As one of the first settlements in the new world, Third Cliff is rich in history. From the early settlements, to ship building, ship wrecks and spectacular storm damage, Third Cliff has endured and evolved over the years.
Shortly after the Pilgrims landed in Plymouth in 1620, desirable locations for further settlement on the South Shore were recorded. Due to its proximity to Plymouth and the number of available natural resources, the "Satuit" area around the cliffs, the harbor and what is now known as the North River was considered prime (Old Scituate, 1921).
The Third Cliff area is the earliest recorded settlement in Scituate. William Gillson, Anthony Annable, Thomas Bird, Nathaniel Tilden, Edward Foster, Henry Rowley and some others deemed "The Men of Kent" were some of the early settlers to explore Scituate. In 1628 Henry Merritt sold to Nathaniel Tilden "all that land which I had of Goodman Byrd, lying within the fence at the North end of the third cliffe, unto the land of Nathaniel Tilden". Following the settlement of Third Cliff, the "Men of Kent" proceeded to lay out lands in the surrounding area (History of Scituate, Mass, 1831). A sign located only a few feet north of the property in jeopardy depicts this historical event.
Nathaniel Tilden, one of the original "Men of Kent", established the first farm on Third Cliff in 1626. Subsequently, his oldest son, Joseph, increased the family acreage by additional land purchases. His neighbor, John Stockbridge, was one of the wealthiest of the early farmers. In 1636 another resident, William Gillson, built the first windmill used for grinding corn in Plymouth County on the southeast end of Third Cliff. This was the only mill for grinding corn until the mid 1600's (Old Scituate, 1921).
The North River, named before 1633, was heralded for its shipbuilding in the early chronicles of the Colonists. There were reportedly over one thousand and twenty five vessels built on the North River. One of the more notable ships built on the River was the Columbia. Built in 1773, the Columbia was the first ship to circumvent the world carrying an American flag as well as the first ship to visit the Northwest Coast, where the Columbia River now bears her name (Old Scituate, 1921).
In 1787 Third Cliff was the site of one of the first of three Life-Saving Stations erected by the Humane Society of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Life-saving Station provided assistance to crews and vessels in trouble off the coast (Images of America: Scituate, 2000). Prior to technological advancements, many vessels were at the mercy of the sea and weather. There have been numerous shipwrecks off the coast of Third Cliff: the Sidney in 1838 and the Constantia in 1841, just to name a few (Old Scituate, 1921).
In 1831, Samuel Deane, among others, wrote that the river would eventually
find its outlet between Third and Fourth Cliffs. The great storm of 1898, referred
to as the Portland Gale, literally changed the course of the river (Old Scituate,
1921). Originally the mouth of the North River was three miles further south
than where it stands now, near the current Rexhame Beach in Marshfield. As predicted,
the storm altered the mouth of the river to its current site, destroyed over
100 vessels and killed more than 400 people in less than 24 hours. The view
afforded from the property in jeopardy is one of the only remaining unobstructed
public views on Third Cliff of the "new" inlet of the North River.
If you would like to learn more about this project and be part of a rare opportunity to help preserve a view into Scituate's past, please visit the link How you can help, or contact
Save the River View
PO Box 100
Scituate, MA 02066
or contact us via email: information@savetheriverview.org.
Ball D., Freitas, F., Galluzo, J., and Miles, C. Images of America: Scituate. Scituate Historical Society. Charleston, SC: Arcadia publishing, 2000.
Deane, Samuel. History of Scituate, Mass. Boston: James Loring, 1831.
Old Scituate. Published by the Daughters of the American Revolution, Chief Justice Cushing Chapter, 1921.