Love Story: A Half-Century of Weddings at Acushnet’s Beloved Century House [PHOTOS]

The Century House in Acushnet, home to countless celebrations, big and small, is marking 50 years of ownership under the Goulart family.

Century House History

Did you know that the Century House dates back to the late 1800s?

Jeff Goulart, who runs the facility with his wife and siblings, says when his parents bought the business back in 1974, it was named Gaudette's Pavilion. The family kept the name for 10 years, but when they modernized the popular venue back in 1984, they decided to bring back the name the business held back in the late 1800s.

The Century House was reborn.

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That 1980s remodel lasted many years, up until 2017, when the first renovation cycles began under the second generation of ownership. Siblings Karen Conastra, Michael Goulart, Jeff Goulart and Sherri Goulart took over the business from their parents and wanted to put their own stamp on it, starting with the downstairs lobby.

The following year came new floors and ceilings in a remodel of the two smaller function rooms, followed by an eye-popping renovation of the grand ballroom in 2019.

A Deep Loss to the Family and Business

Sadly, Karen Canastra passed away in 2021, leaving behind a legacy and a set of high standards that her siblings felt responsible for keeping up.

"The Century House is such a well-known tradition in our community.  It was built by the Gaudette family, then built by our family," Jeff Goulart said. "It's a tradition that we didn't create; we just work hard to maintain it."

The passing of Karen was a deep loss for both the family and the business. Naturally, Jeff, Michael and Sherri looked within their family for help. They decided to bring in Jeff's wife, Debbie, who had worked at Century House since she was a teen.

Celebrating 50 Years with 50 Brides

Fun 107 asked listeners to send in their wedding day pictures from Century House to commemorate 50 years of the Goularts' ownership, and you didn't disappoint.

"Looking at these pictures you've posted on Fun107.com, the whole staff was looking through them," Jeff Goulart said. "I couldn't believe the response. We couldn't believe how many people sent Fun 107 their pictures.  The styles were wild, especially the big ruffles on the tuxedo coats in the '70s."

Wedding Advice

There aren't many people who have been a part of more weddings than Jeff Goulart, so we asked him to share some advice for people getting married.

"People are doing more than ever with their weddings. They see ideas on Pinterest and on social media. Sometimes, though, less is more. There's something to be said for keeping things simple and elegant."