Scituate was settled around 1627 and named for the Wampanoag word “satuit,” which means cold brook. The settlement of Scituate at its largest extended from the ocean inland as far as Accord Pond in Hingham and into Rockland. In 1717, a western parcel separated and incorporated as the town of Hanover, follwed in 1788 by the town of Marshfield. In 1849 the parcel along the North River ceded, becoming the town of South Scituate and later changing its name to Norwell. Scituate retained its coastline and beaches that sustained the early fishing industry and continues to play a large part in the town’s economy.
