Sheffield is thought to have been established to house the workers of the Sheffield Quarry and later the surrounding farms. The settlement was built along the road into Penzance where the quarry's stone had to be carted for shipment.
The town of Sheffield was likely established to provide housing for the employees of the nearby quarry and farms, situated along the route that connected it to Penzance, where the quarry's stones had to be hauled away for distribution.