Every six months, our doctors insist on our returning to Massachusetts for regular checkups. For this Spring’s visit, we were able to rent a very nice cottage in the town of Cohasset, 20 miles south of Boston. Cohasset was first seen by Europeans in 1614 when Captain John Smith explored the coast. Prior to Smith’s exploration, this area had been inhabited for decades by the Wompanoag peoples of the Algonquin Nation. The first official European settlement here was founded in 1670 as the second parish of Hingham. One hundred years later, this parish separated from Hingham, taking its name from “Conahasset”, Algonquin meaning “Long Rocky Place.” Originally part of Suffolk County, it was set off as a part of Norfolk County in 1793. Of its 31.5 square miles, only 9.9 square miles is land (meaning the rest is water), of which a large portion is contained within Wompatuck State Park. Formerly known as the Hingham Naval Ammunition Deport, the State Park served as the main ammunition supplier for Naval forces during World War II. With a permanent population today of a bit over 7500, Cohasset is a small, upper income community along the south east coast of Massachusetts. Notables who have called Cohasset home include the actress Kate Bosworth, NASA astronaut Steve Bowen, former professional football player Larry Eisenhouer, and Michael Kennedy, son of Robert F. Kennedy.
One of the highlight features around town is located at the head of the inner harbor: “The Oaks”, a 45 Room Georgian Revival styled mansion owned by Peter Roy. The house was featured in the film “The Witches of Eastwick.”