Posted on July 28, 2016 by Jenny ONeill
When families step through the 18th-century door of Westport’s historic Handy House, they often don’t know what to expect. The extraordinary architectural features that make the house interesting to adults do not always engage their children. But an innovative family program offered this summer takes a different approach. The Handy House Family Reunion, a free […]
Continue ReadingPosted on July 23, 2016 by Jenny ONeill
Guest curator Blair Walker provides a tour of the exhibition of clothing from the Elvira Smith collection.This exhibition can be viewed at the Handy House, 202 Hix Bridge Road, Westport June – October 2016
Continue ReadingPosted on July 14, 2016 by Jenny ONeill
Have you ever found old shoes hidden in odd locations in your house? If so, your discovery may be evidence of a mysterious worldwide superstitious practice. A recent donation of a collection of ancient shoes focused our attention on this strange practice of concealing shoes in buildings. This collection of shoes was discovered in a […]
Continue ReadingPosted on July 13, 2016 by Jenny ONeill
A wonderful recent donation of a photo album with cyanotypes, mostly of Horseneck and other Westport areas. This album belonged to Ella Hargraves Lawton, maternal grandmother of Janet Rodgers. Brother: Robert Elkanah Lawton. They were brought up on a farm in Westport.
Continue ReadingPosted on July 7, 2016 by Jenny ONeill
Westport’s Unique Shipbuilding Challenges In the early years, launching boats and conducting business on the Noquochoke (East Branch of the Westport River) was relatively straightforward. Boats were generally of the smaller variety, and the unique locations of launching points and river crossings did little to impact the boatbuilding business. With the advent of the whaling […]
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