Wessagusset Beach

144 Wessagussett Rd, Weymouth, MA 02191, USA

Town of Weymouth: (781) 335-2000

https://weymouthma.myrec.com/info/facilities/details.aspx?FacilityID=8015

Owned By: Town of Weymouth

• Directions

Wessagusset Beach is located on the Fore River in North Weymouth. Facing west, it looks out over the Boston skyline. This small public property is also known as “old beach.”

Look for the large sandy area immediately to the east of the Wessagusset Yacht Club. Parking is extremely limited, and is located over the hill, to the west of the yacht club, adjacent to a much rockier section of the beach. At low tide, you can walk between these two spots, along the water line. Just around the corner are the James T. O’Sullivan Playground and Great Hill Park.

Features

The beach is named for the colony of Wessagusset, formed in 1622 by Thomas Weston. A marker at Great Hill Park, around the corner, describes to the tense relationship between European settlers and native tribes at that time. The marker was placed in 1923, and re-dedicated in 1998. It focuses on the victory of Myles Standish and other European settlers over aboriginal leaders such as Wituwamat and Pecksuot.

While Standish has long been regarded as a hero of Plymouth Colony, it’s important also to acknowledge that he was a destructive force with regard to the native tribes that inhabited the region prior to, and during the time of, European colonization. In particular, consider the 1623 Massacre at Wessagusset, at which Standish lured members of the Neponset band of the Massachusett tribe into a small building and then attacked them, fatally wounding several. Standish was concerned that tribe members, especially Wituwamat, were conspiring against the colonists. Scholars have found no evidence of this plot.

More detailed information about the Native American tribes that inhabited the Weymouth area can be found at King Oak Hill Park in Weymouth. The remains of Wituwamat and Pecksuot are now interred at Old North Cemetery in Weymouth.

This land is within the region of the Massachuseuk (or Massachusett) Native American tribe. Please bear in mind that Native American cultures often favor oral histories to written ones. Much of what’s recorded about the history of the South Shore is from the perspective of European settlers. It’s not the whole story. To learn more about local tribes, we encourage you to interact with their members. You can learn more about the Massachusett tribe on their website.

Follow the Fore River Watershed Association more information about the Monatiquot and Fore Rivers.

Habitats and Wildlife

Fish species most commonly found here include striped bass and bluefish.

This beach is located on the Fore River, not far from the spot where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The Fore River serves as the boundary line between the towns of Weymouth and Braintree. It flows for about 3 miles, into Quincy, where it meets Town River, and then flows for another 2 miles into Hingham Bay.