Collections : [Westport Museum for History & Culture]

The Adair Family Papers document the descendants of Benjamin Adair, who was one of the few prominent Black landowners in Westport during the 19th century.

This collection documents the Adams family descended from Nathaniel Adams (1716-1784) from the late 18th century to the mid 20th century. The Adams family settled in Fairfield in the 1650s and later moved to the Green's Farms and Westport area. They were landowners and farmers in the early days with later generations were involved in education, commerce, and the church. Regular detailed letters between parents and children, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins show how this New England family stayed in close touch even as branches of the family moved to the Midwest or California. The Adamses were pillars of Westport area society and the collection shows their interconnectedness with other area families, including the Davies, Jennings, Wakeman, and Hyde families. From 1837 until his retirement due to ill health in 1867, Ebenezer Banks Adams Sr. was head of the Adams Academy, which had been built by his future father-in-law Thomas F. Davies, Pastor of the Green's Farms Congregational Church. Adams Academy was a successful college preparatory school that played a major role in Westport. Writings from various generations of the Adams family, legal and property documents, financial records, biographical documentation and collected memorabilia are a treasure trove of detailed information about civic and family life in the Westport area.

The Coley Family Papers document a family that was prominent in Westport's history.

The Davies Family Papers document Thomas Frederick Davies (1793-1865) and his family. Davies was a Congregational clergyman and editor of religious magazines who lived in the Westport area and in New Haven, CT. The Davies Family Papers are closely related to the Adams Family Papers also held at the repository. Davies' daughter Mary Sanford Davies married Ebenezer Banks Adams, Sr. in 1837 and the families remained in close touch by correspondence.

This collection primarily documents the life and work of George Penfield Jennings and his immediate family, particularly his father William J. Jennings and his daughter Bessie C. Jennings. Additional records related to Jennings ancestors and relatives can be found in Record Group 8, Miscellaneous Personal Papers.

The Green's Farms Congregational Church Records contain original documentation that traces the history of the church, and in early days, local governance in the Westport area.

The Saugatuck Congregational Church Records contain original documentation tracing the history of the church from the time of its establishment in 1832.

This collection documents the Sherwood family that settled in the Westport, Connecticut area in the late 18th century. It includes correspondence, records related to the family's shipping business, personal financial records, legal documents, and genealogical and biographical information.

This collection documents the life and work of journalist and writer Sigrid Schultz. Among the earliest women to hold a high position in international journalism, Schultz was appointed Central European Bureau Chief in the Chicago Tribune's Berlin office in late 1925. She reported for the Tribune and the Mutual Broadcasting Service until her return to the U.S. in 1941. Schultz gave early warning about the rise of the National Socialist party in Germany, cultivating connections with Nazi leaders that enabled her to do in-depth reporting.

The Westport Business and Commerce Collection contains articles, brochures, invoices, correspondence, advertisements, deeds, and other documentation relating to Westport companies and commerce activities, including manufacturing, agriculture, shell fishing, mills, shipping, and the Westport Bar Association.