Town Historian Marilyn Day explores the barns that shaped Westford’s agricultural heritage
WESTFORD — What can an old barn tell us about the town around it—and what do we lose when it fades from view? Westford Town Historian Marilyn Day will explore those questions on Sunday, November 22, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. at the Westford Museum, 2 Boston Road. From barns that have faded into Westford’s past to those still standing, the program invites attendees to look anew at these familiar landmarks and their enduring place in the town’s landscape, character, and agricultural heritage.
The presentation began with a simple question from Rick Hurst: “I wonder if anyone is saving pictures of the old Westford barns?” That question inspired a collection of photographs documenting barns once vital to local farming. Together, these images invite a closer look at the stories behind the weathered walls—and at what photographs can preserve when the buildings themselves are gone. For homeowners, history enthusiasts, and fans of rustic design, they offer a fresh perspective on a familiar landscape.
Names such as Hillside Farm Dairy, Scott’s Dairy, Collier’s Meadowcrest Farm, Decato’s Stony Brook Farm, Orchard View Farm, Tadmuck Farm, Duncraggan Dairy, Vinebrook Farm, and Shea’s Piggery may spark memories—or curiosity about a Westford less familiar today. Day will explore these farms’ place in the town’s history and the barns that remain, inviting attendees to consider how much of Westford’s agricultural past is still visible around them.
About the Presenter
Marilyn (Green) Day is Westford’s Town Historian, former director of the Westford Museum,
and a board member of the Westford Historical Society.
About the Westford Museum and Historical Society
The Westford Museum and Historical Society fosters appreciation for Westford’s history through programs highlighting residents’ lives and achievements. Its mission is to collect, preserve, and
exhibit historical documents, photographs, and artifacts, and to support similar initiatives by other organizations.
