Oxford Historical Society, a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization
Twitchell Rowland Homestead Museum
P.O. Box 582, 60 Towner Lane, Oxford, CT 06478
18th Annual PEACH FESTIVAL
The Oxford Historical Society will host its Annual Peach Festival from 4 – 7 pm on Saturday, August 16, at the Great Hill United Methodist Church, 225 Great Hill Rd. in Seymour.
Homemade peach shortcake will be featured with fresh peaches and whipped cream topped with Rich Farm’s peach ice cream.
There is a 110 admission which includes one serving of shortcake. Bottled water, tea and coffee will also be available.
This year’s Peach Festival photo display will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Oxford Historical Society.
Since 1975 the group has preserved local history, provided educational programs, moved and restored a 1755
saltbox and an 1850 schoolhouse and opened a museum at 60 Towner Lane.
News articles and pictures will document the group’s efforts to assure that the town’s past will be preserved for future generations.
The festival will also feature displays of the Hale-Coleman Peach Farm, once located on Great Hill and
Peach Farm Roads. Raising peaches was once a major enterprise in Seymour and Oxford.
All proceeds support the ongoing preservation and educational work of the society. Those seeking additional information may call 203 888-0230.
Fun @ the Munn – NEW!
Join our all ages arts explorations drop in activities for pre-K through adults and seniors. Look for a selection of materials at each session and be sure to dress for mess: paint, paper, chalk, fiber (yarn and fabric, thread and buttons). Using basic skills, participants can try weaving on portable looms, sewing or knitting, your imagination is the key. We are open to suggestions.
Stop in at the Twitchell Rowland Museum for a tour of the Homestead and then investigate the newly opened Munn Schoolhouse to take part in the Fun at the Munn on first Sundays of each month. These free events run on July 6, August 3 and September 7, from 2-4 pm.
While presented by Historical Society members, volunteers are welcome to help. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Mark your calendars:
- NEW! Summer 2025: Fun@theMunn. First Sundays from 2-4 pm, drop-in – July 6, August 3 and September 7. Craft & art exploration activities for all ages. Munn Schoolhouse, 60 Towner Lane – free.
- August 16 (4-7 pm) – Peach Festival – GHUMC, Seymour – Admission charged.
- October 5 (noon – 4 pm) – Vintage Tractor Meet – The Homestead, 60 Towner Lane – free.
- November 15 (2-4 pm) – Oxford Historical Society Annual Meeting with program re-enactor Kevin Johnson as ‘Professor Jim’ of Trinity College – GHUMC, Seymour – Admission charged.
- December 7 (2-4 pm) & 21 (2-4 pm) – Holiday Open House – The Homestead 60 Towner Lane – free
- January 4, 2026 (2-4 pm) – Twelfth Night at the Homestead, refreshments – 60 Towner Lane – free
OXFORD HERITAGE RECIPE FRANK PHILLIPS: POTATO PANCAKES
Frank Phillips was born in 1940 in a 12 x 16-foot shack on what is now Route 42. There was no plumbing, and his mother cooked on a wood and kerosene stove. A small addition was put on when he was seven or eight, and a few years later, his father built another house next door that was never finished. Frank remembers helping shingle the roof when he was 12.
The family moved to the newer home and the shack was rented to the Whelan family. Frank had a sister, Joyce, and when the mother of the Whelan family died, his parents took in the youngest son, Tom, and raised him as well.
The Phillips home was just down the hill from the Mosavich farm on the corner of Route 42 and Chestnut Tree Hill, and they helped with the dairy business there. Owner Nellie Mosavich was Frank’s Aunt Helen’s sister. Frank particularly remembers cutting ice from the nearby pond and storing it in the icehouse to use in hot weather to keep the milk cold.
There were two Lithuanian or Polish hired men who worked the Mosavich Farm and lived there. He recalls their poor clothing, boots and suspenders. They made only enough money to buy tobacco and alcohol and never learned English.
Frank did well in school but liked to work with his hands, so he signed up for six years with the Marines at 18. These were the days of the Vietnam War, so he spent two years as part of the expeditionary forces in Southeast Asia, planning bases and roads. They traveled by helicopter, and Frank’s commander told them not to wear their flak jackets but to sit on them because Vietnamese gunfire would come from below. His years in the service were good ones, Frank says, not least because the food was better than what he ate at home!
During R & R breaks, he traveled to the Philippines and Japan and speaks warmly of the people who welcomed the Marines and talked to them. The war changed his outlook on life, he says. He still lives by the Marine Code, striving to always be a better person and understanding the synergy of a group effort.
Home again, he married his wife Joan and had two sons, Frank and Brian. He has one granddaughter, Christina, “the light of my life,” who will be entering UConn this fall.
In 1962 he went to work for Uniroyal in Annapolis, developing synthetic rubber for the Vietnam War effort. Safety measures were few and there was no hearing or breathing protection. His beginning salary was an astounding four dollars an hour, the most money he’d ever made. The plant closed in 1963, its steam power manu- facturing system outdated.
Frank went back to school at the National Radio Institute, studying electronics and becoming an electrician. Next came a stint as a steel worker at Allegheny-Ludlum in Waterbury for 120 an hour. It was horrible work, he says, but his family needed the money. Eventually he earned his Master Mechanics degree. This led to another job at the Miller Company in Naugatuck working the night shift with non-ferrous metals, rolling steel. At 62, he decided it was time he gave up working on a 125-foot crane and retired.
Frank and his wife bought 15 acres of land in Southbury and built their present home with their own hands. “We know every inch,” he says. He and his son also restored the Mosavich house, preparing it for sale. They still retain some Oxford acreage for their Christmas tree farm.
There was also the question of 100 acres of land in Southbury, that Frank inherited from an uncle whom he remembers for never eating his own meals until his animals were all fed and cared for. There were offers to buy the land, but in the end, he gave it to the Southbury Land Trust. It is now the Phillips Farm.
When asked about his favorite recipe that his mother cooked, Frank does not hesitate: “Potato pancakes!” he says. Franks’s mother’s recipe was no doubt handed down from her Lithuanian mother and grandmother. She shredded the potatoes with a box grater and added a bit of sugar. Her pancakes were large: six inches wide. When the family came for dinner on Sundays, she would kill 2 chickens for the meal. If they didn’t eat as much as she thought they should, she would cry and complain, “You don’t like my cooking!”
The recipe on the following for potato pancakes comes from Betty Crocker’s Cookbook. New York: Golden Press (Western Publishing Company, Racine, Wisconsin), c1969
FRANK PHILLIPS: POTATO PANCAKES
(Editor’s note: Grate the potatoes just before preparing them. Otherwise, they will become discolored. Place them between several layers of paper towels and squeeze out the moisture before proceeding with the recipe.)
- 2 pounds potatoes (about 6 medium)
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup butter or margarine
Wash potatoes; pare thinly and remove eyes. Shred enough potatoes to measure 4 cups. Drain thoroughly. (Note: see above.)
In mixing bowl, beat egg until thick and lemon colored. Mix in potatoes, onion, flour and salt. Melt butter in large skillet over low heat. Shape potato mixture into 8 patties; place in skillet. Cook over medium heat, turning once, about 5 minutes or until golden brown. 8 servings.
Annual Vintage Tractor Meet
Sunday, October 5
From noon to 4 pm the yard of the Twitchell-Rowland Homestead will be the showcase for a range of classic farm vehicles – some of them fresh off the harvest fields of Oxford for the afternoon. Look for classic green and yellow John Deere tractors in a collection of sizes. Farmall is another popular and reliable workhorse. A special favorite is the “Old Gray Friend” 1946 Ford be- longing to the Rowland family. Some of the tractors have been customized and others restored to timeless func- tion and looks.
Docent guided tours of the Twitchell-Rowland Homestead Museum and the Munn Schoolhouse will be featured and a recently donated collection of tools from various farms in Oxford will be on show.
The event is free and fun for all ages. Anyone interested in joining the show or with questions can call 203-463-0374.
Semiquincentennial – WHAT?!
In 2026 the United States marks its 250th birthday and this word defines that. Towns in Connecticut and across the nation are working on projects that will cul- minate in 2026 events and activities.
The Oxford Historical Society is proposing America 250: Oxford’s Cemeteries & the American Revolution, a project based on historical information collated from websites, printed resources, cemetery headstones and other materials. Using 21st century technology, photos and desktop publishing scattered data can be transformed into a single site and perhaps a booklet as well as provide the basis for walking and virtual tours of the town’s 7 cemeteries highlighting memorials for veterans of the American Revolutionary war.
This effort offers opportunities for community members to volunteer on aspects that they find of interest and perhaps result in new members for the society. Historical Society membership is not required. Possibly portions will appeal as Eagle and Gold Scout or Capstone projects for students. Hobby genealogists, history nuts and tech geeks would all be very welcome.
Anyone interested can contact Town Historian, Dorothy A. DeBisschop at dottie@oxford-historical-society.org.
OHS membership
OHS membership forms can be downloaded at the OHS website. Mail forms and checks to OHS, PO Box 582, Oxford, CT 06478. Individual memberships are 110, Seniors and Junior Associates (under 18) 110, Families 125 and Business Supporters (1200).
Member dollars help with society expenses and ac tivities, and the numbers of members are used by grant givers as an indication of involvement with the community. Also listed are opportunities for volunteering. Be sure to check those that appeal to you. Being a member really counts for us!
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 here
- Visit the Twitchell-Rowland Homestead and learn more about our activities.
- Sign up for special tours & programs.
QUAKER FARMS vs. BRIDGEPORT HYDRAULIC COMPANY
In the May-June issue of the OHS newsletter, the Heritage Recipe article mentioned Dave Schreiber’s efforts to save his farm and the properties of many of his neighbors from being flooded by a proposed Bridgeport Hydraulic Co. dam and reservoir project. This article, based on the newspaper reports from the spring of 1951, explains the history of that grassroots campaign.
It was February 1951, and Dave Schreiber had just purchased his family’s farm at 571 Quaker Farms Road from his parents. He and his wife Etty had 5 small children. Etty’s mother lived with them as well. The future seemed bright for his dreams of increasing his herd of registered Holsteins and supporting his family.
That month, the Connecticut State Senate passed a bill which would allow the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company to convert the Eight Mile Brook Valley to a reservoir that would stretch from Middlebury to a dam below Quaker Farms. Bill HB 892 would give the company the right of eminent domain to build a reservoir and establish control over streams and watersheds. Twenty-five homes would be moved. Others would be flooded. New roads would have to be built. Affected would be Six Mile Brook, Eight Mile Brook, the towns of Middlebury, Southbury, Woodbury and Oxford, plus Lake Quassapaug and Hop Brook.
The Bridgeport Hydraulic Company saw this project as insurance for a sufficient water supply for the growing industries in their city. Dave Schreiber was elected the chairman of the Oxford committee protesting the proposal and was a member of the Southbury committee as well, pledging a “fight-to-the-finish” struggle. Residents banded together and blocked the passage of the bill in the lower House but knew it could be reintroduced in the future. They appeared again in large numbers for a second legislative hearing in April.
At home, the committee sent out mailings to town residents and wrote letters to the editors of local papers. Waterbury Republican Sports Editor Roy Barry whose chicken farm on Barry Road was threatened, published interviews featuring his neighbors, many of whom were from families like the Tomlinsons and the Woosters who had lived in their homesteads for over 100 years.
The group held a meeting with Samuel Senior, head of the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company. They voted to ask the State Grange and the Farm Bureau for assistance. They also requested First Selectman Fred Bice to hold a special town meeting for a vote of confidence in its Quaker Farms citizens.
Finally, at the special meeting held at the Quaker Farms Community Hall before the April 19 legislative hearing, 60 residents approved the following: “Resolved: That public notices be given that the opposition to Bill 892 amending the charter of the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company to give them power of eminent domain over the 8 Mile Brook watershed will be continued beyond and after the hearing Tuesday, April 19, until the bill is finally defeated and further that the other towns interested be and are hereby requested to continue their efforts to this end.” They were not giving up, no matter what the outcome was in Hartford.
For their part, the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company published a half-page rebuttal in the Sentinel newspaper on April 2, 1951. In it they asserted that it was better to take land from 26 private owners than to let a good source of water needed by the public go to waste. Benefits they proposed for Oxford residents included increased tax revenue, higher property values due to better roads and lake views. The people of Quaker Farms didn’t buy a single word of the company’s picture for a rosy future. They wanted the homes and the community they had.
In the end, the Bridgeport Hydraulic Company withdrew their proposal. The feisty residents of Quaker Farms had defeated them, and the Eight Mile Brook valley as we know it today was saved because of their efforts.
Open Houses Scheduled
On the first and third Sunday each month 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 community. There is no charge for these open days: July 6 and 20; August 3 and 17. Check out the newly opened one room Munn School.
Books produced by the Society are available for purchase as well as unique notecard sets created using local art and photographs. Proceeds benefit the society’s events and activities plus maintenance of the buildings and grounds.