Cohasset Common

Highland Ave, Cohasset, MA 02025, USA

Town of Cohasset: 781-383-4100

Owned By: Town of Cohasset

• Directions

Cohasset Common is a grassy, tree-lined, 24-acre property located within the town’s historic district. With benches, picnic tables and a duck pond, it is a lovely spot for picnic or a short stroll.

Features

Nestled between Highland Ave. and North Main Street, between Robert E. Jason Road and William B. Long Jr. Road, this grassy green space is bordered by churches, private homes, and the Town Hall. It was designated as public land in 1670, when Cohasset was part of the town of Hingham, and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

Prior to European contact, a band of the Massachusett Native American tribe maintained a village in what is now Cohasset. It was known as Quonahassit — often translated as “long rocky place.”

In 1614, while exploring what was known then as the New World, Captain John Smith (1580-1631) landed in “Quonahassit Harbor” to trade for furs.

The Quonahassit village was probably in the vicinity of today’s Elm Street, a summer camp for fishing, and for growing corn, beans and squash. The village moved inland during the winter for shelter, and to hunt for deer, turkey and other wildlife. A widespread plague decimated the Quonahassit population shortly after Smith’s visit.

To learn more about local Native American tribes, we encourage you to interact with their members. The Mattakeeset band of the Massachusett and the Massachusett tribe at Ponkapoag share information on their websites. 

Trail Description

The southern portion of the Cohasset Common is bordered by paved sidewalks. The northern portion does not have sidewalks around its border, however criss-crossed paved pathways cross its middle. Altogether there are about 0.5 miles of paved sidewalk/trail.

Habitats and Wildlife

The Cohasset Common is grassy and lined with stately trees, including elms. There is a manmade pond at the southern end of the property. Most of the Cohasset Common drains to James Brook, which flows into Cohasset Harbor. The northernmost section of the Common drains into Little Harbor.