in New England, please feel free to contact me, Richard Oedel, Fine Furniture Master.