Posted on April 20, 2021 by Jenny ONeill
Local history research can lead to some unexpected discoveries. What began as an effort to highlight some poetry found in the Westport Historical Society’s collection, has led to a deeper exploration into the history of Westport’s cultural past. Westport’s seclusion and natural beauty has served to attract, inspire and rejuvenate artists and writers for […]
Continue ReadingPosted on April 9, 2021 by Jenny ONeill
Written by Betty Slade, 2021 This story about John Stevens is that of a family of color whose father came to America from Africa in the mid-19th century not as a slave but as a free man. He arrived just before the Civil War in Westport Point, Massachusetts. He married a Native American woman and […]
Continue ReadingPosted on March 4, 2021 by Jenny ONeill
Written by Jenny O’Neill and Betty Slade It is striking how many women have been leaders in the effort to preserve Westport’s history. This series of profiles celebrates the contribution made by Westport women towards historic preservation, whether through documentation, education, building restoration, artistic expression, writings, and activism. A common thread that links many of […]
Continue ReadingPosted on March 1, 2021 by Jenny ONeill
We are so pleased to be able to share a celebratory bell ringing with our community. (Thank you to Merri Cyr for creating this wonderful video.) The Westport Historical Society gratefully recognizes the generous support provided by a Community Preservation Act grant for the restoration of the tower and roof, and the restoration of […]
Continue ReadingPosted on February 9, 2021 by Jenny ONeill
The Importance of the “The Country” Blueberries The Animals Driving Mom, the Great Organizer Baseball The Gardens Springtime The Elders Up on the Hill GaGa’s Medicine The Radio Monday’s The Flag The Wainer Stories The Farmhouses The Graves The Stone The Well The Ancestors About the Author The Farm was known as the Wainer Farm […]
Continue ReadingPosted on January 14, 2021 by Jenny ONeill
Have you ever noticed the large, slightly battered sign “Handy Hill Crossing” sitting at the intersection of Main Road and Handy Hill? It marks the location close by of Handy Hill Creamery, well known to all of us as well as the Handy Hill diner, recently removed from the site. It also marks the location […]
Continue ReadingPosted on November 19, 2020 by Jenny ONeill
Page 47 of Tony Connor’s “Small Town Big History” made reference to Mouse Mill Pond. This triggered lingering memories of this Westport site and I decided to write about it and a network of ancient ponds that existed when my family migrated to Westport in 1949. This review of historical facts is likely foreign to […]
Continue ReadingPosted on November 16, 2020 by Jenny ONeill
Until the 1770s, Paquachuck Point (now known as Westport Point or The Point) was little more than open pasture. It was a North-South peninsula surrounded by an estuary with a narrow opening to Buzzards Bay and the Atlantic Ocean at its southwestern most extremity. There was a “way” now known as Main Road that ran […]
Continue ReadingPosted on October 21, 2020 by Jenny ONeill
Unique puzzles featuring Westport’s historical and scenic beauty! Available at Partners Village Store ONLY! Supplies limited! $20 each! All proceeds benefit the Westport Historical Society.
Continue ReadingPosted on September 21, 2020 by Jenny ONeill
IT’S A SPOOKY TIME ON THE HANDY HOUSE HALLOWEEN TRAIL! For the month of October, the new Handy House Heritage Trail is transformed into a fun Halloween trail. Young visitors will enjoy the Halloween themed scavenger hunt, locating the mysterious ravens that dwell in the woods. Friendly ghosts and ghouls will keep an eye on […]
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