Whitfield Manjiro Friendship House

Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship House
11 Cherry Street, Fairhaven, MA
Open by appointment only
508-858-5303 or 508-995-1219

Visit one of the Oxford Village homes owned by whaling captain William H. Whitfield and learn the story of Manjiro Nakahama, the first Japanese person to live in America after he was rescued from a Pacific island by the captain in 1841. Manjiro lived for a short time in this neighborhood and went to school nearby. The Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship House, inherited by the captain’s son Marcellus P. Whitfield and later his grandson Joseph, stayed in the Whitfield family until 1951.

In 2007, the house was purchased by a group of prominent Japanese people, led by Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara, who presented the house to the Town of Fairhaven. The museum, operated by the Whitfield-Manjiro Friendship Society, was dedicated on May 7, 2009.

Admission during regular open hours: $15 adults, $12 seniors, $8 students, under 6 years free. A tour of the Manjiro Trail is available at an extra cost.

To make an appointment to visit at times not scheduled, call 508-995-1219 or email Gerry@WMFriendshipHouse.org. For more information, visit http://www.whitfield-manjiro.org