Oak Hill and Vicinity by Mary Lou Nahas - Annual Oak Hill Day

The 19th annual Oak Hill Day will be held on Saturday, July 27 starting at 9 a.m. and ending after 4 p.m.  I have participated in all of them, but to make certain I remember what others saw, I went back through the records. 

Mike Hayes’s book Oak Hill:  Voices from an American Hamlet explained: “On a warm summer’s morning in 2004, a small group of Oak Hill residents gathered around a table in the Internally Gratefully Café [owned by Bob and Karen McCall.  A lot of us locals congregated there regularly], with the sound of the Catskill Creek roaring in the background.” 

“They started kicking around different ideas about what could be done for the general betterment of the hamlet.  They agreed that a not-for-profit organization could make a difference in helping to preserve historic Oak Hill.  “Later that summer, a group of fourteen people gathered together [above the Tripp store] for an organizational meeting of the Oak Hill Preservation Association (OHPA) 

On July 29 and 30, 2006 the first annual Oak Hill Days were held.  In the parking lot where Stiefel Laboratories once stood the Twelve Tribes played music and danced in the steaming summer’s heat, yard sales were held in front of Ford’s Store and throughout the hamlet.  A pair of Civil War re-enactors held a small ceremony at the grave of Henry Bates and then traveled up to the Oak Hill Cemetery to pay homage to Nathan Augustus. [Civil War veterans] The gardens of several homes along main street were open to the public.

What Mike does not include was the fact that each summer St. Paul’s Church held an annual rummage and bake sale and the group thought if OHPA held multiple sales, more people would come and St. Paul’s would be more successful. 

Once the pattern was established, it remained over the years, although it was decided to limit the event to one day.  The day has always started with lawn sales throughout town.  There has never been a map because no one volunteered to make one and participants often would not decide to have a sale until final hours.  The sales have been advertised by colorful signs provided by OHPA.  The majority are along State Hwy. 81 or just off that route. There have been history programs and classes for children.  Food has always been part of the event. The days have ended with ice cream donated by Stewarts and music on a church lawn.  Diane Dratz has always requested and served the ice cream.  The Twelve Tribes have always played music and the Yellow Deli has been open with proceeds from the day going to charity.  The Durham police have kept accidents from happening when shoppers parked inappropriately and drivers sped down the state highway.  OHPA has always organized the event.  Mike Hayes, Nick Nahas, Rosemary O’Brien, Jan Perlin, Karen Patterson have all been in charge and worked hard to make it all come together.

Other newspaper accounts announced: “The 11th annual Oak Hill Day is scheduled for Saturday July 30 starting at 9 a.m. with yard sales around town and ending with a Dance Party in the back yard behind the Tripp House from 6 to 10 hosted by Preserved Instincts.”

“From 10 to 2 the Ridge Runners Memorial Cruise in Car Show will be held on Oak Hill Road.  Everyone is invited to bring a vintage car.”

“There will be open gardens; the Twelve Tribes will exhibit farm animals and the Yellow Deli will welcome visitors.  Karen McAll will have her art for sale.  The DeWitt Hotel will receive visitors. There will be some open houses.  There will be a Relaxation Station in the middle of town.  The Oak Hill Cemetery will have a booth with raffle baskets.”

Ralph Hull regularly exhibited his art work; Greene Bee Greenhouse sold plants, Paul Barton and Olive Farrell exhibited their art.  Norman’s Assemblage was open and Connie and Roger welcomed guests. Local residents talked about growing up in Oak Hill.

“The 12th annual Oak Hill Day is scheduled for Saturday, July 29 starting at 9 a.m. with yard sales around town and off nearby roads.  There is no map but look for red and yellow signs. Signs which are provided by the Oak Hill Preservation Association can be picked up at the I U Tripp store, the post office and the town building.   Both churches will have sales and will be selling food for lunch.  There will be a parade starting at 1 p.m. sponsored by the Oak Hill Parade Committee followed by a Dance Party sponsored by Preserved Instincts.  The Oak Hill Preservation Association which sponsors the yard sales will hold an ice cream social at 4 p.m. on the lawn of the Methodist Church with live music by local folks.  Ice cream is provided by Stewarts.”

“From 2 to 4 blacksmith John Earl from Greenville and local craftsman Jimmy Diresta will have demonstrations of their crafts at the 12 Tribes farm.”

Nick Nahas, then president of the OHPA,  wrote, “Plans are still coming together.  We hope to have them in place after the OHPA meeting on Saturday, July 9, but this is all pretty informal and things come and go.  The day is intended to celebrate the spirit of the community, both past and present.  The number of people who come each year speaks to the spirit of the day and the hamlet.” 

In 2024 we will again begin with yard sales around town:  both individual and group sales advertised by signs.  The Hulbert’s and the McCall’s will have multifamily sales.  The Methodist Church will have a sale (St. Paul’s is closed).  There will be a sale at Used and Amused, I U Tripp, at the end of Oak Hill on the way to Cooksburg.  A Boy Scout sale will be on one side of the Post Office and an individual sale will be the other side. 

There will be food:  The Yellow Deli will be open; the Methodist Church will have a bake sale, hot dogs and water.  The Hulbert’s sale will have amazing doughnuts The Pizza Box at Greene Acres will be at the church for lunch.  Aria McCabe will have a lemonade stand. 

There will be food trucks:  Tom's Hot Diggity Dogs and More food truck will be at the Hulbert’s sale. Tom does the Greenville Drive-In Fridays and Saturdays (and some Tuesdays for kids) and he sells at Coxsackie Riverside Park Sunday evenings while the bands are playing.  

The Pizza Box at Greene Acres will be at the Methodist Church 

First Bite food truck will have barbeque and sandwiches. 

There will be a series of classes and talks:

Wild Flower will provide flower arranging classes for children.

“Growing Up in Oak Hill” will be held at 1 p.m. in the church. Kenneth Brand who grew up at Elm Rest and whose father ran Ford’s Store after the Fords, will moderate the discussion.  This program is a great way for new folks to learn about the history of the hamlet. Everyone is invited.

John La Rocca, from Medusa, will talk about his book. Trout Remembered a Fly Fisherman’s Stories and Reflections at 2p.m. at the church.  John and family moved to Medusa in 1972 from New Jersey.  He writes he has spent 70 years of chasing trout.  He has also worked for more than thirty years at the Rensselaerville Institute.  He knows Oak Hill well, one chapter opens “The Ten Mile joins the Catskill Creek in Oak Hill.   The Catskill there was a wide stream but much of it was shallow, especially in late spring and summer when the flow was often much reduced.  In the early spring, however, it could often be a formidable creek with lots of water and some very deep holes.”  Copies of his book will be for sale.

At 3 pm there will be a tour of Barns of Oak Hill, starting at the barn being built where the historic Cleveland house burned not that long ago.  Brian Persico, who designs and makes furniture, objects and occasionally buildings, is building a workshop there.  Next, we will look at the barn which houses Used and Amused.  It is a three-story carriage house. Finally, we will stop at the brown barn across from the Methodist Church which Fran Cox and Ken Hurd and company have been working on for several years now.  You can see inside and ask questions.  There will be information on how to apply for tax credits for restoring historic barns The programs will end at 4  p.m at the Methodist Church where the Oak Hill Fire truck, ice cream and music will allow folks to come together to conclude the day. 

Will there be a 20th Oak Hill Day?  A lot has changed in the hamlet in the last 20 years.  Many historic houses have been restored.  Sadly St. Paul’s church is no longer open; the Ford house needs renovation; several houses are being worked on; some are not cared for.  There is still work to be done.  I hope it will continue: that will depend on who wants to organize it.