This page contains most of the resources you will need to research the history of your house. If you are new to house history research, please visit the Get Started section. For a quick overview of the process visit 10 Steps to Researching the History of Your House.
Establishment
Westport was formed in 1787 from the town of Dartmouth.
Land Records / Deed Research
Deeds are found at the county level in Massachusetts. Westport is in Bristol County. Deeds for Westport, Massachusetts are available online in two places:
- The Southern Bristol County, Massachusetts Registry of Deeds (online searchable deeds only go back to 1946. Visit in person for earlier deeds or contact the registry to mail you copies of the deeds. You can also use FamilySearch to view deeds up to 1902.)
- FamilySearch.org (Bristol County 1686-1902) [access with free account]
- View online Grantor and Grantee Index Books for 1686-1866 for all towns in Bristol County
You can also visit the Registry of Deeds in person.
Southern Bristol County Registry of Deeds
25 N. Sixth Street in New Bedford, MA 02740
(508) 993-2603
Bristol County was formed in 1685.
Census Records (and MA State Census Records)
The most common census records are the US Federal Census Records but Massachusetts also has state census records. Census records help you discover the families that lived in your house. Federal census records are available every 10 years from 1790 to 1950 with the exception of 1890.
U.S Federal Census Records (1790-1950)
Available from:
- Ancestry.com ($) – see if your local library has institutional access free for patrons
- FamilySearch.org (free with account)
- MyHeritage.com ($)
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
- FindMyPast ($)
Massachusetts State Census Records (1855 & 1865)
Available from:
- Ancestry.com ($) – 1855 census and 1865 census
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – 1855 census and 1865 census
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
Vital Records
Vital records provide the details about births, marriages and deaths for the people who previously lived in your house.
Find Westport, MA Vital Records Online:
- Ancestry.com ($)
- FamilySearch.org (free with account)
- AmericanAncestors.org ($)
- MyHeritage.com
- Books – Vital records of Westport, Massachusetts, to the year 1850 (Internet Archive)
Probate Records
Probate records for the town of Westport are found in Bristol County, Massachusetts Probate Court records which are available both online and in-person.
In-person
Bristol County Probate Court – New Bedford
505 Pleasant Street, New Bedford, MA 02740
508-977-6040
Check website for hours
Online
- Ancestry.com ($) – Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991
- AmericanAncestors.org ($) – Bristol County, MA: Probate Files Papers, 1686-1880
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – Bristol County (Mass.) probate records 1690-1881
- FamilySearch.org (free with account) – Probate records 1687-1916; index, 1687-1926 [Bristol County, Massachusetts]
Preservation Publications
The Massachusetts Historical Commission provides access to historic building surveys at is website MACRIS: Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS). Once at the site, search specifically by town. You can refine by address and historic name.
Maps
Historic Maps of Westport:
- 1795 Plan of Westport by Zadock Maxfield (Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center)
- 1851 Map of Bristol County (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1852 Map of Bristol County by Henry Francis Walling (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1858 Map of Bristol County by Henry Francis Walling (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1871 Map of Bristol County by Henry Francis Walling (Digital Commonwealth)
- 1871 Atlas of Bristol County by F.W. Beers & Co. (Digital Commonwealth)
- Early 20th Century Map of Westport (Library of Congress)
- 1933 Westport Sanborn Fire Insurance Map (Library of Congress)
Maps are also available online from many website such as:
- Ancestry.com ($)
- Hathi Trust,
- David Rumsey Map Collection,
- Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library
- The Library of Congress
- Digital Commonwealth
City Directories & Residents Lists
City Directories were typically published every year. Because of that they are great for filling in the gaps between the 10 year spread of census records. They are also helpful to identify when people move from place to place.
City Directories are available online at the major database sites like Ancestry.com ($), MyHeritage.com ($) and FamilySearch.org. They are also found in local libraries and archives.
Tax Records
Tax records provide the value of property through the years. These can be a great indicator of when changes were made to a property. Check your local library, Town Hall or Archive.org for Town Annual Reports which contain the tax records.
Newspapers
Many old newspapers are available online through Ancestry.com, MyHeritage.com, AmericanAncestors.org, GenealogyBank.com, Newspapers.com, OldNews.com, the Boston Public Library, the American Antiquarian Society (Worcester, MA), Community History Archives. The Ancestor Hunt website is also great for finding more newspaper resources.
Cemetery Information
Westport, Massachusetts cemeteries:
- Westport has over 80 small family burial grounds
- The 3 town-owned cemeteries are:
- Beech Grove
- Linden Grove
- Maple Grove
- Westport Point Cemetery is regarded as a town cemetery
Cemetery Information
Local Resources
- Westport, MA Historical Society – lots of resources including histories, oral histories, video and online digital collections
- Town of Westport, MA – Historical Documents and Oral Histories
- Westport, MA Historical Commission
- Westport, MA Historical Commission – Historic Plaque Program info found on this page
- E. Milton Silvia Digital Photo Collection (Digital Commonealth) – Westport Photos
- Digital Westport High School Yearbooks (Internet Archive)
- Roger William University – Anne W. Baker Collection
Further Reading
If the books are not online, try finding them at the Westport Library or Partners Village Store.
Baker, Pete. Collecting Houses 17th Century Houses – 20th Century Adventure. XLibris, 2003.
Connors, Anthony J. Small Town, Big History: Perspectives on Westport’s Past. Westport Historical Society, 2024.
Gelpke, Amanda. The History of Westport. 1958.
Hurd, D. Hamilton, History of Bristol County, Massachusetts, with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men. Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1883. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/historyofbristol00hurd/page/n5/mode/2up
Kirby, Gladys. The History of Westport.
Maiocco, Carmen and Claude Ledoux. A History of Westport in the 20th Century. 1995.
Nason, Rev. Elias. A Gazetteer of the State of Massachusetts. Boston: B. Russell, 1890. Available at Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/gazetteerofstate00naso/page/n5/mode/2up
Pannoni, Paul A. and Dawn Manchester. Biographies of Civil War Soldiers and Sailors of Westport, Massachusetts. Mount Arbor Press, 2018
Smith, Frederick T., Anne S. Kennison and Dorothy R. Gifford. A Look at Westport through Four Centuries. Westport, MA: Westport Historical Society, 1976.
Westport Historical Society. Westport (Images of America series). Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2008.
