Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, The Old Oaken Bucket Homestead is the site of the wooden water bucket and stone well that inspired the eponymous poem written in 1817, by Samuel Woodworth, a native of Scituate. Moved by his romantic poem, fans of Woodworth’s words flocked to Scituate in the late 1800s, establishing The Old Oaken Bucket Homestead as one of the most visited local attractions of it’s time. The popularity of the poem resulted in “The Old Oaken Bucket” being set to music and in 1935, the Town of Scituate voted to designate it asthe official town song.
Another historic point of interest is the cast iron sign welcoming visitors in front of the house. Installed in 1930, by the Massachusetts Bay Colony Tercentenary Commission, the roadside marker reads, “1630-1930 The Old Oaken Bucket Homestead and Well made famous by Samuel Woodworth in his poem ‘The Old Oaken Bucket.’ Homestead erected by John Northey in 1675; Poet born in Scituate January 13, 1785.”
This excerpt is taken from “The Old Oaken Bucket”:
How dear to this heart are the scenes of my childhood,
When fond recollection presents them to view!
The orchard, the meadow, the deep-tangled wild-wood,
And every loved spot which my infancy knew!
The wide-spreading pond, and the mill that stood by it,
The bridge, and the rock where the cataract fell,
The cot of my father, the dairy-house nigh it,
And e’en the rude bucket that hung in the well-
The old oaken bucket, the iron-bound bucket,
The moss-covered bucket which hung in the well.
Visit this site to read the entire poem and LOC images.
