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Rural Landscapes of
Westport
Westport’s main economy in its earliest years was subsistence agriculture.
Farm families grew their own food; raised their own livestock; made their own
clothing; and built their homes, barns and tools from lumber provided by the
trees on their land. Westport, situated on Buzzards Bay, also had one of the more
productive river and seafood resources for shellfish, ground fish like cod and
haddock, and ocean species like Atlantic halibut, ocean perch, haddock and yellowtail
flounder. Our rich waters gave rise to the lobster, shellfish, and fishing
industry still prominent in our harbor today. Westport was a fishing resource
for the America Indians long before the Europeans came.
The rich,
but rock-peppered glacier soil of Westport’s farmlands gave rise to hundreds of
miles of scenic dry stone walls that frame almost every acre of useable
Westport farm and field. Many of these walls still exist today.
Our
protected harbor, even with its swift currents and treacherous moon tides, gave
home to our early fishing industry, and later to ship building and whaling. Lumber
for Westport’s whalers came from northern Westport and beyond via the Acoaxet
(Westport) River. The dependable and swift flow of the Westport River,
particularly the East Branch, spawned many saw, grist, and small tool mills
that allowed rapid growth and prosperity to the Head of Westport. This
manufacturing period peaked with the incorporation of the Westport Factory, a
textile manufacturer and a community that operated well into the 20th
century.
Read news story about the Head
of Westport.
But
farming remained the chief use of the land, with dairy farms more recently being
the most prominent. Read about 1899 Westport to understand its origins.
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From early subsistence crop growing, Westport moved into
commercial potato farming, developed the Macomber Turnip unique to Westport,
and gradually developed into one of the largest dairy communities in New
England. In 1873 Westport had more sheep (518) than any other town in the
county. Barn architecture and field use followed suit including introduction
of the milking barn and grain silos. Early barn structures probably
incorporated European construction techniques which eventually Americanized
as functionality overcame tradition. The barn has such an enduring attraction that many modern
Westport families have either renovated or restored working barns. These monuments
to an earlier age are home to many cottage industries, horse farms and
stables, not to mention handy storage areas for lawn and garden equipment,
and recreational vehicles. |
Today,
one will find that some of our early 20th century farms have been abandoned
and overgrown, and some have been developed into sprawling residential
neighborhoods. However, with the help of community preservation funds,
agricultural preservation restrictions, and land trust protection, some of
Westport’s early character is being preserved, from Old Bedford Road, to Old
Pine Hill Road, to picturesque Old Harbor Road. We owe much to the
organizations listed below. Our tidal rivers are the focal point for a
picturesque community rich with rolling pastures and fields interlaced by fieldstone
and granite walls, and peppered with historic cemeteries. An interconnected
series of millponds, lakes, and reservoirs, once the backbone of our
industrialized Westport, are there still for all to enjoy. This photo essay
illustrates another flavor of rural Westport.
Click on each of the
logos below to learn more about Westport preservation efforts.
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Westport Land Conservation Trust
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The Trustees of Reservations
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Westport River Watershed
Alliance
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Dartmouth Natural Resource Trust
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Mass Audubon – Allens Pond Sanctuary
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Mass Environmental Trust
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Llyod
Center for the Environment
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Green Futures of Fall River
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Agricultural Preservation Restriction Program (APR)
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Copyright © 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Community Events of Westport. All rights reserved. Photographs
and text are protected by Federal Copyright. Reproduction of any kind without
written permission is strictly prohibited.