THE PILGRIM SOCIETY
The Pilgrim Society held its first meeting after incorporation in the Court House in Plymouth on May 18th, 1820, and elected Mr. Joshua Thomas its first president. It was the result of a previous meeting of Plymouth gentlemen at the home of Mr. Thomas, who were inspired with a desire to perpetuate the memory of the first settlers.
Four years later the original home of the society was erected upon its present location and upon plans of Alexander Parris, architect of the Boston Cathedral of St. Paul. This building as before stated was remodeled in 1880 and the wing which now houses the library and other Pilgrimiana was added in 1904. The present granite facade was a gift of the New England Society in New York in 1922.
Across the street from Pilgrim Hall and a little to the north is the Armory previously referred to, while a few steps beyond is St. Peter’s Catholic Church. At this point on the east side of Court Street is the Plymouth Memorial Building, also previously described. This building stands on the lot formerly occupied by the colonial residence built in 1809 by Major William Hammett and later and for many years occupied by Mr. Thomas Hedge and family. When the erection of the Memorial Building was decided upon, this house was moved back and now faces Water Street and the harbor. It is reminiscent of the early 19th century and is maintained and kept open to visitors during the summer by the Plymouth Antiquarian Society.