May Baskets

Westport’s Forgotten Rite of Spring Westport’s old-timers have fond memories of a now forgotten tradition of May baskets. These hand-made paper or cardboard baskets, filled with small treats and trinkets, were hung on a neighbor’s door as a gift. It was a May time tradition that celebrated life in a close-knit community, neighborly familiarity and […]

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Sherman Collection: A North Westport treasure trove of history

After crisscrossing the country from Westport to Alaska and back again, an extraordinary collection of materials relating to the history of North Westport has arrived at the Westport Historical Society. The Sherman family collection includes deeds, correspondence, photographs, maps, and journals that will significantly enrich our understanding of the far northern parts of Westport in […]

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What’s in store for the Bell School?

If you have driven by the Bell School in recent weeks, you may have noticed some significant activity is taking place.  This project marks the beginning of a multi-phase effort to address structural weaknesses and to transform the Bell School into a resource that is more relevant to the community of Westport and better suited […]

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Envisioning Paul Cuffe

Can you imagine the life of Paul Cuffe? Ray Shaw, a Westport resident and graphic artist, uses watercolor sketches to help visualize the past. His graphite and loose watercolor ‘storybook’ style challenges the viewer to use their imagination to interpret a given subject.  

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Harriet Powers Pictorial Quilt

The most famous and fascinating quilt in the Museum of Fine Art’s collection is the Harriet Powers Pictorial Quilt, which for 60 years hung in a house at Westport Point! The Pictorial Quilt is a center piece of the current exhibition at the MFA, Fabric of a Nation, American Quilt Stories. The story of the […]

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Crossing the River

I often think about the following account of an encounter with three runaway slaves near Hix Bridge when I drive across the bridge. It is easy to picture them making their way down Hix Bridge Road towards the safety of New Bedford, probably passing by the Handy House on their way to cross the bridge. […]

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