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WELCOME TO SOUTHPORT
Southport is a section of the town of Fairfield CT, located along Long Island Sound between
the Mill River and Sasco Brook. Settled in 1639, the downtown area has been designated a
local historic district since 1967 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1971. The historic significance of Southport is because of its harbor, churches,
public buildings, and the homesteads of some of the first families in southwestern
Connecticut. The earliest recorded event in Southport's history was "The Great
Swamp Fight" of July 1637, an episode of the Pequot War in which English
colonial forces led by John Mason and Roger Ludlow vanquished a band of
about 80 to 100 Pequot Indians who had earlier fled from their home territory
in the Mystic area and had taken refuge with about 200 Sasqua Indians who
inhabited the area that is now Fairfield. The exact location of the battle is
not known, but it is known to have been in the vicinity of Southport.
By 1831 the village had changed its name to Southport and was a
bustling commercial area with warehouses, churches, schools, stores
and elegant houses. Southport became a leading coastal port on
Long Island Sound, its ships carrying produce and goods back and
forth to New York City. A measure of Southport's success is the fact
that throughout the 1800s it possessed the only two banks in
town. However, competition from steamboats and the railroad
took its toll on prosperity. Resourceful shippers teamed with
local farmers and businessmen to keep the port going; the
Southport onion, a high quality onion, was developed and
grown on Fairfield's hills and shipped in Southport market
boats, keeping the harbor profitable until the end of the
century.
Today, much of the old village area is part of a town
historic district, first established in 1967, where
buildings from three centuries are protected for
future generations. The boundaries of the town
historic district are the railroad on the north; the
Mill River and Southport Harbor on the south;
Church Street; and Old South Road and Rose
Hill Road on the west and east, respectively,
including all properties on both sides
of the roads. Strict historic zoning
regulations apply in the district
and have been upheld by the
Connecticut Supreme Court.
The Southport Historic
District is also listed on
the National Register
of Historic Places.