The Hermit

This is the story of a hermit. A “Poor, humble, unfortunate old man”. A man who lived alone for decades in a rude shelter off the highway (Bay Road?) near the Easton/Sharon line. The story is that in his younger days he had fallen in love with a “maiden fair”, but she chose another and he was so despondent that he spent the rest of his days in his hut. According to the account it was like a hen coop with a sod roof and a rough chimney at one end. It’s described as the type of temporary shelter wood choppers or colliers would build for shelter during storms. Not a permanent home. 

He was known as George Washington. It was unsure whether that was his real name. When he ventured into the village, boys would taunt him and hoot at him, but he didn’t respond. It was said that in his home he had a Bible and a cat for companions. Described as “weak in mind and often conjuring up, and believing in vain delusions” perhaps today we would say he was mentally ill?

​Subsisting on money earned from small jobs and charity he was not prepared for storms and would go hungry. Apparently, he attended the Methodist church in town every Sunday, but rushed away afterwards, not speaking to anybody. I wonder if the church attempted to help him, or why he was not at the poor farm? If this isolated life was his choice? I don’t think we will ever know the truth about this “Poor, humble, unfortunate old man”. I hope he has indeed “pass[ed] on to a better world than this.”

Anne Wooster Drury
Sources:
Stoughton Sentinel Newspaper
​ Easton Historical Society and Museum