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Germantown Point from the Quincy Point Bridge.
Wharf on the easterly waterfront of Germantown erected by Taylor by authority from the Land and Harbor Commission, granted Nov. 15 1883.
View from Germantown Point of the Weymouth shore and the North Weymouth Yacht Club house at Hunt's Hill.
Previous to 1752 the neck of land now called Germantown was known as "Shed's Neck" and was evidently so called from the fact that Daniel Shed the ancestor of the Shed family in Quincy settled here some time previous to 1642. No record of any grant or lease of this land to Shed is in evidence, the original grantees being Coddington and Quincy. After the removal of Coddington to Aquidneck, the tract was in the possession of Edmund Quincy. Shed remained here until 1658 when he removed to Billerica where he made his permanent residence. In 1916 the Shed Family association erected this memorial which is located adjacent to the road on the Sailors Snug Harbor property at Germantown. This memorial was presented to the city with the provision that the city would furnish and maintain lights here forever.
Having followed along the shore of Germantown from Cat Island around to Rock Island Cove and cited the prominent happenings along these shores, we will next study the development of the interior of Germantown after the abandonment of the Glass works and the departure of General Palmer. Peter Bicknell of Weymouth purchased (1789) 100 acres of land here with buildings. Mr. Bicknell lived here in the Palmer house and in 1819 he purchased of the town of Braintree 26 1/2 acres commonly called School land. As before stated this parcel lay at the northerly end of Germantown adjoining which is now the Castor estate.
In July 1832, the executors of the will of Peter Bicknell conveyed the farm at Germantown to Calvin and Caleb White of Braintree.
Mention is made of a town road thru this farm which was not an open town road but subject to gates and bars. (Evidently now Palmer Street). In July, 1832 John Sullivan of Boston purchased the northerly portion including the Palmer house, and during the succeeding years the daughters of Mr. Sullivan conducted a family school here.
The Sailors' Snug Harbor is a corporation established in 1851 to harbor retired sailors of the merchant service who have become disabled or aged. The house of General Palmer was acquired as a house from 1851 to 1856 or until the present building was completed. This Institution is still in existence and continues under the able supervision of Captain Hoffses.
Main gateway to the Sailors' Snug Harbor
