The remarkable Westport Town Farm!
EverythingWestport.com
Saturday, October 18, 2008
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It doesn’t take much
to encourage Westporters to spend an afternoon at the
Westport Town Farm. This one-time town poor farm hosts some of the most
spectacular views of the upper East Branch of the Westport River available to
the public. Once
housing the town’s “paupers, infirm, and transients,” the former working farm
now welcomes the public to pastures, stone walls, barn, views, and some of the
best walking on conservation land the town has to offer. The Westport Town Farm was the local social safety net that pre-dated the New
Deal by almost a century. Noteworthy is that the Town Farm is being preserved
in its original historical perspective for all to enjoy.
On Saturday
The Trustees of Reservations and the Westport Land Trust hosted an open house
with children’s activities, cake and refreshments, tours of the main farmhouse
with the primary architect Timothy Bryant, and communal conversations with
Westport Land Trust Executive Director Peggy Stevens and TTOR ‘s Buzzards Bay
Cape Code Management Unit’s Superintendent Mike Labossiere,
conservationists all.
Much information and documentation was on-hand that
told the story of the remarkable Westport Town Farm – originally established
in 1824. Visitors were encouraged to bring and share photos, mementos, and memories of
this now-protected coastal gem. During the “look back in time” walking tour,
participants learned about The
Trustees’ plans to restore the farmhouse, create community gardens, and
breathe new life into this property, which captures the very essence of
community. Some brought their own photos and mementos, but all brought their
interest in one of Westport’s oldest historical sites. Tour guides pointed out
unique aspects of the building, including door and window hardware still in
place from the original house.
This 40
acre property, formerly the Westport
Poor Farm, was established in 2007 under the management of the Trustees of
Reservations. Now known as the Westport
Town Farm, livestock graze on its open fields, and the property boasts an
expansive view of the Westport River. An antique farmhouse, dairy barn, corn
crib, five-hole outhouse and stone walls dating back to Colonial times complete
the picture of this bucolic working farm that served as a “poor farm” and
infirmary for more than 100 years. With its 10-acre working hayfield, extensive
salt marsh, and broad tidal river, Westport Town Farm is not only scenic, but
of historic and ecological value - a unique combination. The farms’ dual legacy
of nurturing those in need and raising vegetables and livestock weave together
at this remarkable coastal landscape, where you’ll see ospreys, gulls, and the
occasional bald eagle soar overhead (above copy courtesy of The Trustees of
Reservations web site).
Read
article on the Town Farm grand opening celebration.
– July 25, 2008
Read the article on rebuilding the Town Farm’s stone walls.
– April 26, 2008
The Trustees of
Reservations along with Westport
Land Conservation Trust is now managing the Westport
Town Farm under the direction of Mike Labossiere,
Superintendent of eight properties under the umbrella of the Buzzards Bay Cape
Cod Management Unit. Mike was at the site doing a yeoman’s job of speaking with
area residents about the TTOR’s long term plans.
Kim Heard,
administrative assistant in the Buzzards Bay Cape Code Management Unit’s Fall
River office, greeted visitors and provided informational brochures of TTOR
projects including the Town Farm. Architectural drawings of the TTOR’s planned restoration project for the 1824 farmhouse
were on display. Architect Tim Bryant explained the breadth and scope of the
project to the tour groups.
One of the
highlights of the afternoon was a ‘guess the object’ raffle that had all the
trappings of the Antique Road ShowTM
without the Keno Brothers. Eight objects found on the farm were arrayed on a
table, and everyone was invited to make their guesses as to what they were. All
submissions were than put into a raffle box and drawn for prizes which included
eight of the highly desirable ‘100 Special Places’ TTOR baseball caps, and two
photographic prints by noted Westport photographer David Allen. In a moment
that can only be described as enormously sardonic, and old pair of workman’s
boots with 4” elevated soles and heels (one of the eight items) found in the
upstairs attic were alternately guessed to be plaster’s boots, deep mud boots,
and grape pressing boots, but were ultimately exposed to be Monster Mashers, a
Frankenstein Halloween costume accessory!
Clockwise from upper left: (1) the house that
jack-o-lantern built; (2) visitors were greeted by Kim Heard, administrative
assistant in the Buzzards Bay Cape Code
Management Unit’s Fall River office; (3) architect
Tim Bryant gave tours of the house and explained the restoration plan for the
farm house; (4) the ‘gang of eight’
antiques had
many visitors scratching their heads; (5) children’s activities made it a real
family event; (6) the Town Farm’s main house, built in 1824; (7) visitors
had lots of
opportunity to examine old town farm records; and (8) architectural drawings of
the planned restoration were displayed in the farm house.
A good
walk unspoiled!
But the
grand character of the Town Farm, what makes it so unique among historical
properties, is in its fields and pastures - overwhelmingly expansive water views
and breathtakingly beautiful landscape vistas of all that is good about
Westport. Wildlife abounds in the fields, trees and marshes, and you never know
what nature will throw in your path. The Westport Town Farm is truly a town
asset worth preserving and enjoying, and passing on to future generations.
Take a virtual walking
tour of the Westport Town Farm now! 72 photos
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Dial-up speed | Broadband/DSL speed |
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