When I lived in Rockland, Massachusetts, I frequented parks such as Wompatuck State Park and Bare Cove. They were both popular places to walk dogs, run and ride bikes, but always had an unusual feel to them. I knew they were both sites used by the military. It just seemed unusual to me that land that was once severely off limits to the public were now free to roam. Even odder was the presence of tangible pieces of the past such as powerlines, fire hydrants and old roads. The most striking was the bunkers and other actual structures that could still be seen at Wompatuck.
The Wompatuck Walk
I hadn’t been to Wompatuck for years since it’s a bit of a hike to get to these days, but after researching its history, I needed to go back. My trip coincided with a planned fundraiser walk which led to unusual amounts of crowds being at the park. I was able to meander through the property, but no way did I see everything, nor have I during my numerous trips here.
Wompatuck State Park, an unusual site in Hingham
Hingham, with its immaculately preserved homes from a bygone era lining Main Street, Central Street and the town center, seems worlds away from nuclear ammunition, bunkers and machine gun shells. The picture-perfect community has much green space, a good amount of which was once under the jurisdiction of the United States military. Wompatuck State Park, whose entrance is at 204 Union Street in Hingham, derives its name from Chief Josiah Wampatuck (sometimes spelled Wompatuck) who sold the land to the English in 1655. The park is actually located in four towns: Hingham, Cohasset, Scituate, and Norwell. Today it is a popular place to ride bikes, camp, stroll, boat and run. It even has a natural spring, the Mount Blue Spring, to fill up reusable water bottles from this clean water source. Even without knowing the history of Wompatuck, walking through its many paths and roads something seems amiss. Be it random fire hydrants, power lines or fences, not to mention an abandoned bunker or two, questions arise quickly about this park’s former use.
More History of Wompatuck State Park
The United States government purchased this land from local residents and operated it as the Hingham Naval Depot Annex between the years of 1941 and 1965. With the US’s involvement in World War II, arms production and military activity ramped up. This facility, commonly known as the Cohasset Annex, provided much ammunition to fuel the naval fleet of the Atlantic. A train line which was a spur from the Old Colony Railroad led to this property. From the Annex, tracks extended to the Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot at Bare Cove. The peak of its use was the year 1945. During that year, at the Cohasset Annex over 2000 non-military personnel were employed, as well as over 700 sailors and officers and 375 Marine guards on site. Around 108 bunkers were located on the property. Many no longer stand. The Whitney Spur is a rail trail that connects Wompatuck State Park to the Cohasset commuter rail station.
Random Bunkers Everywhere!
It is not unusual to be wandering around the massive park of over 3500 acres and stumble upon a former military installation. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts took ownership of the land in 1966 after the Navy no longer had a use for it. From 1971 to 1982, the property was the home of the United States Army Reserve 187th Infantry Brigade. The most prominent and intriguing place in the park is Bunker N9. This bunker looked different from the rest in the park, but no one was quite certain what its use was. After it was discovered due to a clean up by a Boy Scout group from Kingston, its history came to light. It contained the first nuclear depth charge by the Navy (yes nuclear!) A depth charge is a bomb which that blows up rival submarines. The bunker has extra layers of protection compared to most. Also built at this facility were surface-to-air missiles. Wompatuck is the site of races, both foot, and bike, throughout the year including the “Landmine Bike Race” since in an earlier day, venturing off course at this facility might have resulted in a detonated landmine!
Vital Wompatuck Info
The park is free of contaminants and is a nifty perspective into the cycle of nature versus industry. The wilds which once inhabited this land were cleared for land by the settlers and then taken over by the heavy industry of the military, with nature winning out in the end, overtaking traces of its wartime past. Wompatuck has much flora and fauna including the painted turtle, yellow warbler, and mountain laurel. It is also the location of Prospect Hill, the highest point in all of Hingham. The visitor center at the park provides much-needed orientation. Since the park is large without an abundance of signage, it is important to stop there first or visit www.friendsofwompatuck.org online. The visitor center also includes the deed of the sale of Old Braintree from Chief Josiah Wompatuck to the English.
For more Backyard Road Trips in the South Shore, check out the articles on Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary and the Blue Hills Trailside Museum.
