A quaint South Shore town, 20 miles from Boston with a current population of 20,000 and 18 miles of shoreline, Hingham was incorporated in 1635, as Bear Cove. From high on the sloping hills at World's End, a 29 acre reservation, one can look out across the ocean for a moving view of Boston's skyline as the sun paints the sky in the evening. On Main street (one of the most magnificent streets in America) is the oldest wooden Church structure in the country in continuous use since its establishment as the Old Ship Church in 1681. Hingham places top priority on its school system and is an active cultural center as well, with a civic orchestra, theatre groups, the South Shore Conservatory of Music and the Hingham Public Library (one of the finest in Massachusetts). The town owned South Shore Country Club, private yacht clubs, outdoor tennis club and Wompatuck State Park round out this diverse community with its mix of housing styles including antique and new colonial homes, late 19th century Victorian designs, and modern, contemporary homes.