Oxford Historical Society, a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization
Twitchell Rowland Homestead Museum
P.O. Box 582, 60 Towner Lane, Oxford, CT 06478
Peach Festival
COMING UP: our annual Peach Festival on Saturday August 24, 4 pm to 7 pm. The Peach Festival offers Oxford’s Rich Farm peach ice cream and home made biscuits with sliced and sweetened local peaches for only $8 per person. Choose to eat in or take out the summer treat. This event is at Great Hill United Methodist Church, 225 Great Hill Road at the rotary of Routes 188 and 334 in Seymour. This year’s photo displays will feature Oxford’s unique “Russian Village.”” Be sure to mark your calendar and plan to come early to this popular event.
Oxford’s Russian Village
One of Oxford’s loveliest and most interesting neighborhoods is its “Russian Village.” Located in the steep-sided valley along Eight-Mile Brook and near the Housatonic River, it is named for the many Russians and Ukrainians who fled to the United States after the Russian Revolution in 1917. Settling in New York City, they found second homes in Oxford, first spending their summers here and then winterizing their “dachas” on Loughlin Road, Hemlock Trail, Little Punkup Road and Roosevelt Drive (Route 34) and becoming permanent residents. This continued as late as the 1970s.
The birch trees, evergreens and tumbling creeks of Oxford reminded these newcomers of the homes they had left behind. Many were highly intelli- gent and creative Russian-speaking expatriates such as artist, Eugene Aga- fonoff, who contin- ued his painting in his studio on Little Punkup Road. Our community was enriched by their culture and foodways, and their descendants still live in the area today.
Thank You
Tag Sale Success!
Oxford Historical Society was part of the Town Wide Tag Sale on Saturday June 22 organized by the Oxford High School Booster Club. From 9 am to 2 pm, in spite of very hot and damp weather, nearly 100 people stopped by the Twitchell-Rowland Homestead to search for a treasure or bargain. Some of these great finds were owned by the late Myrtle and Fred Rowland who were staunch supporters of the Oxford Historical Society. Their support included donating the property the Twitchell Rowland stands on today. So it was no sur- prise the Rowland family allowed the society to pick through the remains of their large estate sale for gems to sell at our tag sale. Their generosity made a huge difference in the success of the society’s efforts; we took in over 1800 from our friends and supporters. All proceeds benefit the Oxford Historical Society’s activities.
Thanks again to the community who cares.
Online Fund Raisers
May 1 & 2 – Valley Community Foundation’s GreatGive.
Our online giving event showed more community support. With donations and bonus funds we earned over 1550.
April 24 & 25 Connecticut Community Foundation’s Give Local
The Oxford Historical Society received 13 donations totaling 11,760 which was then increased by another 11,000 from a friend’s challenge grant to match our first 11,000. This made a total of 12,760; additionally supporters gave us checks and made Paypal donations for another 1675. For 2024 we grew our totals to over 13300. Thank you for helping us!
Open Houses and Displays.
Open Houses Scheduled – Join us on the first and third Sunday each month when the Twitchell-Rowland Homestead is open to the public from 2 pm to 4 pm. Docents chat about the history of the house and the items found inside as well as other topics of interest to the commu- nity. There is no charge for these open days: July 7 and 21; August 4 and 18. Books produced by the Society are available for purchase as well as the unique notecard sets created us- ing local art and photographs. Proceeds benefit the society’s events and activities as well as maintenance of the buildings and grounds.
On Display: the Homestead Museum is featuring sewing baskets, a staple of daily life for decades and now treasured antiques. Tissue sewing patterns, needle packets, Wheeler & Wilson sewing machine brochures, buttons, buttons and more buttons plus a child’s sewing machine from the ‘50’s are on show among packets of sewing notions and spools of sewing thread. All the sundries are on loan from society members and friends.
Tractor Meet
Remember the Annual Tractor Meet Sunday, October 6, from noon to 4 pm at the society’s Twitchell-Rowland Homestead at 60 Towner Lane. There is free admission for all and docent led tours are available plus vintage farm equipment, some customized for local needs and plenty of folks to chat with. All ages will enjoy this rally of local vehicles.
Annual Meeting
On Saturday, November 16, re-enactor Kevin Johnson will be featured at 2 pm at the society’s Annual Meeting. Known throughout the state for his view of Con- necticut through the experiences of the black men in its history, Kevin will portray Jor- dan Freeman from the Revo- lutionary War in Connecticut. Admission is free for stu- dents, and adults $5 per per- son. Refreshments will be served. The program is at Great Hill United Methodist Church on Great Hill Road at the rotary.
OXFORD HERITAGE RECIPE: Rowland Farm Creamery Cannoli Filling
Ever since she was a child, Haley Rowland has loved cows, especially the Jersey cows who descend from her great-great grandfather’s home on the Isle of Jersey. Appealing for their fawn-colored coats, big brown eyes, and sweet dispositions, Jersey cows produce milk with a high butterfat content. But Haley’s farmer father, Charlie, insisted that she couldn’t have livestock in the barn on Towner Lane without a business plan. Thus, the Rowland Farm Creamery was born. Haley graduated from Cornell University with a graduate degree in farm management and found a job at an Upstate New York creamery. She found the heavy lifting gave her back problems and the disinfectants used to ensure sanitary conditions made her sick. Admitting this had turned out not to be a good fit, Haley returned to Oxford, still with dreams of one day converting a por- tion of her family’s barn into a cheese facility.
After overcoming her physical limitations using higher work tables and different sanitizing solutions and work- ing with the State of Connecticut to fulfill all health regulations, Haley has begun building her herd of Jersey cows and producing three kinds of cheese: a Milky White (a fromage blanc marketed as “fancy cream cheese”), a feta (Alfaretta, named for her great-grandmother) and a ricotta (Fredrick-otta, after her grandfather, Fred Row- land). At present she has four heifers, one cow, and one bull calf, but will max out with a herd of ten cattle. For now, she is buying the milk for her cheeses, but hopes to be only using milk from her own animals by the end of next year.
Haley explains that the first step in cheesemaking is to pasteurize the milk to remove any harmful bacteria. The milk is then cooled to a ripening temperature which will be maintained for as long as the recipe requires. At this point, a safe bacteria culture is added. For example, for her Milky White, she uses a Danish culture. Finally, rennet is stirred in which turns the mixture into a jelly-like consistency. This is drained, which gives the cheese its texture. Finally, salt is added. In the case of feta cheese, before it is ready to market, it is kept at a consistent temperature and humidity for a week, with daily flipping and salting. Cheeses like Milky White and Frederickotta are ready to sell as soon as they’re finished being made.
Cheesemaking is heavy and hard work, and the numbers involved are interesting and daunting. A batch of feta cheese comes from 40 pounds of milk. This creates about 320 pounds of curds and whey which drain to over 40 pounds of cheese. The initial process requires a 12-hour day, lifting while bent over at a 90-degree angle. While the feta is cut into smaller pieces before flipping and salting, it is still physically demanding. Haley, who is not tall, appreciates the higher tables that help relieve back strain, but has also added gel inserts to her work shoes!
Presently, Rowland Farm Creamery offers 3 styles of cheese, but Haley hopes to add a Bucheron and a Camembert in 2 months. She also plans for a hard Manchego-style cheese made with cows’ milk by fall.
Rowland Farm Creamery products are a family effort. Haley, the cheesemaker, also cares for the cows and does the milking. Dad, Charlie, does the rest of the farming: haying and cleaning the barns. Mom, Karen, handles the taxes. Haley’s sister, Elizabeth, has developed a line of unique RFC Soaps from a cheese byproduct, whey. They are available at farmers’ markets in lavender, tea tree, rosemary mint, and Lemon Drop/poppyseed scents. This last soap is named after Liz’s unofficial favorite horse.
You can taste Rowland Farm Creamery products at your own table by purchasing it at New Morning Market in Woodbury or at New Curds on the Block in Oakville. It is also available from farmers’ markets in Southbury, Monroe and Wallingford.
This issue’s Heritage Recipe is a cannoli filling created with Rowland Farm Frederick-otta (ricotta) cheese, an easy and delightful summer’s night dessert.
- 12 frozen cannoli shells, thawed
- 16 ounces Rowland Farm Creamery Frederick-otta Cheese
- ¾ cup confectionary sugar, or to taste
- Mini-chocolate chips for dipping the ends of the filled cannoli
Thoroughly mix the cheese and powdered sugar in food processor or by hand in a large bowl, adding milk to achieve the proper consistency. Transfer filling to a piping bag with a large, round tip.
An hour before serving, fill the cannoli shells. Dip the ends in mini-chocolate chips. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Yield: 12 filled cannoli
RECIPE NOTES:
- Most cannoli fillings call for draining the ricotta cheesebefore mixing with the powdered sugar. Rowland Farm Creamery Frederick-otta has a firmer textureand does not require this step.
- To avoid soggy cannoli, do not fill the shells until it isalmost time to serve them.
- There are many options for dipping the ends of thecannoli filling includingchopped pistachios, mini-chocolate chips, and choppedmaraschino cherries.
- It is possible to flavor the cannoli filling with such add-ins as vanilla or gratedlemon or orange rind.
Join the Effort to Preserve Oxford’s Historic Rural Heritage
- Follow us on Facebook: @oxfordhistoricalsociety
- Like our Facebook page to let foundations know the Society has your support
- Join the Historical Society. Download a membership form at oxford-historical-society-membership-form-2024.pdf
Volunteer Opportunity: Help Wanted: Love history?
Fascinated by old houses? What a great opportunity to share your passion by becoming a docent at The Homestead. Volunteers of all ages including teens and students are welcome to participate.
We will provide training and you can share the fun with other volunteers. You do not need to be a member to qualify. For more information contact: Nancy Farnum 203-888-0230.