Making History Every Day

September and October 2020, Volume 2, Issue 5

Oxford Historical Society, a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization

Twitchell Rowland Homestead Museum

P.O. Box 582, 60 Towner Lane, Oxford, CT 06478

Recalling Oxford’s Early History

The Oxford Town Seal is based on this drawing by Fos-

ter Sperry for the 1976 Bicentennial of the American

Revolution. It contains elements which explain the town's

crossing the Little River at an ox ford.

The treaty oak is at left. This was the boundary between

the Indians of Chusetown (now called Seymour) and

the Indians of Woodbury. Under this tree an early land

purchase was made by the white men from the Indians.

The three hills in the background represent the three

general hills of Oxford -- Chestnut Tree Hill, Governors

Hill, and Good Hill or Pisgah Mountain.

The church between the hills was included as a symbol

to show that the first efforts at town government were

Fall Fundraising Focus Shift

Because we are not having our big tent manned by

staunch society volunteers at the Polls on Election Day

and many folks will be voting by absentee ballot, we are

replacing our Election Day booth with the new Oxford

Founder’s Day online fund-raiser.

On Tuesday, October 20, we will celebrate the 222nd

anniversary of the incorporation of the Town of Oxford

in 1798. Look for information on Facebook and on the

OHS website with links to the online giving platform.

Honor an Educator

Inspired by a gift of $2500 honoring the teachers who

educated the donor’s daughters to benefit the Munn

Schoolhouse Project, the notecards have become popu-

lar with local families.

The gift cards may be purchased from The Twitchell-

Rowland Homestead Museum. For further information

please call 203 888-0230.

Mail donations to Oxford Historical Society, PO Box

582, Oxford, CT 06478. Make checks out to Oxford His-

Homestead. We are proud of the fresh face from the

recent painting of the Homestead. The work on the west

and south sides of the old house was done by Rob

Pettinella painting contractor. Rob’s company has done

work for many families and area non-profits. The project

included scraping and spraying, brush painting window

frames and repainting decks and rails, all to make the

building ready for a few more decades.

Oxford Historical Society wants to thank Pettinella

Painting & Maintenance for their professional support

Oxford Historical Society by Ken and Tom Biondi.

Miss Sears lived in her family home on Oxford Road

near the Seymour border. Daughter of Clayton and Sa-

rah Jeannette Hawley Sears, she was a friend of the

Biondi’s stepmother, and gave her the family papers to

keep.

Clayton Sears was a lineman for the telegraph com-

pany and a mechanic. Among the contents of the box

was his early repair manual for motor cars. Of special

interest are Clayton Sears’ diaries from the 1930s and

Oxford’s past.

Oxford Historical Society is pleased to report the Mr

Munn Schoolhouse restoration project is moving forward

now that 2020 grants have been distributed by area

funders.

In July the Valley Community Foundation presented the

OHS with $12,400 to pay for the work on the corner

post of the schoolhouse. This stage also requires the

Additionally notification was received that a request to

the Katherine Matthies Foundation was granted. This

ration project.

In August the Town of Oxford provided $1500 from its

annual budget in support of Oxford Historical Society.

This year the funds are going toward replacing clap-

boards on the schoolhouse.

The Society has received a bid for period appropriate

roofing for the schoolhouse. The installation of red ce-

dar shingles will depend on our pending application for

necessary funds from a local grant source. The Com-

munity Support Committee voted recently to recommend

the Board of Selectmen approve $4,800 from funds re-

ceived from the Power Plant agreement

OHS also received a bid for replacing missing and dam-

aged clapboards. The funds received so far are inad-

equate to pay for that portion of the schoolhouse resto-

ration, but there are hopes the Oxford Founders Day

online fundraiser will contribute to accomplishing that

stage, bringing the school much closer to completion

undated newspaper offering “Recipe Suggestions for

the Housewife”

1 summer squash 2 Tbsp butter

1 egg 1 cup bread or cracker crumbs

Salt and paprika

Cut squash in halves remove seeds and bake. When

tender remove shell. Add egg well beaten, butter, salt

and paprika and three fourths of the crumbs. Mix well.

Put in a buttered baking dish, cover with remaining

crumbs. Dot with butter and bake 15 minutes in hot oven.

Town Hall for Oxford but no picture of him was on dis-

play there until now.

Recently the Oxford Historical Society donated a large

framed photo. The photograph was a gift to the Society

from Cheryl Willis who lived in Mr. Church’s home,

Oxfordshire, on Great Hill Road for many years.

A very successful businessman, Stephen Betts Church

(1866 – 1951) spent his entire life in Oxford. He founded

and operated The Church Company, which specializes

due to the constraints imposed by the Covid-19 pan-

demic and limited interior space. The Homestead is too

small a space to allow for adequate social distancing

and has other space constraints.

We look forward to the future when Open House Sun-

days can resume and friends of the Oxford Historical

Society can visit again.

When Heather Asplund and Clifford Hudson III volun-

teered to help a friend move, they had no idea they would

unearth treasures that delighted the volunteers at the

Having followed the OHS Facebook page, they con-

tacted the Historical Society and brought their treasures

to the museum.