Our Sister Service: Gurnet Point, 1874

The Gurnet in Massachusetts gained its name from one of the Pilgrims, Edward Winslow, who described the headland as looking like the nose of the fish of the same name. The 27 acres of the Gurnet had been described as early as 1605 by Samuel de Champlain as being covered with a dense forest of pine trees. By 1638, although not physically attached to the community, the Gurnet became a part of Plymouth. Its position at the mouth of Plymouth Harbor would prove to be of major value for military protection in years to come.