Search our collections online!

You can now search our archive and photograph collection on line. This database contains over 6,000 individual records and over 3,000 images. You will find information on themes of Westport history: people, maritime activities, Native Americans, agricultural activities, buildings, events, businesses, tourism, mills, religious organizations, and civic institutions. You will find materials such as newspaper clippings, obituaries, deeds, wills, account books, maps, oral histories, postcards and photographs.
This database is updated regularly.

Please note that this database gives access to archives and photographs only. For information on objects, paintings, textiles and books held by Westport Historical Society, please contact us directly.

Behind the Shingles: 17th and 18th Century Houses of Southern Massachusetts

An exhibition on reading the secrets of old houses through the clues that they leave.

July 11th - September 7th 2009
Wednesday through Saturday 10 AM - 4 PM
Free

“Behind the Shingles” presents the personal collection of architectural historian Pete Baker and explains the essentials of early New England architecture. During a 40-year career as restoration contractor and consultant on more than 200 hundred antique structures, Pete Baker has gathered an encyclopedic collection of materials from structures in southern Massachusetts.

In the words of Pete Baker, curator of this exhibition: “Every old house has a story - in its cellar, attic, and behind its walls: imprints from hinges, latches, locks and window catches; the chafe marks from daily chores and thresholds worn from years of footsteps; a broken saucer; a pewter spoon, an English coin; and the carpenter’s scribe marks and Roman numerals that link the house to the day of raising. In each ancient structure there are clues to the past – if we take the time and concern to look, to learn, to touch, to document, to preserve. By so doing we will be able to give our past to the future."

The exhibition will explore common questions for those who live in or have an interest in old houses. What to look for in an old house? How do you unlock the secrets of an old house, what are the clues to the history of a house? When was the house built? The answers to these questions lie in the structure, building materials and techniques used. The exhibition will include examples of bricks, nails, windows, doors and framing from 17th and 18 century houses and will examine how these materials evolved over time. The exhibition also explores modern techniques such as dendrochronology which analyzes growth rings of timbers used in construction to determine the date of a house within a range of a few years. Many objects from the Waite Potter House, Westport’s oldest house, will be on display.

This exhibition was curated by Pete Baker and organized by Westport Historical Society and Westport Historical Commission. The project is supported by the Helen E. Ellis Charitable Trust administered by Bank of America.

"Celebrating Paul Cuffe at 250 years"

Sponsored by Westport Historical Society and New Bedford Historical Society

"Celebrating Paul Cuffe at 250 years"

3 PM Saturday June 13, 2009 at the Quaker Meeting house,
930 Main Road, Westport

This year marks the 250th anniversary of Paul Cuffe’s birth. He can reasonably be designated the most illustrious resident of Westport. On June 13th, to mark this special anniversary, the Cuffe monument will be rededicated. This will be an opportunity for the community to recognize and reflect upon the remarkable legacy of Paul Cuffe. There will also be a display of Cuffe-related materials. Refreshments generously provided by Lees Market. For more information, please contact Westport Historical Society at 508 636 6011 or westhist@gis.net

Why are we celebrating the life of Paul Cuffe (1759-1817)?

Cuffe was a highly successful African American/Native American mariner and businessman, and one of the wealthiest African Americans of his era!

Cuffe was an early proponent of voting rights and equal educational opportunities without discrimination!

Cuffe struck at the root of the slave trade. He envisioned a triangular trade between Africa, Europe and America, a dream that encompassed not simply the return of slaves “back to Africa” but created an environment for economic independence and pride amongst Africans!

Cuffe established the first school in Westport and funded the new Quaker meeting house in Central Village!

Please join us on Saturday June 13th to learn more about his extraordinary life!

King Philip's War with Michael Tougias

7:30 PM, Thursday May 21st
at the Macomber Community House
930 Main Road, Westport

Michael Tougias will give a slide presentation on the war between the Colonists and Native Americans in 1675-76. Tougias is the author of the acclaimed Until I Have No Country (A novel of King Philip's War), and co-author with Eric Schultz of King Philip's War: The History and Legacy of America's Forgotten Conflict.

The presentation will discuss the Indian way of life, Colonial settlements, and the events leading up to the war. The second part covers the battles and the strategy during this cataclysmic war, which on a per capita basis was the bloodiest conflict in our nation's history. Slides include battle sites, period sketches, historic markers, maps, and suggestions for visiting road-side history. Tougias also discusses the challenges of writing a historic novel. The novel includes adventure, romance, and intrigue while staying true to historical facts. A book signing will follow the presentation.

Tougias is the author of 17 books including the national bestseller Fatal Forecast: An Incredible True Tale of Disaster and Survival At Sea.

Bestselling author Tony Horwitz discusses his latest book “A Voyage Long and Strange"

Bestselling author Tony Horwitz discusses his latest book “A Voyage Long and Strange: On the trail of Vikings, conquistadors, lost colonists and other adventurers in early America.”

Monday April 27th 2009 7:30PM at Howland Hall, 1912 Main Road, Westport Point

Tony Horwitz’s latest book A Voyage Long and Strange is a rich mix of scholarship and modern-day adventure that brings the forgotten first chapter of America’s history vividly to life. What happened in North America between Columbus’ sail in 1492 and the Pilgrims’ arrival in 1620? On a visit to Plymouth Rock, Tony Horwitz realizes he doesn’t have a clue, and nor do most Americans. So he sets off across the continent to rediscover the wild era when Europeans first roamed the New World in quest of gold, glory, converts, and eternal youth. Horwitz tells the story of these brave and often crazed explorers while retracing their steps on his own epic trek—an odyssey that takes him inside an Indian sweat lodge in sub-arctic Canada, down the Mississippi in a canoe, on a road trip fueled by buffalo meat, and into sixty pounds of armor as a conquistador re-enactor in Florida.

Tony Horwitz is the author of Blue Latitudes, Confederates in the Attic, and Baghdad without a Map. He is also a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who has worked for The Wall Street Journal. Books will be available for purchase. A portion of sales will be donated to Westport Historical Society. Program presented by Westport Historical Society and Partners Village Store. Please contact Westport Historical Society at 508 636 6011 or westhist@gis.net for reservations.

Let’s Talk Quilts with Susan Jerome

Saturday April 18th 2009
2 PM – 4 PM at the Bell School
25 Drift Road, Westport

This program explores the ways in which quilts are a part of American culture and folklore. Using images of antique quilts, Ms. Jerome will discuss some of the definitions and ideas surrounding the word “quilt.” The audience is encouraged to bring one quilt or quilted object with them for discussion, identification and tips on care of family heirlooms. Susan Jerome is the Collections Manager at the University of Rhode Island Historic Textile and Costume Collection. Please note that this program will last about 2 hours.

All are welcome. Admission is free. Refreshments will be provided. Please call 508-636-6011 for reservations so that we can plan accordingly.

Exploring Paul Cuffe: The Man and His Legacy

Call for Papers
Exploring Paul Cuffe: The Man and His Legacy

In anticipation of a conference dedicated to the life and works of Paul Cuffe(e) (1759 – 1817) and to commemorate the 250th anniversary of his birth, a call for lecture proposals is being circulated. The theme of the conference, Exploring Paul Cuffe: The Man and
His Legacy, will examine Paul Cuffe, African American/ Native American, abolitionist, and Westport, MA entrepreneur. The conference will be held in New Bedford, MA in October 2009.