Historic Southport Walking Tours
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For 135 years, Pequot Library has been the center for history and culture in coastal Southport, Connecticut. This community, which features countless homes and properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, treasures its heritage. Join our trained docents and historians to learn the story of Southport’s Golden Age, tracing the community’s rise as an agricultural outpost in the Colonial period through its evolution into a thriving commercial center, replete with Connecticut’s best example of mid-nineteenth century architectural styles.
Hear the tale of Captain Edwin Sherwood and his son, Simon Couch Sherwood. Their two properties, abutting each other on Westway Road, illustrate the growth, and significance, of architecture as a tool for personal expression. One, constructed in 1837, was a relatively late addition to the Federalist style common to Southport sea captains of the early 18th century. Next door, in 1884, a towering and complicated Queen Anne structure dwarfs the modest size of the neighboring property.
A stroll through Southport is not only a walk through time–it invites participants to contemplate the significance and worth of our collective built environments. This tour, newly invigorated in the last year, will delight everyone from history buffs and architects to curious neighbors and weekend walkers. Tours will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturdays: June 22, July 20, and August 17.
Meet on Pequot Library’s Great Lawn. $10/person. Registration required. Limited to 12 attendees per tour.
Private walking tours are also available and may be planned according to your schedule. The cost is $25/person with a limit of eight guests per group. Email Adult Program Manager Charlie McMahon at mcmahon@pequotlibrary.org for more information.
