Rare peek inside seven special Westport homes

House, garden tour is August 6

Posted 7/30/17

Westport is a mecca for those who love beautiful architecture, but most who live here never get to see the inside of these houses.

With that in mind, the Westport Historical Society will host its …

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Rare peek inside seven special Westport homes

House, garden tour is August 6

Posted

Westport is a mecca for those who love beautiful architecture, but most who live here never get to see the inside of these houses.

With that in mind, the Westport Historical Society will host its inaugural house tour on August 6, – a self-guided look at seven remarkable private homes located throughout town.

The owners of the architecturally significant homes at the Point, the Harbor and in south Westport will open their doors and gardens to a limited number of visitors from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The tour includes a wide variety of homes from grand seaside cottages to historic properties and farms.

“We’ve tried to present homes that will intrigue, interest and inspire,” said Sharon Connors, chairwoman of the House Tour Committee.

“For those who are new to Westport, I hope this tour serves as a helpful introduction to the culturally rich and architecturally diverse neighborhoods and villages of Westport. For those who have lived here for some time, I hope they will enjoy gaining some new perspectives into this very special place.”

The tour cost is $40 per person.

Advance tickets can be purchased online at www.wpthistory.org using a credit card or phone 508 636 6011.

Day of the Tour tickets can be purchased at Partners Village Store, 865 Main Road.

Tickets are limited.

Proceeds of the ticket sales will support the Westport Historical Society’s programs as well as the upkeep of the Handy House, its own architectural gem and the Bell School.

Tour spotlights three historic villages

By Tony Connors

The houses you will visit today are clustered in three of the historic villages of the town.

• The Point is one of the oldest communities, situated at the confluence of the East (Noquochoke) and West (Acoaxet) branches of the Westport River. With a natural harbor and easy access to the ocean, it became an ideal site for shipping, fishing, and the whaling industry with its associated activities of coopering, shipbuilding, and blacksmithing.  By 1800 there were 15 houses, new wharves, artisan shops, general stores, a windmill, and a distillery.

In the 1840s, the wealth from whaling brought new Greek Revival homes of retired captains, agents, and ship owners. As whaling declined after the Civil War, the Point became a desirable summer vacation spot, providing tourist income for farmers, fishermen, boat builders, inn keepers, and others. By 1914 it was a true village with 75 houses, a school, the Methodist church and the cemetery, three stores, the wharves, and a post office.

A bridge once connected the Point with Horseneck Beach, making Main Road a busy commercial street; after the bridge was removed in the 1960s, the village became less commercial, although the wharves at the end of Main Road are still active with fishing and lobster boats. Protected as a Historic District, the Point has preserved much of its 19th century appearance.

• Westport Harbor has the odd distinction of being separated from the rest of Westport: to get there you have to go through a short stretch of Rhode Island! This beautiful area of farms and seashore, also known as Acoaxet, drew the wealthy industrialists of Fall River to build their summer cottages here. Some places were more than “cottages”: E. P. Charlton, who had made a fortune with his string of Five-and-Ten-Cent stores (later merged with Woolworth’s), built a stunning estate on the ocean (still visible at the harbor entrance).

Not all was tranquil at the Harbor. In the 1920s, upset over matters of taxation, a group of residents tried to secede from Westport and form a new town called Acoaxet. It was unpopular in the rest of town and angrily debated at town meeting; in the end the State Legislature decided against it. With its secluded location and extensive shoreline, the Harbor was also the focus of illegal rum-running during Prohibition. And in 1938 a devastating hurricane swept away nearly every house along the shore. Things are quieter today as year-round residents and summer visitors enjoy the beaches, golf course, Acoaxet Chapel, and spectacular landscape of Westport Harbor.

• You could easily miss South Westport. These days it’s just a collection of houses and a gas station at the intersection of Pine Hill, Hix Bridge, and Horseneck roads. But in 1900, the village had a general store, school, church, post office, and several businesses. In the 19th century it was an important stop on the stage coach line between Rhode Island and New Bedford. Located halfway between the busy commercial center at the Head of Westport and East Beach, South Westport was a farming community, specializing in potatoes and turnips. Living close to the river, many residents made their living clamming, fishing for eels (served with johnnycakes for breakfast!), and crabbing. Remington’s Clambakes, near Hix Bridge, once attracted hungry customers from all over the south coast.

 

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