Historic New Bedford

City officials and community members today celebrated the start of WHALE’s project to reconstruct the iconic Queen Anne style home that once stood proudly on the now vacant lot at One Washington Square.

The Schooner Ernestina Morrissey Association is one of 100 finalists for the “This Place Matters” grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

The winner, determined entirely by the number of online votes, will receive $25,000.

Voting is open from June 1 to June 30, and supporters can vote only once at: http://www.preservationnation.org/take-action/this-place-matters/community-challenge/places/schooner-ernestina.html



Ernestina needs your help to win! Please forward to your email contacts and post a link on your Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter pages!

New Bedford, MA - On Saturday, March 5, 2011, the New Bedford Preservation Coalition (NBPC) will host a forum at the New Bedford Whaling Museum to discuss murals in the downtown historic district.

Public Encouraged to Vote for Fan Favorite Destination

EMBARGOED UNTIL 12:00AM ET ON FEBRUARY 15, 2011
VOTE FOR NEW BEDFORD ON THIS PAGE!!!


Washington, D.C. (February 15, 2011)—Today, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named New Bedford, Massachusetts, one of its 2011 Dozen Distinctive Destinations. New Bedford, nominated by Waterfront Historic Area League, was selected for its seaport heritage, scenic beaches, abundant architectural and historical riches, diverse neighborhoods and a burgeoning arts community. From February 15 to March 15, New Bedford will be participating in a public online voting contest to select the 2011 Dozen Distinctive Destinations Fan Favorite.

Herald in the holiday season with the New Bedford Preservation Society on their 19th Annual Holiday House Tour on Saturday, December 4 (4 to 8 p.m.) and Sunday, December 5 (1 to 5 p.m.). Get in the yuletide spirit at this popular holiday event - a must for architecture and history enthusiasts!

New Bedford, Massachusetts - On Saturday, November 6, 2010 from 8:30am to 3:00pm, the New Bedford Preservation Coalition (NBPC) will host a forum at the Corson Maritime Learning Center to discuss New Bedford’s current endangered and at-risk historic resources.

The New Bedford Preservation Society cordially invites you to participate in a night of Victorian debauchery with scandalous surprise guests! It will all take place on Saturday evening, October 16, 2010, at the James Arnold Mansion (Wamsutta Club), 427 County Street, New Bedford. The society will create the ambience of the city's old "notorious" Waverly Hotel in the lobby of the Wamsutta Club, where surprise “appearances” will await guests during the cocktail reception starting at 6 p.m. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m.

Heralding in the holiday season, the residents of New Bedford’s historic neighborhoods will once again open their beautifully restored homes for the New Bedford Preservation Society’s 18th Annual Holiday House Tour - December 5th Candlelight Tour (4 to 8 p.m.) and December 6th Afternoon Tour (1 to 5 p.m.). Enjoy the spirit of the yuletide at this holiday event - a must for architecture and history enthusiasts!

New Bedford - Even though the weather is turning colder and winter is fast approaching, now is the perfect time to think about painting your house next spring. If you own a historic home, choosing paint colors can be a daunting task. There are a number of things to consider – the architectural style of your house, what colors were typically used on that style, and how many colors should you use. If you need help choosing colors that would be appropriate for your house, there is a free workshop coming up that will help get you started.

New Bedford, Massachusetts- The developers of Riverside Landing are donating 24-foot long beams of sought after southern yellow pine to the preservation of New Bedford’s historic schooner Ernestina. The beams will be carefully extracted as part of the demolition process of the remaining Fairhaven Mills structure.

New Bedford, MA, August 1, 2008— The 2008 Working Waterfront Festival takes place in New Bedford, America’s largest commercial fishing port, on Saturday and Sunday, September 27th & 28th. This free, family-friendly event opens the waterfront to the public with a rare look into commercial fishing America’s oldest industry. 

The public is cordially invited to an Open House for the Akin Archaeology Project on Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at the Elihu Akin House, 762 Dartmouth Street, Dartmouth, Massachusetts. The all day open house from 9:30 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. will feature tours of the Akin House and site including a display of the artifacts uncovered and processed during this summer’s field session.

The public is cordially invited to the first Annual Meeting of the Dartmouth Heritage Preservation Trust on Thursday, July 31, 2008 from 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. at the historic Dartmouth Grange, 1133 Fisher Road, Dartmouth. The event is open to the public. Refreshments will be served following the brief business meeting and special guest lecture.

Guest Speaker – Dr. Christina Hodge, Elihu Akin House Archaeologist

NEW BEDFORD, MA (7.19.08) - - The Operation Clean Sweep Anti-Litter Campaign has planned a Saturday morning cleanup in Ward 1 on Saturday, July 19th from 8 – 11 am.   Here’s the chance for able, civic-minded residents to step forward and help make their neighborhoods cleaner places to live and nicer places to visit.

The Dartmouth Heritage Preservation Trust (DHPT) and the Wamsutta Club of New Bedford are pleased to announce the establishment of a restoration fund for the James Arnold Mansion (William J. Rotch House/Wamsutta Club), 427 County Street, New Bedford, Massachusetts. The DHPT, a 501 (C ) 3, non-profit preservation organization can now accept, hold and disperse gifts to be used for historically appropriate faithful repairs and restorations at one of New Bedford’s most historically and architecturally important properties. All donations and gifts to the fund are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

New Bedford, Massachusetts-The editors of This Old House online have named New Bedford one of the top 12 best places in America to buy an old house.  

Join Us! The Dartmouth Heritage Preservation Trust is recruiting volunteers for the second summer of the Akin House Archaeology Project.  Join Dr. Christina Hodge, students from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and other volunteers from July 7th through August 6, 2008, at the 1762 Elihu Akin House located at 762 Dartmouth Street. We will be digging for the past in Dartmouth and expanding our knowledge of the families who lived in the house and used the land. It's the perfect opportunity to work outside while learning local history and finding artifacts. Last summer 5,926 fragments of ceramic, glass, bone, brick, and other finds from the 18th through 21st centuries were uncovered, cleaned and catalogued. Help us to explore new areas of the site!

(New Bedford, May 28, 2008)   Downtown New Bedford will be the place to be on Sunday, June 22 from 12 noon - 4 PM for the Second Annual Taste Our SouthCoast Festival. Presented by Pier Fish, the event will feature local restaurants and caterers serving their best and most sought after recipes under two tents at Custom House Square.

The June 12th NB Cultures AHA! night celebrates the arts, histories and architecture of many of the groups that comprise our diverse community engender the uniqueness that is New Bedford. The whaling history of New Bedford will be explored along with cultural samplings from Cape Verdean, Portuguese, Polish, Irish, Lebanese and Azorean. Other cultures featured include the culture of fishing community and youth skateboard culture.  Ethic sounds this evening include Portuguese Fado, jazz, Celtic, plus more! New exhibits abound as well as the grand opening of the Art Room at the New Bedford Public Library.

(NEW BEDFORD, MA) – The Candleworks Restaurant, located at 72 North Water Street in New Bedford will be closed the week of Memorial Day for a mini facelift - New owner Jared Morgado is updating the look and enhancing the feel of the beloved establishment. “Memorial Day week is typically a slow week for the restaurant and we thought closing during this time would be the least inconvenient for our patrons.”  During the brief closing, the restaurant will get new seating for the main dinning room, a fresh coat of paint, refinishing of the woodwork, updated lighting and new patio furniture - the patio will open for the summer with the re-opening of the restaurant on Sunday, June 1.

New Bedford, Massachusetts-The Downtown New Bedford Business District will grow again this week with the grand opening of a full-service florist shop on Purchase Street.  Ana Grochmal, proprietor of “The White Bouquet,” a successful florist shop previously established in South Dartmouth has relocated her business to a Downtown New Bedford storefront at 763 Purchase Street.  The White Bouquet is a full service florist shop that provides services for weddings and all special occasions.

NEW BEDFORD, MA – On Saturday, April 5, 2008 the downtown New Bedford AHA! (Art History Architecture) cooperative project will host a fundraising event - AHA! Fast Forward.  The event will begin with a Sunset Tapas Dinner and Wine Cruise on the New England Fast Ferry (boarding at 5:30 p.m./departing at 6 p.m.) followed by a waterfront Dessert and Dancing Reception at the ferry terminal from 8 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.  The terminal, at 49 State Pier, New Bedford, will be transformed for the evening into a stylish night spot. A cash bar will be available and there will be a silent auction full of unique items. 

New Bedford's Hetty Green and Fall River's Lizzie Borden, perhaps the two most infamous women to ever come out of Southeastern Massachusetts, were contemporaries in both time and place.

“Muddy March” AHA! Night celebrates the earth beneath our feet and the feel of clay in our hands. Visitors may try their hand at the potter’s wheel, watch the creation of life-sized mud paintings and learn about how quahoggers dig in the muck for the savory seafood. On exhibit will be ceramics by local artists that are both intricate and functional. This evening will also feature several artist lectures from recently opened exhibits, live music and the much anticipated Echo Performing Art Festival at the Whaling Museum. Participating AHA! venues will be open late offering a variety of exhibits, live music, shopping and fine dining.

White Knight Gallery, New Bedford - The downtown community bows its head in respect to two pioneers in its burgeoning arts and business community, Alda Roderiques and Marybeth Vargas, who are retiring as of this month. For the past seven years, the store and its owners have been a steadfast part of the tight-knit William St. community. 2007 marked the stores’ tenth year in business, the first three of which were in Acushnet. Since their bold move to New Bedford, these ladies’ influence has stretched up and down the block, eventually  side-by-side with stores like Solstice, Artificial Marketplace, Joe Piper’s, Simmons Brothers and No Problemo, to name a few. Not to mention the growing number of artists and musicians working upstairs and selling their art downtown.

AHA! invites you to celebrate Black History Month. This month the focus is on the rich cultural history and contributions of people of color to the city of New Bedford.

AHA! will be joining First Night as a FREE venue on December 31st from 5-9pm with a "Fire and Ice" celebration in downtown New Bedford. AHA! Program Director Lee Heald states that AHA! received over $90,000 in in-kind support in 2007 from local non-profit venues and businesses and that this evening is as a way of showing appreciation to the downtown community and partner venues.

New Bedford, Massachusetts- The City of New Bedford Planning Department has completed a survey and planning project to amend its nomination for the County Street National Register Historic District.  A public meeting to present the research and findings associated with the new nomination will be held on Monday, December 17, 2007, 6:30 PM at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum at 396 County Street.

Museums are often looked upon as bastions of the “old.”  They are home to items, both natural and man-made, that can date back millions of years.

To herald the holiday season, residents of New Bedford’s historic neighborhoods will once again be opening their beautifully restored homes for the New Bedford Preservation Society’s 16th Annual Holiday House Tour - December 1 and 2.