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Westport is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 15,532 at the 2010 census.
The village of North Westport lies in the town.
History
Westport, so named because it was the westernmost port in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, was first settled in 1670, as a part of the town of Dartmouth by members of the Sisson family. The river, and the land around it, was called "Coaksett" in the original deed; the name now spelled "Acoaxet," lives on in the southwestern community along the western branch of the Westport River. Like many areas, Westport was affected by invading Wampanoags during King Phillip's War. Several small mills were built along the Westport River, and in 1787, the town, along with the town of New Bedford, seceded from Dartmouth.
There were several cotton mills along the river, the largest of which was at the junction of the river with Lake Noquochoke on the Dartmouth town line. The Macomber turnip traces its ancestry to turnips sowed in Westport shortly after 1876. During the Second World War, a coastal defense installation was raised on Gooseberry Neck. The town is now mostly residential, with a large farming community. Horseneck Beach State Reservation, located to the north and west of Gooseberry Neck, is a popular summer destination for many in the area.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 64.4 square miles (166.8 km˛), of which, 50.1 square miles (129.6 km˛) of the area is land and 14.3 square miles (37.1 km˛) of it (22.27%) is water. The majority of that water area is from the Watuppa Ponds along the Fall River line, as well as Westport Harbor, where the two branches of the Westport River meet before emptying into Buzzards Bay. Westport is bordered by Fall River to the northwest and west, Dartmouth to the east, Buzzards Bay to the south, and Little Compton and Rhode Island to the west. There are several unofficial localities within town; the most prominent of these are Acoaxet, Head of Westport, South Westport, Westport Point, and Westport Factory. It is the southwestern town of Bristol County. Acoaxet is unique among them, in that because of the west branch of the Westport River, it is inaccessible by land except by passing through neighboring Little Compton. Westport is approximately thirty miles southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and approximately sixty miles south of Boston.
About the Town
Westport is known as a coastal gem. From almost any point in town, the sparkling blue Atlantic is only minutes away. Fall is back in full force, and New Englanders are preparing to hunker down for the long winter. While considered a summertime hot spot, Westport is gorgeous any time of year, thanks to miles of coastline, estuaries and open fields, rugged rocks and a cozy center of town.
Westport enjoys a deserved reputation as a rural community and is renowned for its spectacular beaches and preserved ecosystems. Westport business centers on the lush hills and bodies of water surrounding the town. While fishing was once a primary livelihood, agriculture and farming were the mainstays of residents. Farmers took advantage of Westport's open fields to grow crops and manage dairy farms. Few working farms remain today, but those that do showcase their wares in independent stores and at the annual Harvest Festival, sell to distributors, or even set up roadside stands during the summer, providing visitors with the freshest goods available.
Take the back roads into a section of Westport, and the green farm fields shaded by canopies of trees seemingly open up to reveal miles of beach and water in front of you. The smell of sea salt intermingles with freshly cut grass. The landscape can change that quickly, as much of Westport is rural, but located on the ocean, making for an enticing combination. In addition to the ocean, Westport landscape boasts estuaries and ponds; the town is considered an ecological haven for wildlife and fish.
In the summer months Westport invites in thousands of visitors to spend a day on the beach. The most well known, Horseneck Beach, is spread across nearly 600 acres of barrier beach and salt marsh, and the state beach is open to the public. The private beaches, such as East Beach and the Town Beach, are tucked away in nooks shaded by sea grasses and really demonstrate Westport's beauty. Gooseberry Island, accessible by a causeway, is a popular place to fish, walk or simply explore the rugged landscape and rocks bordering the beaches.
Like many small communities, Westport enjoys wide-open spaces, a lack of commercial buildings and long roads with few traffic lights. Residents can meet their everyday needs from a handful of shops in town, and Route 6 also intersects Westport, allowing more commercial business. Several Westport businesses have made national names for themselves in the past few years. The Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery got its start at the "Smith Long Acre Farm" in Westport, and Buzzards Bay Brewing calls Westport home. In addition, culinary excellence is demonstrated at a handful of fine gourmet restaurants.
Westport has grown; the town is issuing the second-highest number of single-family house building permits. There are a few new developments in the works, including a 92-house development, with 25 percent being considered affordable. The town is a sought-after place to live, making it extremely difficult and expensive to put down roots. Many homes are historic, from clapboard cottages to ramshackle, renovated farmhouses. Others are more modern and situated on the ocean's edge.
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