Handy House Heritage Trail open to the public

WESTPORT — The Westport Historical Society announces the Handy House Heritage Trail is open.

The trail provides a link to multiple themes of local heritage from the presence of Wampanoags to the changing nature of the forest, and the impact of settlement on the land. The trail traverses land forming part of the historic Handy House property which was preserved with Community Preservation Act funding and contributions by many individuals and businesses.

The trail was constructed by Jay Raposa II as part of an Eagle Scout project. Interpretive signage is supported in part by The Westport Cultural Council through a grant from the Helen E. Ellis Charitable Trust administered by Bank of America.

The 0.7-mile trail covers three centuries of landscape history, tracing the shift from Native American to European dominance in New England. Interpretive signage will help visitors explore the forest from the perspective of the early 18th-century settlers and through the eyes of the local Wampanoag tribes, who had inhabited this region for more than 10,000 years. The trail can be accessed from the Handy House main visitor parking lot, 202 Hix Bridge Road. It is open dawn to dusk.

Handy House Heritage Trail Committee members include chairwoman Libby Baylies, Yvonne Barr, Emily Hoeffel, Holly Herbster, and Jenny O'Neill. Trail signage was designed by Ray Shaw.

Westport Historical Society | 508-636-6011 | westporthistory@westporthistory.net |www.wpthistory.org