The rain stopped and the sun came out. A strong warm wind blew off the river at Westport Point spinning thousands of fallen leaves in circles.

The historic houses at the Point are used to the changing New England climate. They’ve stood strong against wind, rain, snow and the heat of summer, some of them for more than 200 years.

Located where the Nocquachoke and Acoxsett rivers meet, residents have gorgeous water views, making it easy to see why people then and now make their home at the Point.
The houses line both sides of the street in natural shingle or painted white. Their house plaques give a snippet of history. The Stephen Davis house dates to 1770, and says the man was a shipbuilder. The W. Earle Bayle home was built in 1777 for a gentleman. A captain and merchant lived in one house that dates to 1778, according to the plaque at the Capt. Isaac Cory house.

The historic Paquachuck Inn building, which dates back to the town’s whaling and shipbuilding days, got its start in 1827 as Cory’s General Store, a customs house and post office.

The inn, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is situated near the town’s busy commercial dock.

Just down the road, Perry’s Bakery was well-stocked with all sorts of goodies. Thanksgiving pies were for sale.
Next door, Gooseberry Natural Foods, a business that’s been around for more than 25 years, sold its usual crop of natural products, ranging from organic pumpkin puree and dark chocolate to Kiss My Face shampoo and vitamins and elixirs for all ills.

The Westport Art Group at 1740 Main Road was started in 1955 by a group of like-minded female artists. Shortly later, the group grew and built its structure on donated land.
Today, the group has 200 members of all ages and offers children’s classes, workshops and exhibits.

On a recent Wednesday, several artists gathered for the weekly figure drawing workshop. A young woman posed at the front of the room, and the artists gathered round with sketch pads and easels to mimic her form on paper. Some used pen, others charcoal, and some painted her image true to form, others in the abstract.

“We have all levels of artists,” said Mary Sexton, a painter and graphic designer and member of the Westport Art Group. “We just like to draw and paint.”

The building consists of a main room, a kitchen, two restrooms, and storage space.

“It’s got great space and light,” Sexton said.

The group, though, would love to expand the building in the coming years to include a permanent gallery space.

The group chose the perfect spot for artists to meet, so close to the town’s beaches, dock, history, and farmland.
“We’ve got natural beauty,” Sexton said. “There are a lot of places to paint.”

The Westport Art Group will hold a Holiday Fair on Saturday, Dec. 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Small paintings priced at $150 or less will be for sale, as well as crafts, and baked items. Visit www.westportartgroup.com.

E-mail Deborah Allard at dallard@heraldnews.com