July 14, 2019
Making Full Use of the Akin Property, A Work in Progress
We are proud of the accomplishments to transform the 1762 Akin House from an abandoned and dilapidated building (many believing not worth saving) into a 21st century
heritage cultural center.
A gateway property linking New Bedford to Padanaram Harbor, visitors are transported to old Dartmouth’s past on many levels––architectural, societal, cultural, archaeological, and economical perspectives––told through the lives of the Akin family.
“The little house with a big story to tell.”
Architectural historian of this region, the late Anne W. “Pete” Baker, coined the phrase in 2004. Fifteen years later, even Pete would be amazed at how prescient she was. As the work progressed under the stewardship of DHPT, the house has revealed unimaginable surprises that no one at the time anticipated.
The stories are made tangible by the house itself and by interpretive living history programming, such as the event we held on June 23, which many attended and is featured in a recent Blog.