Scituate, Massachusetts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Settled: 1630 – Incorporated: 1636 | ||
| Zip Code(s): 02066 – Area Code(s): 339 / 781 | ||
| Official website: http://www.town.scituate.ma.us/ | ||
| Location | ||
|---|---|---|
 Location in Massachusetts |
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| Government | ||
| County | Plymouth County | |
| Form of Government | Open town meeting | |
| Executive office | Town Administrator | |
| Geography | ||
| Area | ||
| Total | 31.8 mi² / 82.4 km² | |
| Land | 17.2 mi² / 44.5 km² | |
| Water | 14.6 mi² / 37.8 km² | |
| Coordinates | ||
| Elevation | 30 ft / 9 m | |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) | |
| Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) | |
| Population | ||
| Total (2000) | 17863 | |
| Density | 1039.6/mi² / 401.4/km² | |
Scituate, Massachusetts is a small seacoast town located in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod Bay midway between Boston and Plymouth. The population was 17,863 at the 2000 census. 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 resident in Scituate Harbor.
For geographic and demographic information on the village of North Scituate, which is a part of Scituate, please see the article North Scituate, Massachusetts.
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[edit] History
Scituate was settled by a group of people from Plymouth about 1627, who were joined by immigrants from the County of Kent in England. They were initially governed by the General Court at Plymouth: in 1636 the town elected its own officers. At this time its borders were established. The name Scituate is derived from "satuit," the Wampanoag term for cold brook. It refers to a brook which runs to the inner harbor of Scituate.
In 1717 the western portion of the original grant was separated and incorporated as the town of Hanover, and in 1849 another western section became the town of South Scituate, which later changed its name to Norwell. In 1788 a section of the town was ceded to Marshfield. Since then, the borders have remained essentially unchanged.
Samuel Woodworth's Old Oaken Bucket house is located in Scituate.
Scituate used to be the site of international broadcasting radio station WNYW, which broadcast on the shortwave bands in the late 1960s.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 82.4 km² (31.8 mi²). 44.5 km² (17.2 mi²) of it is land and 37.8 km² (14.6 mi²) of it (45.94%) is water. Scituate is bordered 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.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 17,863 people, 6,694 households, and 4,920 families residing in the town. The population density was 401.5/km² (1,039.6/mi²). There were 7,685 housing units at an average density of 172.7/km² (447.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.71% White, 0.49% 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.
See also: Scituate (CDP), Massachusetts
[edit] 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 School, known just as "Gates" to most residents, serves grades seven and eight, and Scituate High School serves 9–12. Many students, specifically in high school, commute to private schools in and around Boston, most commonly Boston College High School (boys) in Dorchester, and Notre Dame Academy (girls) in Hingham. B.C. High enrolled 61 young men from Scituate in the 2005–2006 school year.
[edit] Notable Current or Former Residents
- William Cushing, one of the original six justices on the US Supreme Court.
- Nick Flynn, a writer and poet whose autobiographical Another Bullshit Night in Suck City currently has director Paul Weitz attached to adapt into a film.
- Mark Goddard, actor most widely known for his role as Major Don West in the series Lost in Space.
- Jim Lonborg, Cy Young Award-winning former Major League Baseball starting pitcher.
- Dave Silk, former NHL ice hockey forward best known for being a member of the Miracle On Ice 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that won the gold medal.
- Ryan Whitney, NHL defenseman currently playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
[edit] External links
- Town of Scituate, Massachusetts Official Website
- Scituate Historical Society
- Scituate Town Library
- Maps and aerial photos
- WikiSatellite view at WikiMapia
- Street map from MapQuest or Google Local
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Satellite image from Google Maps or Microsoft Virtual Earth
