Westport CT

Westport, CT at a Glance

With its southern border lapped by waves of Long Island Sound, its kempt residential streets never far from a wooded trail or preserve, and a quaint New England atmosphere suffusing its downtown shops and restaurants along the Saugatuck River, Westport, Connecticut has ample charms to draw visitors. Add to this a top-ranked public high school and an award-winning middle school, a warm and energetic community, and endless outlets for recreation and Westport is a place to make visitors want to stick around.

The second most affluent city in Connecticut after Darien and the tenth wealthiest of its size in the United States, the Westport community has not only the spirit, but the wherewithal to champion vital community projects. And it does.

For instance, in 1999, when Westport residents voted to save the much-beloved Allen Clam House property from falling into the hands of developers, Westport donors stepped in to supply what funds the town lacked to purchase the land. Residents on town boards and committees continue to contribute their ingenuity and dedication to the project, which once completed will see the former restaurant and parking lot restored to a marshland habitat in the form of the Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve.

Westport, CT at a Glance

The Westport Arts Center is another example of powerful community initiative in Westport. Run by a volunteer Board of Directors and staffed by local artists, WAC organizes programs that aim to both educate and stimulate. The organization holds visual arts exhibitions, gallery talks, lectures, musical performances, film screenings and literary events throughout the year and is responsible for the Downtown Merchants Associations Annual Fine Arts Festival. The event is held outdoors each summer, with tents pitched along the Saugatuck River.

Changing exhibitions of local artists works are also displayed at the Westport Public Library, whose establishment in 1886 was made possible by generous donations of money and books from the townspeople. In the early 20th Century, Westport was a haven for artists, thinkers and writers who needed a community in which they could live and work that was close to the publishing houses and galleries of New York City. The first librarian to serve as head of the library, Mrs. Francis A. Gray, was committed to serving this exciting new community by expanding the library's collection throughout her tenure spanning both World Wars.

The Westport Country Theatre is another pulsing organ in modern Westport's arts scene. The theatre is famed for its productions of classic plays, many of which have gone on to be staged on Broadway. Several illustrious Hollywood stars have performed at the venue including Paul Newman, Gene Wilder, Liza Minnelli, Eva Gabore and many more.

There is no lack of historical sites and attractions in Westport. Settled in 1639 and incorporated in 1835, the city began as a prolific onion-farming community. During the Revolutionary War, Minutemen from Westport pursued and attacked the British troops who had landed along the city's shores en route to Danbury. A statue of an armed minuteman memorializes this historic heroism near Compo Beach.

In the 1960's, the Nike missile site was constructed in Westport as part of the U.S. War Department's program to establish an anti-aircraft missile system that could contend with the newly developed Jet Aircraft. Located at the highest point of elevation in Westport, the site was the ideal location for the astronomical observatory that replaced it in 1975. Named for Westport Astronomical Society co-founder and engineer, Gerry Rolnick, the Rolnick Observatory offers the public free tours of the sky on clear nights.

Another attraction not to be missed is the natural history museum called Earthplace, The Nature Discovery Center. The museum is located on Woodside Lane, with the Smilow Family Ecology Center just next door hosting live amphibians, reptiles and insects. Earthplace also maintains a Bird and Butterfly Garden, a Native Plants Courtyard, and a 62-acre wildlife sanctuary.

Of Westport's many parks and beaches, the Sherwood Island State Park along the shore of Long Island Sound is the probable show-stealer. Measuring 234 acres, it is bordered to the north by Sherwood Mill Pond, with marshes, woodlands and sprawling beach spaces for sports, nature study or relaxation. It is also the site of Connecticut's 9-11 Living Memorial.