The Westford Historical Society (WHS) will be hosting An Evening at the Abbot Estate on Thursday, 8 June, starting at 7 p.m. The historic Abbot Estate is the landmark house at 32 Main St., Westford, at the corner of Graniteville Road. Tickets can be purchased at museum.westford.org.
“This is a unique opportunity to see the inside of this 1890s home. We’re so grateful to the owners Joanne and Michael Sargent for opening their home to us for this event,” said Museum Director Penny Lacroix. “Concord Teacakes, Trader Joe’s, Edible Arrangements and the Westford Regency are all contributing food for the event. And Rich McNeill, a local businessman, has created custom etched glassware that will be our gift to each guest. We’re also looking forward to music on the Sargent’s antique harp and piano.”
Music for the evening will be provided by Littleton harpist Rebecca Swett and Hudson pianist Victoria Bartolomeo on the Sargent’s Lyon & Healy Harp and rosewood concert grand 1864 Steinway piano. Guided tours of the third floor of the house will be offered throughout the evening. A silent auction will include unique items offered exclusively at this event.
Built by Abiel (1850-1921) and Alice (Mosely) Abbot, this house is considered to be one of the most impressive examples of Shingle style design in Westford. Abiel represented the fifth generation of this important Westford family which arrived here in the 1730s, shortly after the town’s incorporation. He was the youngest son of John W. P. Abbot, co-founder of what would become the Abbot Worsted Company. Abiel was a graduate of Westford Academy and of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His service to the town included acting as a Westford Academy Trustee, Town Treasurer, Trustee of the J.V. Fletcher Library, school committee member, and member of the Spalding Light Cavalry. He became a partner of Abbot & Co. in 1878, and was made treasurer of the newly incorporated Abbot Worsted Company in 1900.
This event is sponsored in part by Middlesex Savings Bank and Connolly Insurance. Tickets for the evening, available on the WHS website www.museum.westford.org/abbot_tickets.html, are $90 for members and $125 for non-members. Memberships can also be purchased online. A portion of the ticket price is tax deductible.
