Westport Town Farm

Westport Town Farm is a protected preserve in Massachusetts spanning 40 acres with hiking trails, farmland, and salt marsh habitat along a river. The property holds an antique farmhouse, dairy barn, corn crib, and stone walls built during colonial times that remain visible throughout the grounds.

The property functioned as the town's poor farm and infirmary until 1956, sheltering people in need while they worked shared agricultural land. The buildings and stone walls that remain today date from this era when farming was part of the community's welfare system.

The place reflects how farming and community care were woven together in this region's past. Today visitors can sense this connection by walking past the working farm buildings and the fields that still show signs of agricultural use.

Trails are open from sunrise to sunset with access via the trailhead on Drift Road, where you will find gravel parking and picnic tables. Wear good shoes since paths cross varied terrain and can be damp in places, especially near the marsh and river areas.

The property includes about a quarter-mile of shoreline along the East Branch of the Westport River, where salt marshes serve as breeding and nursery grounds for crabs and fish. This tidal zone is one of the most biologically active areas of the entire preserve.