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Combining romance with history, Dear George, Dear Mary by Mary Calvi tells the story of a young George Washington and heiress Mary Philipse’s relationship. While the book draws from historical accounts, personal journals, and letters between the two, it stirred up controversy for its bold claim that Washington’s hatred of the British stemmed from his relationship with Ms. Philipse. Is this fact, or mere speculation? What else did this popular work get wrong or right? Read the book for yourself and hear what others have to say at Unpopular Opinions!

In conjunction with our new exhibit "I Thee Wed: Bridal Fashion from the Collection" we will have a series of blog posts to give more information about the history of bridal fashions around the world. Our first post is up now on our website. Link in LinkTree or go to https://westporthistory.org/blog-post/bridal-fashion/

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! March is Irish American Heritage Month and Westport has a special bond with the Irish community as many Irish workers were employed to build the railroad which runs through Westport back in the early 1840s. Before the Potato Famine began, there were a strong community of Irish workers already here, but when the famine struck, their families and relatives flocked to America with the hopes of jobs and prosperity. Between the years of 1845-1855 more than 1.5 million Irish immigrants came to the United States. The Saugatuck neighborhood was known for many decades as "Little Dublin" and the sounds of fiddle music could be heard most nights. Over time, many of the Irish families moved away, following the railroad work or pursuing other interests, but there are still some who remain today. The Gault Family, who first immigrated in 1847 settled soon thereafter in Westport and have made it their home ever since. Wishing you all the luck of the Irish. For more Irish-American heritage, we encourage you to visit the National Archives website to read their articles about the Irish immigrant experience, Irish-American heroes, the Fenian Brotherhood and so much more! https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/irish-american-heritage Image credit: Westport Museum, Venora Ellis Collection

Beware the Ides of March. The word “Ides” is derived from the Latin word “idus,” which refers to the middle day of any month in the ancient Roman calendar. The Ides are the fifteenth day of the months of March, May, July, or October, and the thirteenth day of the remaining months. The Ides were the designated days for settling debt each month in the Roman empire and generally included the seven days preceding the Ides for this purpose. Debtors in Ancient Rome who could not pay their debts may have considered the Ides to be unlucky days as they were typically thrown into prison or sometimes forced into slavery.

March 16, 6-7pm

Congratulations to Ke Huy Quan for winning the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for #EverythingEverywhereAllAtOnce! 🏆 History is being made tonight! #Oscars #Hollywood #GooniesforLife #movies

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Westport Historical Society Inc (tax ID: 23-7402125), D/B/A Westport Museum for History and Culture is a non profit organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Your donation is deductible to the extent allowable by law. We are also eligible for corporate matching gifts.

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