29. Phineas/Aaron Pratt Family Monument

The Phineas Pratt family Monument, erected around 1830, commemorates the Pratt family's pioneering spirit in settling in Weymouth in 1622 and founding the town. Thomas Pratt (Aaron's great-grandson) erected the marble statue to commemorate his progressive family. It was Phineas who first arrived in Charlestown and settled the Wessagusset Colony (Weymouth) in 1622 and his son Aaron who bravely moved to the second precinct in Hingham in 1685. The Pratt men were described as, "... men of sound hearts, firm, and fixed resolution, and persevering effort. Their faith in God never wavered. They kept constantly in view the grand design of their coming to this wilderness. Their notions of religious liberty were far from being mere speculations. Their views were intelligent and rational. Their purposes were strong, their aims high. Their principles were not to be shaken by any temporal consideration; their consciences were not to be swayed by flatteries of frowns. They were determined to obey God rather than men."

The gravestone reflects their strong belief in family immortality: "When this stone has crumbled to dust, our descendants will erect another more durable." The new bronze plaque, attached to the back of the original monument in 2000, chronicles the family's history in America and serves as an inspiration to all those who value family and perseverance.