Paul Cuffe Farm facts for kids
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Paul Cuffe Farm
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View from the northeast
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | Westport, Massachusetts |
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| Built | 1780 |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000394 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | May 30, 1974 |
| Designated NHL | May 30, 1974 |
The Paul Cuffe Farm is a special historical place in Westport, Massachusetts. It is called a National Historic Landmark. For a long time, people thought this farm belonged to Paul Cuffe. He was a very important farmer and merchant. Paul Cuffe was of African American and Native American background. He worked hard to help African Americans move to Africa. In 1811, he even sailed to what is now Sierra Leone to help a new settlement there. The farm was named a National Historic Landmark in 1974.
About the Paul Cuffe Farm
This old farm is in a quiet, country part of Westport. It sits on the west side of the East Branch Westport River. You get to the farm by driving down a long road from Drift Road. The house is surrounded by pretty landscaping and looks out over the river.
The house is two and a half stories tall. It is made of wood and sits on a strong granite base. Inside, it has two brick chimneys that go up through the gabled roof. Experts believe the house was built around 1780. They figured this out by studying how the chimneys were built.
The property also has signs of old wooden docks. These docks might be from the same time the house was built. There are also granite blocks under the water. This suggests there might have been a stone pier here long ago.
Who Owned the Farm?
When the Paul Cuffe Farm was named a National Historic Landmark in 1974, everyone thought Paul Cuffe owned it. But later, local historians did more research. They found out that Paul Cuffe probably did not own this specific farm.
Paul Cuffe did own land in this area. He might have used the docks on this property for his shipping business. However, records show that the Tripp family owned this land for a very long time. They owned it continuously from 1748 to 1884. It is possible that Paul Cuffe's son-in-law lived here for a short time.
Paul Cuffe's Amazing Life
Paul Cuffe (1759-1815) was born on Cuttyhunk Island. His father was African, and his mother was Wampanoag. He started out very poor. But he went to sea and worked his way up. He became a ship's captain and then owned his own ships.
Paul Cuffe became famous for his work helping former slaves. He wanted to help them move to Africa. Because of this work, he met important people. These included famous Americans like Albert Gallatin and James Madison. Paul Cuffe also fought for civil rights in Massachusetts. He asked the state for tax relief because he was not allowed to vote.
