Fairhaven Tours Offer a Walk Through America’s Gilded Age

When we think about successful industrial family empires, who comes to mind? Well, we may think of the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, and the Astors, families who used their wealth to create legacies that live on to this day. Yet there is one individual and family who, although less profound in history, hits very close to home: Henry Huttleston Rogers and the Rogers family.

The beauty of Fairhaven is incontestable. The distinct and remarkable architecture that encompasses the village area of the town brings people from all over.

With that being said, the design and creation of these buildings have a historical background that makes them all the more special. 

Henry H. Rogers, born in 1840 in Fairhaven, was a successful businessman and industrialist who was able to invest his money back into the place that he grew up in. Throughout his life, he was savvy with his savings, and while having careers in a variety of industries such as oil, railroads, natural gas, and copper, he was able to accumulate a fortune of over $100 million.

With this fortune, he was quite generous and donated a variety of buildings to his hometown of Fairhaven. These buildings include the Rogers School, Millicent Library, Town Hall, George H. Taber Masonic Lodge building, Unitarian Memorial Church, Fairhaven High School, and others. Along with this, his family donated Fort Phoenix, town parks, railways, and more. 

Whether you are a resident of Fairhaven or not, the Fairhaven Office of Tourism offers the Henry H. Rogers tour, a 90-minute walking tour that delves deep into the life of the powerful businessman, and it’s a must-see. The tours take place at 10 a.m, June through September, outside of the Town Hall on 40 Center Street. It is free for all guests and is weather permitting. More information can be found at FairhavenTours.com.

So, what are you waiting for? This tour is a great way to become more familiar with the beauty of Fairhaven and understand the history of the breathtaking buildings that have been donated to this community thanks to Henry H. Rogers and his family.