Kings Highway North Historic District Walking Tour

Edward F. Gerber, Past President of the Westport Historical Society, will host a walking tour of the Kings Highway North Historic District on Sat., May 6, from 3 to 5 pm.  The tour will be an opportunity for history buffs to learn about one of the town’s oldest settled areas, some homes of which date to the mid-1700s.   “I will talk about the fact that Kings Highway is a historic district and what that means,” said Gerber. “We will tour one of the oldest houses in the district which is undergoing major restoration”. Gerber said he will talk about the style of the houses and the fact that, although they were built from the early 1700s to the mid-1900s, “you can’t tell the later houses from the older ones. The architects did a good job of blending old and new.”

Kings Highway North was established as a local historic district in 1972 and named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998. It encompasses 106 “contributing buildings” – structures that add to the district’s historical qualities – and four historic sites. Most of the contributing buildings are homes in the Colonial Revival style. 

Gerber will be accompanied on the tour by Edward Hynes, a specialist on the history of Westport during the American Revolution. Hynes will discuss the planned ambush by Continental troops under Benedict Arnold to fire cannons from the high ground on Old Hill down on British soldiers returning from a raid on Danbury to prevent them from crossing the river on the bridge below. 

Meet across from the cemeteries at the foot of Old Hill Road; park along Kings Highway North.

$10 suggested donation. No charge for children 12 and under.

Reservations are recommended, please call:  (203) 222-1424.

After the tour, join us for a complimentary drink hosted by 323 Restaurant & Bar on Main Street.

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Submitted by Norwalk, CT

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