Scituate, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Scituate (ˈsɪtʃuːɨt) is a seacoast town in Plymouth County
, Massachusetts, United States, on the South Shore, midway between Boston and Plymouth. The population was 18,133 at the 2010 census.
For geographic and demographic information on the village of North Scituate, which is a part of Scituate, please see the article North Scituate, Massachusetts
.
in England. They were initially governed by the General Court of Plymouth, but on October 5, 1636 the town incorporated as a separate entity. The name Scituate is derived from "satuit", the Wampanoag term for cold brook, which refers to a brook that runs to the inner harbor of the town. In 1710 several residents emigrated to Rhode Island and founded Scituate, Rhode Island
, naming it after their previous hometown.
Twelve homes and a sawmill were destroyed in King Philip's War
in 1676.
In 1717 the western portion of the original grant was separated and incorporated as the town of Hanover
, and in 1788 a section of the town was ceded to Marshfield
. In 1849 another western section became the town of South Scituate, which later changed its name to Norwell
. Since then, the borders have remained essentially unchanged.
Fishing was a significant part of the local economy in the past, as well as the sea mossing industry. A small fishing fleet is still based in Scituate Harbor, although today the town is mostly residential.
In 1810, a lighthouse was erected on the northern edge of Scituate Harbor. This lighthouse is now known as Old Scituate Light
. During the War of 1812
, a British naval raiding party was deterred by the two daughters of the lighthouse keeper playing a fife and drum loudly. The girls and this incident became known as the "American Army of Two
" or "Lighthouse Army of Two".
Another notable lighthouse, Minot's Ledge Light
, stands approximately one mile off Scituate Neck.
Samuel Woodworth
's Old Oaken Bucket house is located in Scituate. The town is also home to the Lawson Tower, a water tower surrounded by a wooden façade, with an observation deck with views of most of the South Shore from the top.
Scituate used to be the site of international broadcasting
radio station WNYW
, which broadcast on the shortwave
bands in the late 1960s.
, the town has a total area of 31.8 square miles (82.4 km2), of which, 17.2 square miles (44.5 km2) of it is land and 14.6 square miles (37.8 km2) of it (45.94%) is water. Scituate is bordered on the east by Massachusetts Bay
, on the south by Marshfield
, on the west by Norwell
and Hingham
, all of which are in Plymouth County, and on the northwest by Cohasset
, in Norfolk County
. The town is nineteen miles (30 km) northeast of Brockton
, and twenty-five miles southeast of Boston.
Scituate is considered a South Shore
community, located just south of the mouth of greater Boston Harbor
. The town is not contiguous; Humarock
is a part of Scituate which can only be reached from Marshfield. The latter was formerly connected to the town, but that connection was lost when the mouth of the South River shifted northward as the result of the Portland Gale
of 1898. The town's shore varies, with the south (along the mouth of the North River) being surrounded by salt marshes, the middle (around Scituate Harbor) being sandy, and the coast of Scituate Neck (Minot) in the north exhibiting exposed granite bedrock. It is off these rocks that Minot's Ledge lies, home to the town's most famous lighthouse. The inland of the town is mostly wooded, with several brooks and rivers (including Satuit or "Cold Brook", for which the town is named) running through.
The town has no freeways running through it; Route 3 runs through neighboring Norwell. Route 3A runs through the town, and is known as Chief Justice Cushing Highway for this stretch, named for Chief Justice William Cushing
(1732–1810). The only other state highway in town is Route 123, which terminates at Route 3A, just 0.7 miles (1.1 km) from the town line.
There is no air service in town; the closest regional airport is Marshfield Municipal Airport
, and the closest national and international air service is at Logan International Airport
in Boston. There are two MBTA commuter rail stations
. One being just off Route 3A in North Scituate
, and the other just east of the intersection of Routes 3A and 123 in the Greenbush neighborhood
, which is the line's eastern terminus. The line is connected to an existing line in Braintree, providing service to South Station
in Boston.
Named places in the town include:
"The Harbor" refers to the business district as well as the harbor itself.
Scituate Harbor is used mostly by pleasure boaters and fisherman.
As of the census of 2010, there were 18,133 people, 6,694 households, and 4,920 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,039.6 people per square mile (401.5/km2). There were 7,685 housing units at an average density of 447.3 per square mile (172.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was \85.71% White, 12.29% Black or African American
, 0.03% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.29% from other races
, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population.
There were 6,694 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.5% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $70,868, and the median income for a family was $86,058. Males had a median income of $60,322 versus $40,200 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $33,940. About 1.4% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.
. The nearest airport to Scituate is Marshfield Municipal Airport
. The nearest national and international air service can be reached at Logan International Airport
in Boston. T. F. Green Airport
, located outside Providence, Rhode Island
, is an alternative to this airport, although it is located farther away.
The Greenbush Line
of the MBTA Commuter Rail
begins in Scituate with the Greenbush
station, proceeds north to Scituate's second stop, in North Scituate
, where it continues to Cohasset and Hingham and finally South Station
in Boston. The ride into Boston lasts approximately one hour.
On the national level, Scituate is a part of Massachusetts's 10th congressional district
, and is currently represented by Bill Keating. The state's senior (Class II) member of the United States Senate
, re-elected in 2008, is John Kerry
. The junior (Class I) senator, elected in 2010, is Scott Brown
.
On the state level, all of Scituate's voting precincts are represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives
as a part of the Fourth Plymouth district, which also includes the town of Marshfield. The state representative for these precincts is Jim Cantwell. The third precinct is a part of the Third Plymouth district, which includes Hingham, Hull and Cohasset, and is represented by Garrett Bradley. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate
as a part of the Plymouth and Norfolk district, which includes the towns of Cohasset, Duxbury, Hingham, Hull, Marshfield Norwell and Weymouth. The current state senator is Robert Hedlund
Scituate is governed on the local level by the open town meeting
form of government, and is led by a town administrator and a board of selectmen
. The town hall, police and fire station 3 are all located in buildings along Route 3A, just down the street from the traditional center of town. There is also a firehouse in Humarock and the Fire Headquarters is on First Parish Rd near Scituate Harbor. Emergency services are also provided by the town, with the nearest hospitals being located in Quincy, Weymouth, Plymouth, and Brockton. There are four post offices throughout the town, located in Humarock, near the harbor and the neck, and in North Scituate, just off the right-of-way of the Greenbush line and adjacent to the site of the station. The Scituate Town Library is located near Scituate Center, and is a member of the Old Colony Library Network (OCLN). The town also operates a highway department, as well as several parks, beaches and marinas. The Coast Guard
also has a station at Scituate Harbor, just opposite First Cliff.
In 2002, Scituate voters adopted the Community Preservation Act
(CPA) for the acquisition, preservation, restoration or creation of open space, historical purposes, land for recreational use and the creation and support of community housing. Since then, voters have approved funding for many noteworthy projects: restoration of historic treasures like Lawson Tower
, Cudworth House, and Stockbridge Mill; purchase of increasingly threatened open space – roughly 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) to date containing much wildlife and scenic trails; construction of recreational facilities at Hatherly and Cushing Schools, along with Community Basketball courts at Scituate High School
.
, known just as "Gates" to most residents, serves grades seven and eight, and Scituate High School
serves 9–12. Scituate High's teams are known as the Sailors, and their colors are blue, white, and black. The teams compete in the MIAA's Divisions 2 and 3, in the Patriot League. Their chief rivals are Norwell, whom they border, and Hingham, whom they play in their annual Thanksgiving Day football game.
High school students may also choose to attend South Shore Vocational Technical High School in Hanover free of charge. Also, many students, specifically in high school, commute to private schools in and around Boston, most commonly, Thayer Academy
and Archbishop Williams
in Braintree, Boston College High School
(boys only) in Dorchester, and Notre Dame Academy
(girls only) in Hingham. B.C. High enrolled 61 young men from Scituate in the 2005–2006 school year.
Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Plymouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of 2010, the population was 494,919. Its county seats are Plymouth and Brockton...
, Massachusetts, United States, on the South Shore, midway between Boston and Plymouth. The population was 18,133 at the 2010 census.
For geographic and demographic information on the village of North Scituate, which is a part of Scituate, please see the article North Scituate, Massachusetts
North Scituate, Massachusetts
North Scituate is a census-designated place in the town of Scituate in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,065 at the 2000 census. It was formerly known as Gannet Corner.-Geography:...
.
History
Scituate was settled by a group of people from Plymouth about 1627, who were joined by immigrants from the County of KentKent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
in England. They were initially governed by the General Court of Plymouth, but on October 5, 1636 the town incorporated as a separate entity. The name Scituate is derived from "satuit", the Wampanoag term for cold brook, which refers to a brook that runs to the inner harbor of the town. In 1710 several residents emigrated to Rhode Island and founded Scituate, Rhode Island
Scituate, Rhode Island
Scituate is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 10,329 at the 2010 census.-History:Scituate was first settled in 1710 by emigrants from Scituate, Massachusetts...
, naming it after their previous hometown.
Twelve homes and a sawmill were destroyed in King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
in 1676.
In 1717 the western portion of the original grant was separated and incorporated as the town of Hanover
Hanover, Massachusetts
Hanover is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,164 at the 2000 census.-History:The area of Hanover was first settled by English settlers in 1649 when William Barstow, a farmer, built a bridge along the North River at what is now Washington Street...
, and in 1788 a section of the town was ceded to Marshfield
Marshfield, Massachusetts
Marshfield is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, on Massachusetts's South Shore. The population was 25,132 at the 2010 census.See also: Green Harbor, Marshfield , Rexhame, Marshfield Hills, and Ocean Bluff and Brant Rock....
. In 1849 another western section became the town of South Scituate, which later changed its name to Norwell
Norwell, Massachusetts
Norwell is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population is currently 10,506 at the 2010 Census.Norwell was first settled in 1634 as a part of the settlement of Satuit , which encompasses present day Scituate and Norwell. It was officially created, in 1849 and soon became...
. Since then, the borders have remained essentially unchanged.
Fishing was a significant part of the local economy in the past, as well as the sea mossing industry. A small fishing fleet is still based in Scituate Harbor, although today the town is mostly residential.
In 1810, a lighthouse was erected on the northern edge of Scituate Harbor. This lighthouse is now known as Old Scituate Light
Old Scituate Light
Old Scituate Light also known simply as Scituate Light is an historic lighthouse located on Cedar Point in Scituate, Massachusetts.*1810, May: The Federal Government appropriated $4,000 for a lighthouse to be built at the entrance of Scituate Harbor....
. During the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, a British naval raiding party was deterred by the two daughters of the lighthouse keeper playing a fife and drum loudly. The girls and this incident became known as the "American Army of Two
American Army of Two
The American Army of Two is the name commonly given to Rebecca and Abigail Bates, daughters of Scituate, Massachusetts lighthouse keeper Simeon Bates....
" or "Lighthouse Army of Two".
Another notable lighthouse, Minot's Ledge Light
Minot's Ledge Light
Minot's Ledge Light, officially Minots Ledge Light, is a lighthouse on Minot's Ledge, one mile offshore of the towns of Cohasset and Scituate, Massachusetts, to the southeast of Boston Harbor The current lighthouse is the second on the site, the first having been washed away in a storm after only...
, stands approximately one mile off Scituate Neck.
Samuel Woodworth
Samuel Woodworth
Samuel Woodworth was an American author, literary journalist, playwright, librettist, and poet.-History:...
's Old Oaken Bucket house is located in Scituate. The town is also home to the Lawson Tower, a water tower surrounded by a wooden façade, with an observation deck with views of most of the South Shore from the top.
Scituate used to be the site of international broadcasting
International broadcasting
International broadcasting is broadcasting that is deliberately aimed at a foreign, rather than a domestic, audience. It usually is broadcast by means of longwave, mediumwave, or shortwave radio, but in recent years has also used direct satellite broadcasting and the Internet as means of reaching...
radio station WNYW
WNYW (shortwave)
WNYW was a shortwave radio station that broadcasted from Scituate, Massachusetts, in the United States. On October 20, 1973, Family Stations, Inc., acquired the station to be part of its Family Radio network and changed the call letters to WYFR. Family Stations eventually progressively moved the...
, which broadcast on the shortwave
Shortwave
Shortwave radio refers to the upper MF and all of the HF portion of the radio spectrum, between 1,800–30,000 kHz. Shortwave radio received its name because the wavelengths in this band are shorter than 200 m which marked the original upper limit of the medium frequency band first used...
bands in the late 1960s.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 31.8 square miles (82.4 km2), of which, 17.2 square miles (44.5 km2) of it is land and 14.6 square miles (37.8 km2) of it (45.94%) is water. Scituate is bordered on the east by Massachusetts Bay
Massachusetts Bay
The Massachusetts Bay, also called Mass Bay, is one of the largest bays of the Atlantic Ocean which forms the distinctive shape of the coastline of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Its waters extend 65 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Massachusetts Bay includes the Boston Harbor, Dorchester Bay,...
, on the south by Marshfield
Marshfield, Massachusetts
Marshfield is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States, on Massachusetts's South Shore. The population was 25,132 at the 2010 census.See also: Green Harbor, Marshfield , Rexhame, Marshfield Hills, and Ocean Bluff and Brant Rock....
, on the west by Norwell
Norwell, Massachusetts
Norwell is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population is currently 10,506 at the 2010 Census.Norwell was first settled in 1634 as a part of the settlement of Satuit , which encompasses present day Scituate and Norwell. It was officially created, in 1849 and soon became...
and Hingham
Hingham, Massachusetts
Hingham is a town in northern Plymouth County on the South Shore of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and suburb in Greater Boston. The United States Census Bureau 2008 estimated population was 22,561...
, all of which are in Plymouth County, and on the northwest by Cohasset
Cohasset, Massachusetts
Cohasset is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, though it is not contiguous with the main body of the county. The population was 7,542 at the 2010 census.- History :...
, in Norfolk County
Norfolk County, Massachusetts
-National protected areas:* Adams National Historical Park* Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area * Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site* John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site-Demographics:...
. The town is nineteen miles (30 km) northeast of Brockton
Brockton, Massachusetts
Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population was 93,810 in the 2010 Census. Brockton, along with Plymouth, are the county seats of Plymouth County...
, and twenty-five miles southeast of Boston.
Scituate is considered a South Shore
South Shore, Massachusetts
The South Shore of Massachusetts is a geographic region stretching south and east from Boston toward Cape Cod along the shores of Massachusetts Bay and Cape Cod Bay...
community, located just south of the mouth of greater Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeast.-History:...
. The town is not contiguous; Humarock
Humarock
Humarock is part of Scituate, Massachusetts, United States . Humarock is a pictureque seaside village surrounded by water and situated on Cape Cod Bay midway between Boston and Plymouth. It was separated from the rest of the town in the Portland Gale of 1898 in which the mouth of the North River...
is a part of Scituate which can only be reached from Marshfield. The latter was formerly connected to the town, but that connection was lost when the mouth of the South River shifted northward as the result of the Portland Gale
Portland Gale
The Portland Gale was a storm that struck the coast of New England on November 26 and 27, 1898. The storm formed when two low pressure areas merged off the coast of Virginia and travelled up the coast; at its peak, it produced a storm surge of about ten feet in Cohasset harbor and hurricane-force...
of 1898. The town's shore varies, with the south (along the mouth of the North River) being surrounded by salt marshes, the middle (around Scituate Harbor) being sandy, and the coast of Scituate Neck (Minot) in the north exhibiting exposed granite bedrock. It is off these rocks that Minot's Ledge lies, home to the town's most famous lighthouse. The inland of the town is mostly wooded, with several brooks and rivers (including Satuit or "Cold Brook", for which the town is named) running through.
The town has no freeways running through it; Route 3 runs through neighboring Norwell. Route 3A runs through the town, and is known as Chief Justice Cushing Highway for this stretch, named for Chief Justice William Cushing
William Cushing
William Cushing was an early Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, from its inception to his death. He was the longest-serving of the Court's original members, sitting on the bench for 21 years...
(1732–1810). The only other state highway in town is Route 123, which terminates at Route 3A, just 0.7 miles (1.1 km) from the town line.
There is no air service in town; the closest regional airport is Marshfield Municipal Airport
Marshfield Municipal Airport (Massachusetts)
Marshfield Municipal Airport , also known as George Harlow Field, is a public airport located 2 mi east of the central business district of Marshfield, a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA. The airport is owned by the Town of Marshfield and run by Shoreline Aviation, the airport's fixed...
, and the closest national and international air service is at Logan International Airport
Logan International Airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways...
in Boston. There are two MBTA commuter rail stations
Greenbush Line
The Greenbush Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system. The line restores service along the New Haven Railroad's Greenbush Branch, from downtown Boston, Massachusetts through the towns of Braintree, Weymouth, Hingham, Cohasset, and Scituate on the South Shore of Boston...
. One being just off Route 3A in North Scituate
North Scituate (MBTA station)
North Scituate Station is a rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail system in Scituate, Massachusetts. The station, located at 777 Country Way, is the ninth of ten along the MBTA's Greenbush Line, which provides service between Scituate and Boston. The line, which reopened on October 31, 2007, was...
, and the other just east of the intersection of Routes 3A and 123 in the Greenbush neighborhood
Greenbush (MBTA station)
Greenbush Station is a rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail system in the Greenbush section of Scituate, Massachusetts. The station, located at 247 Old Driftway, is the terminus of the MBTA Greenbush Line, which provides service between Scituate and Boston. There are five tracks here with a...
, which is the line's eastern terminus. The line is connected to an existing line in Braintree, providing service to South Station
South Station (Boston)
South Station, New England's second-largest transportation center , located at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street in Dewey Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest train station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston, a prominent train station in the northeastern...
in Boston.
Named places in the town include:
- Egypt
- First Cliff
- Greenbush (Green Bush)
- Hatherly
- HumarockHumarockHumarock is part of Scituate, Massachusetts, United States . Humarock is a pictureque seaside village surrounded by water and situated on Cape Cod Bay midway between Boston and Plymouth. It was separated from the rest of the town in the Portland Gale of 1898 in which the mouth of the North River...
- Lawson TowerLawson TowerLawson Tower is an historic tower built in the style of a European castle turret. It is located off First Parish Road in Scituate Center, Massachusetts, United States....
, a historic water tower which is visible from several miles out at sea - MinotMinot, MassachusettsMinot is a section of Scituate, Massachusetts. Minot's ZIP Code is 02055.Minot is a beach community in Scituate. It is part North Scituate and is further divided into an area called "The Glades Estate," which is an area at the very tip of Minot Beach....
, including Minot Beach - North Scituate VillageNorth Scituate, MassachusettsNorth Scituate is a census-designated place in the town of Scituate in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,065 at the 2000 census. It was formerly known as Gannet Corner.-Geography:...
(formerly Gannett Corner)
- Peggotty Beach
- Rivermoor
- Second Cliff
- Shore Acres
- Sodham
- The Glades
- Sand Hills
- The Connolly House
- Third Cliff
"The Harbor" refers to the business district as well as the harbor itself.
Scituate Harbor is used mostly by pleasure boaters and fisherman.
Demographics
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,039.6 people per square mile (401.5/km2). There were 7,685 housing units at an average density of 447.3 per square mile (172.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was \85.71% White, 12.29% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.03% Native American, 0.45% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.29% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population.
There were 6,694 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.5% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $70,868, and the median income for a family was $86,058. Males had a median income of $60,322 versus $40,200 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $33,940. About 1.4% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 4.8% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
There are no divided highways that run through Scituate, however, there are two state roads, Route 3A and Route 123Massachusetts Route 123
Route 123 is a west–east state highway in southeastern Massachusetts. It crosses northern Bristol and Plymouth Counties, crossing several highways along the way.-Route description:...
. The nearest airport to Scituate is Marshfield Municipal Airport
Marshfield Municipal Airport (Massachusetts)
Marshfield Municipal Airport , also known as George Harlow Field, is a public airport located 2 mi east of the central business district of Marshfield, a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, USA. The airport is owned by the Town of Marshfield and run by Shoreline Aviation, the airport's fixed...
. The nearest national and international air service can be reached at Logan International Airport
Logan International Airport
General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport is located in the East Boston neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts . It covers , has six runways, and employs an estimated 16,000 people. It is the 19th busiest airport in the United States.Boston serves as a focus city for JetBlue Airways...
in Boston. T. F. Green Airport
T. F. Green Airport
T. F. Green Airport , also known as Theodore Francis Green State Airport, is a public airport located in Warwick, six miles south of Providence, in Kent County, Rhode Island, USA. Dedicated in 1931, the airport was named for former Rhode Island governor and longtime senator Theodore F. Green...
, located outside Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, is an alternative to this airport, although it is located farther away.
The Greenbush Line
Greenbush Line
The Greenbush Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system. The line restores service along the New Haven Railroad's Greenbush Branch, from downtown Boston, Massachusetts through the towns of Braintree, Weymouth, Hingham, Cohasset, and Scituate on the South Shore of Boston...
of the MBTA Commuter Rail
MBTA Commuter Rail
The MBTA Commuter Rail serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. It is operated under contract by the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company a joint partnership of Veolia Transportation, Bombardier Transportation and Alternate...
begins in Scituate with the Greenbush
Greenbush (MBTA station)
Greenbush Station is a rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail system in the Greenbush section of Scituate, Massachusetts. The station, located at 247 Old Driftway, is the terminus of the MBTA Greenbush Line, which provides service between Scituate and Boston. There are five tracks here with a...
station, proceeds north to Scituate's second stop, in North Scituate
North Scituate (MBTA station)
North Scituate Station is a rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail system in Scituate, Massachusetts. The station, located at 777 Country Way, is the ninth of ten along the MBTA's Greenbush Line, which provides service between Scituate and Boston. The line, which reopened on October 31, 2007, was...
, where it continues to Cohasset and Hingham and finally South Station
South Station
South Station, New England's second-largest transportation center , located at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street in Dewey Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest train station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston, a prominent train station in the northeastern...
in Boston. The ride into Boston lasts approximately one hour.
Government
Massachusetts's 10th congressional district
Massachusetts's 10th congressional district is a political constituency that includes parts of the South Shore of Massachusetts, and all of Cape Cod and the islands. With a population of 635,901 and a land area of , it is the most populous of Massachusetts's ten congressional districts and the...
, and is currently represented by Bill Keating. The state's senior (Class II) member of the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
, re-elected in 2008, is John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
. The junior (Class I) senator, elected in 2010, is Scott Brown
Scott Brown
Scott Brown is a United States senator.Scott Brown may also refer to:-Sportsmen:*Scott Brown , American college football coach of Kentucky State...
.
On the state level, all of Scituate's voting precincts are represented in the Massachusetts House of Representatives
Massachusetts House of Representatives
The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from single-member electoral districts across the Commonwealth. Representatives serve two-year terms...
as a part of the Fourth Plymouth district, which also includes the town of Marshfield. The state representative for these precincts is Jim Cantwell. The third precinct is a part of the Third Plymouth district, which includes Hingham, Hull and Cohasset, and is represented by Garrett Bradley. The town is represented in the Massachusetts Senate
Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
as a part of the Plymouth and Norfolk district, which includes the towns of Cohasset, Duxbury, Hingham, Hull, Marshfield Norwell and Weymouth. The current state senator is Robert Hedlund
Scituate is governed on the local level by the open town meeting
Open town meeting
An open town meeting is a form of town meeting in which all registered voters of a town may vote . This form of government is typical of smaller municipalities in the New England region of the United States....
form of government, and is led by a town administrator and a board of selectmen
Board of selectmen
The board of selectmen is commonly the executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms.-History:...
. The town hall, police and fire station 3 are all located in buildings along Route 3A, just down the street from the traditional center of town. There is also a firehouse in Humarock and the Fire Headquarters is on First Parish Rd near Scituate Harbor. Emergency services are also provided by the town, with the nearest hospitals being located in Quincy, Weymouth, Plymouth, and Brockton. There are four post offices throughout the town, located in Humarock, near the harbor and the neck, and in North Scituate, just off the right-of-way of the Greenbush line and adjacent to the site of the station. The Scituate Town Library is located near Scituate Center, and is a member of the Old Colony Library Network (OCLN). The town also operates a highway department, as well as several parks, beaches and marinas. The Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
also has a station at Scituate Harbor, just opposite First Cliff.
In 2002, Scituate voters adopted the Community Preservation Act
Community Preservation Act
The Community Preservation Act is a Massachusetts state law passed in 2000. It enables adopting communities to raise funds to create a local dedicated fund for open space preservation, preservation of historic resources, development of affordable housing, and the acquisition and development of...
(CPA) for the acquisition, preservation, restoration or creation of open space, historical purposes, land for recreational use and the creation and support of community housing. Since then, voters have approved funding for many noteworthy projects: restoration of historic treasures like Lawson Tower
Lawson Tower
Lawson Tower is an historic tower built in the style of a European castle turret. It is located off First Parish Road in Scituate Center, Massachusetts, United States....
, Cudworth House, and Stockbridge Mill; purchase of increasingly threatened open space – roughly 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) to date containing much wildlife and scenic trails; construction of recreational facilities at Hatherly and Cushing Schools, along with Community Basketball courts at Scituate High School
Scituate High School (Massachusetts)
Scituate High School is the only public secondary school of Scituate, Massachusetts. It has an enrollment of roughly 722 students, servicing grades 9–12 for the entire town. The school was originally located at Central Field in Scituate and then moved to what is now the Gates Intermediate...
.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 15, 2008 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Number of Voters | Percentage |
Democratic Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
3,689 | 27.65% |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
2,282 | 17.11% |
Unaffiliated | 7,314 | 54.83% |
Minor Parties | 55 | 0.41% | |
| Total | 13,340 | 100% | |||||||||||||
Education
Scituate's public schools provide co-ed classes for grades K–12. Hatherly Elementary School, Cushing Elementary School, Wampatuck Elementary School and (the most recently opened) Jenkins Elementary School serve grades K–6, Lester J. Gates Intermediate SchoolGates Intermediate School
Gates Intermediate SchoolLester J. Gates Intermediate School, known more commonly as Gates Intermediate School or "Gates" is the junior high school of the Scituate, Massachusetts public school system, serving seventh and eighth grade students. It is located on First Parish Rd., within walking...
, known just as "Gates" to most residents, serves grades seven and eight, and Scituate High School
Scituate High School (Massachusetts)
Scituate High School is the only public secondary school of Scituate, Massachusetts. It has an enrollment of roughly 722 students, servicing grades 9–12 for the entire town. The school was originally located at Central Field in Scituate and then moved to what is now the Gates Intermediate...
serves 9–12. Scituate High's teams are known as the Sailors, and their colors are blue, white, and black. The teams compete in the MIAA's Divisions 2 and 3, in the Patriot League. Their chief rivals are Norwell, whom they border, and Hingham, whom they play in their annual Thanksgiving Day football game.
High school students may also choose to attend South Shore Vocational Technical High School in Hanover free of charge. Also, many students, specifically in high school, commute to private schools in and around Boston, most commonly, Thayer Academy
Thayer Academy
Thayer Academy is a private, co-educational, college-preparatory day school located in Braintree, Massachusetts. The academy, conceived in 1871 at the bequest of General Sylvanus Thayer, the father of the United States Military Academy, was founded in 1877...
and Archbishop Williams
Archbishop Williams High School
Archbishop Williams High School is a co-educational Catholic school in Braintree, Massachusetts, USA. It was founded in 1949 by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth...
in Braintree, Boston College High School
Boston College High School
Founded in 1863, Boston College High School is an all-male Jesuit Roman Catholic college preparatory secondary school with historical ties to Boston College. It has an enrollment in grades 7-12 of approximately 1,500 students and is located on a campus on Morrissey Boulevard in the Dorchester...
(boys only) in Dorchester, and Notre Dame Academy
Notre Dame Academy (Hingham, Massachusetts)
Notre Dame Academy is a private, all-girls Roman Catholic high school in Hingham, Massachusetts. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston.-History:...
(girls only) in Hingham. B.C. High enrolled 61 young men from Scituate in the 2005–2006 school year.
Notable residents
- Rebecca and Abigail Bates, known as the "American Army of TwoAmerican Army of TwoThe American Army of Two is the name commonly given to Rebecca and Abigail Bates, daughters of Scituate, Massachusetts lighthouse keeper Simeon Bates....
," fended off the British army near the Scituate lighthouse with a fife and drum during the War of 1812 - George William Casey Jr.George William Casey Jr.George William Casey, Jr. is a former United States Army four-star general who last served as the 36th Chief of Staff of the United States Army from April 10, 2007 to April 11, 2011...
, Chief of Staff of the United States ArmyChief of Staff of the United States ArmyThe Chief of Staff of the Army is a statutory office held by a four-star general in the United States Army, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Army, and as such is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the Army; and is in...
(2007–) - Michael Conroy, drafted first round of the MLB draft in 2000 by the Cleveland Indians.
- Claire Cook, author of several novels, including Must Love Dogs, which was adapted as a 2005 feature film starring John Cusack and Diane Lane
- Paul CurtisPaul Curtis (shipbuilder)Paul Curtis was an American shipbuilder who built ships in Medford, Massachusetts .-Background:Shipbuilding was one of the two big businesses at Medford in the mid-19th century...
, shipbuilder known for his clipper shipsClipperA clipper was a very fast sailing ship of the 19th century that had three or more masts and a square rig. They were generally narrow for their length, could carry limited bulk freight, small by later 19th century standards, and had a large total sail area... - William CushingWilliam CushingWilliam Cushing was an early Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, from its inception to his death. He was the longest-serving of the Court's original members, sitting on the bench for 21 years...
, one of the original six justices on the United States Supreme Court. - Ted DonatoTed DonatoEdward Paul Donato is a retired American ice hockey player who played in the NHL. Since he retired from professional hockey as a player in 2004, he has served as the head coach for the Harvard University hockey team.-Career:...
, former Harvard hockey captain with a 13-year NHL career, who won an NCAA championship; played in the Olympics - Henry DunsterHenry DunsterHenry Dunster was an Anglo-American Puritan clergyman and the first president of Harvard College...
, first president of Harvard University, Puritan/Baptist minister - Nick FlynnNick FlynnNick Flynn is an American writer, playwright, and poet. His most recent publication is a play, Alice Invents a Little Game and Alice Always Wins...
, a writer and poet whose autobiographical Another Bullshit Night in Suck CityAnother Bullshit Night in Suck CityAnother Bullshit Night in Suck City is a memoir by playwright and poet Nick Flynn, describing Flynn's reunion with his estranged father Jonathan -- an alcoholic resident of the homeless shelter where Nick was a social worker in the late 1980s. The title refers to Jonathan's description of homeless...
currently has director Paul WeitzPaul Weitz (filmmaker)Paul John Weitz is an American film producer, screenwriter, actor, and film director.-Personal life:Weitz was born in New York City, New York, the son of the actress Susan Kohner and novelist/fashion designer John Weitz, and the grandson of producer Paul Kohner and Mexican actress Lupita...
attached to adapt into a film - Jacques FutrelleJacques FutrelleJacques Heath Futrelle was an American journalist and mystery writer. He is best known for writing short detective stories featuring Professor Augustus S. F. X...
, journalist, author, who died in the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 - Mark GoddardMark GoddardMark Goddard is an American film actor who has starred in a number of television programs. He portrayed Major Don West, the space adversary of Dr. Zachary Smith in the cult 1960s CBS series, Lost in Space, and Detective Sgt...
, actor known for his role as "Major Don West" in the series Lost in SpaceLost in SpaceLost in Space is a science fiction TV series created and produced by Irwin Allen, filmed by 20th Century Fox Television, and broadcast on CBS. The show ran for three seasons, with 83 episodes airing between September 15, 1965, and March 6, 1968... - Mike Hoffman, AHL player for the Chicago Wolves
- Inez Haynes IrwinInez Haynes IrwinInez Haynes Irwin was an American feminist author, journalist, member of the National Women's Party, and president of the Authors Guild. Many of her works were published under her former name Inez Haynes Gillmore. She wrote over 40 books and was active in the suffragist movement in the early 1900s...
, journalist, author, feminist, wrote The Story of the Women's Party, a history of the American woman suffrage movement - Charles KerinsCharles KerinsCharles M. Kerins American illustrator and painter.Kerins is a listed artist. He graduated from the Massachusetts College of Art and Northeastern University. Twice married, he was named one of America's Top 100 Illustrators by the Chicago Art Directors Club in 1956...
, artist, illustrator, known for Red Sox yearbook covers and paintings of small town American childhood in the 1950s and 1960s. - Bruce Laird, former NFL football player for Baltimore ColtsHistory of the Indianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
, 1972–1981 (Pro Bowl 1972), and San Diego ChargersSan Diego ChargersThe San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 1982–1983 - Thomas W. LawsonThomas W. Lawson (businessman)Thomas William Lawson was an American businessman and author. A highly controversial Boston stock promoter, he is known for both his efforts to promote reforms in the stock markets and the fortune he amassed for himself through highly dubious stock manipulations.The Scituate, Massachusetts...
, stock promoter, financial reformer, built his Dreamwold estate in Scituate - Jim LonborgJim LonborgJames Reynold Lonborg is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played with the Boston Red Sox , Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies...
, Cy Young AwardCy Young AwardThe Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
–winning former Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. - Joseph D. MaloneJoseph D. MaloneJoseph Daniel "Joe" Malone is an American businessman, former Treasurer and Receiver-General of Massachusetts, and a member of the Republican Party...
, former Massachusetts treasurer - Tom McCallTom McCallThomas Lawson McCall was an American politician and journalist in the state of Oregon. A Republican, he was the 30th Governor of Oregon from 1967 to 1975. A native of Massachusetts, he grew up there and in Central Oregon before attending the University of Oregon...
, Governor of OregonGovernor of OregonThe Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
from 1966–1974, was born in Scituate. A Trailblazing environmentalist who was a pace setter for conservation in the '70s and '80s by instituting many novel ideas such as the bottle bill, odd-even gas rationing and the banning of electrical outdoor signs during the energy crisis. - John McDonald, Shortstop for the Toronto Blue JaysToronto Blue JaysThe Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
- Scott McMorrowScott McMorrowScott McMorrow is an American playwright and actor. McMorrow's plays have been translated into Italian, and they have been produced extensively throughout the United States, including Off-Off Broadway. His award-winning plays and poetry have been widely anthologized, and McMorrow has published...
, award-winning playwright and poet - Dave SilkDave SilkDavid Mark "Silky" Silk is a retired professional American ice hockey forward who played 249 NHL regular season games for the Boston Bruins, Winnipeg Jets, Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers between 1980 and 1985.-Amateur career:Silk attended Thayer Academy in Braintree, where he scored 85...
, former NHL ice hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
forward known for being a member of the Miracle on IceMiracle on IceThe "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22...
1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that won the gold medal - Scott SnibbeScott SnibbeScott Snibbe is an interactive media artist, researcher, and entrepreneur. He is one of the first artists to work with projector-based interactivity, where a computer-controlled projection onto a wall or floor changes in response to people moving across its surface, with his well-known full-body...
, media artist, grew up in Scituate. - Billy TibbettsBilly TibbettsBilly Tibbetts is a professional hockey player who last played with the Huntsville Havoc of the SPHL. He is currently an unrestricted free agent.-ECHL:...
, former NHL player, New York RangersNew York RangersThe New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the borough of Manhattan in New York, New York, USA. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Playing their home games at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers are one of the...
, Philadelphia FlyersPhiladelphia FlyersThe Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Pittsburgh PenguinsPittsburgh PenguinsThe Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original... - Peter TolanPeter TolanPeter James Tolan III is an American television producer, director, and screenwriter.-Early life and career:Tolan was born in Scituate, Massachusetts where he was a perrenial favorite in the high school's dramatic productions. Before leaving to pursue a career in Hollywood, Tolan founded a theater...
, writer, director - Mike WankumMike WankumMike Wankum is a staff meteorologist at WCVB-TV in Boston, Massachusetts. He has been with the station since December 2006. Previously, he was chief meteorologist at WLVI-TV Channel 56 from July 1993 to December 2006. He has won nine Emmys at WLVI-TV and one Emmy at WTVR-TV in Richmond, Virginia...
, weatherman for WCVB-TVWCVB-TVWCVB-TV, channel 5, is a television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, owned by Hearst Television and affiliated with the ABC Television Network. WCVB-TV's studios and transmitter are co-located in Needham, Massachusetts. WCVB is also one of six Boston television stations seen in Canada by...
News Channel - Richard Wainwright, author of eleven books for children and adults. His first book A Tiny Miracle was made into a Christmas musical.
- Ryan WhitneyRyan WhitneyRyan Whitney is an American professional ice hockey defenseman and alternate captain currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League ....
, NHL defenseman for the Edmonton OilersEdmonton OilersThe Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....