Editing Westport, New York (section)

===Westport the resort===
By the mid-nineteenth century, Westport was a fashionable [[resort town]]. Its social scene was regularly reported on in ''[[The New York Times]]'' and by the [[Boston]] press. Like many other [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]] resorts, its popularity gradually declined, starting in the 1930s, as first automobiles and then airplanes made possible a wider selection of vacation sites. Since the 1950s, however, Westport's lakeshore property has steadily increased in value. Although once most of the "summer people" stayed for weeks, now distinctions are not as clear: there are "year-round summer people" whose livelihood stems from outside Westport, weekenders whose principal residence is fairly close by (for example, [[Albany, New York|Albany]], which is two hours distant by car), and commuters to workplaces as distant as Plattsburgh, New York, or [[Middlebury, Vermont]].

Westport is home to [[Camp Dudley]], the oldest [[summer camp]] in continuous operation in the United States, founded in 1885 by Sumner F. Dudley, who moved to Westport in 1891. [[Meadowmount]], the summer school for string players founded by [[Ivan Galamian]], is {{convert|8|mi|0}} northwest of the center of town, in the town of [[Lewis, Essex County, New York|Lewis]]. Westport is known as the ice fishing capital of Essex County.

Westport is home to one of the only two professional theatres in the Adirondacks proper, the second being [[Pendragon Theatre]] in [[Saranac Lake, New York|Saranac Lake]]. The Depot Theatre was founded in 1979 and operates out of the historic [[Westport station (New York)|Amtrak railway station]]. The 136-seat, air-conditioned theatre hosts plays and musicals on its main stage during the summer months, as well as an annual gala.

The [[Camp Dudley Road Historic District]], ''[[Champlain II]]'' Shipwreck, [[Essex County Fairgrounds]], [[First Congregational and Presbyterian Society Church of Westport]], [[Lake View Grange No. 970]], and [[Vergennes (canal boat)|''Vergennes'' canal boat]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref><ref name="nps">{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/listings/20130906.htm|title=National Register of Historic Places|date=September 6, 2013|work=Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 8/23/13 through 8/30/13 |publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>