Oak Hill & Vicinity: Early Oak Hill

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By Mary Lou Nahas

For Capital Region Independent Media

Mrs. Hope Davis’ Soda Shop where Rich Clark lives now. Contributed photo

Beginning in the early 19th century, Oak Hill grew into a vigorous industrial hamlet. 

Although the area had served as a regional milling center during the latter years of the 18th century, during the 1820s and 30s a shift in the community’s industrial economy occurred with the introduction of a malleable iron works.  Along with it came a number of smaller associated industries. These included blacksmiths, tin works, a weight and scale manufacturer, and several smaller manufacturing concerns

There were two hotels, a large wagon house, and in the rear of this was a smaller building, near the creek used by James Taylor, as a barn and slaughterhouse. A fire originated in the wagon house, and resulted in the total destruction of the wagon house, the small barn and both hotels.    I’ve already written about how one hotel, the DeWitt, was rebuilt. The other hotel, the slaughterhouse and small barn were not rebuilt but a stagehouse and store took their place.  These were subsequently replaced by other businesses.

On the 1867 Oak Hill map we find, in that area, a scale factory, stagehouse and the Avery store on one side of the road and houses on the other. Oak Hill has long been a mixture of commercial and residential.

The Oak Hill map of 1867. Contributed photo

Krattenger wrote in the National Register designation: “In addition to its various industrial interests, commercial enterprises also lent Oak Hill its distinctive character…. as these typically served as what might best be termed agricultural service centers for outlying areas, a place where farm families could mill their agricultural products, procure necessary goods and services, and practice their religion. A number of these businesses are captured on the 1867 Beers map of Oak Hill, which provides a snapshot of the hamlet’s physical features as they existed at that time, in the immediate post-Civil War period.  Adjacent to the DeWitt hotel was the S. A Fryers Stage House, which provided stagecoach service to residents and travelers, and on the opposite side another store and a harness shop. Across from the DeWitt Hotel was a tin shop, another important period business while further to the north was a dry goods store operated by J.C. Hervey.”

Today, I want to share some more specific information about some of these early buildings.

In a June 18, 1834, Catskill newspaper was the following ad: “Oak Hill Furnace, Machine and Blacksmith Shops. Hirman Hurd & William Bullock, Proprietors, would inform their friends and the public in general, that they are now prepared to execute all orders for steam engines, mill gearing. Machines of every description. Copper and all kinds of composition castings, at short notice. They will also keep on hand ploughs and plough castings of almost every kind now in use. Sleigh shoes, fire dogs, dog churn irons, Tailors irons, rag irons, portable furnace, wagon boxes, turning lathes, circular saw arbors, leather rollers, pump balls, screw plates, taps, dies and blacksmithing of all kinds and at short notice. Millwork done in the best style, and on the most reasonable terms. Horseshoeing promptly attended to.

“William Bullock, Millwright and Machinist, will furnish plans for, and attend to erecting machines, and turning and drilling on reasonable terms.”

These often referred to “scale furnace of Gifford & Hayes.” There store counter scales were produced: in 1865 making 1,400 scales, employing three men (at an average of $28 per month).  They had a capital investment of $2,000, used eight tons of pig iron as well as tin ware, lumber and waterpower.

The 1850 census recorded Gifford and Strowbridge Scale Makers, employing 12 workers at $240 per month (workers paid $20 per month). They used Pig Iron ($4,000), Coal ($1,000), Water Power. Made 4,000 counter scales ($10,000). Paid out in materials $5,000; wages $2,880.

I have never found a picture of the scale furnace building and I do not know when it stopped operating.

There is a newspaper account by a Mr. Stevens sometime in the 1800s which gives us some information you might use to imagine what it might have looked like: “In our last letter we spoke of the scale furnace of Gifford & Hayes. A curious incident happened here some years since and given to me by one of the parties. At one time some boys thought of having a little sport. The lads were Sutherland Jones, Elgin Pierce, and James Tripp, all boys at the time we speak of.  The boys procured a small cannon and some wet powder and went in the cupola to fire the cannon. They placed it so as to shoot it out of the end of the cupola. They fired once or twice when the festival came suddenly to an end. Their ball of powder came in contact with some fire and a grand fuzee was the result.  Jones had his fingernails tore off and Pierce and Tripp badly burned. Their clothes caught fire and the two last named ran to the creek. Dr. Whitterly of Durham was called and found Pierce and Tripp considerable injured. Jones said he only lost his fingernails. The other two boys were laid up some time. Dr. Whitterly said that was the first time he was ever called to put out a fire. The boys then are men now and often laugh over their fun, as they first supposed it would be, but they are more careful now as they have arrived at the age of maturity. The boys of Oak Hill, always loud in patriotism, finally concluded not to fire off any more guns or cannons in a cupola.” 

That account gives the best image of the building I have.

I do not know when the business stopped operating and the building was torn down, but the Lyman Tremain Opera House was constructed on the site about 1895-1900; the builder was John Burhams, Durham. There was no more manufacturing on the site. It became a Masonic lodge; then stood empty until February 1990, when it was purchased by Oak Hill Associates. 

Oak Hill Associates were Sam Stickler, Cameron Mackintosh, Richard Jay-Alexander, and Bob Billig, who had worked together in the New York theater business. They turned it into Sam’s Oak Hill Kitchen, which later became Karl’s Oak Hill Kitchen and is today The Yellow Deli. 

If we look at the other side of the road on the 1867 map we find a series of homes, most of which are still there in one form or another: The first is identified as being owned by LC. Could that be Lyman Cleveland, who was identified as LEC on other part of the map? I’m guessing not but do not know.

Next is property noted as W.S.  I have no idea who that was.

Then the home of Mrs. Cheritree, wife of Egbert Cheritree, an early wagon maker. 

Next was the home of J. Compton, (John and Susan Compton home, circa 1850). John was a foreman at one of the foundries.

Then was the home of Sheldon and Olive (Botsworth) Cheritree, owner of Cheritree Foundry. An early account records: “Nearly opposite the [DeWitt] hotel is a square house standing on a little raise of ground. This was for many years the residence of Sheldon Cheritree, father of the Cheritree Bro.’s, of the Empire furnace. The house is now occupied by Wm. Bell and the Widow Orr. William Bell (Civil War veteran and stage and freight man is one of the proprietors of Bell and Baldwin’s Express passenger line, between Durham, Oak Hill and Catskill. Mr. Bell is a son of the late Owen Bell and a brother of the Widow DeWitt). Subsequent owners of the house included Daniel S. Jones (a Civil War veteran) and Wallace Makley, Jere Dean, Doug and Sancie Thompson.

Doug Thompson’s home when it was up for sale. Contributed photo

A modern description of the property was written by W. Krattenger when the Oak Hill National Historic District was named: “7790 Rt. 81: Wood-frame two-story dwelling with hipped roof and three-bay façade. Exhibits mature Greek Revival style characteristics and the front door is of an unusual three-panel style with foliate enrichment. Wood clapboard siding, corner pilasters, Greek Revival-style porch, stone foundation, deep frieze and moulded wood cornices. Contributing wood-frame carriage barn with gable front orientation. Stone foundation, wood novelty siding.”    

An article in the June 1991, Greene County News reported “The Cheritree home, a Greek revival style house built circa 1843 by Sheldon and Olive Botsford Cheritree, was once slated for demolition but is now being painstakingly resorted by Doug and Sancie Thomsen. Their affection for the work is evident by the amount of time and effort they have both expended so far.”

Photo of Cheritree house before the road was paved. I don’t know who the young woman with the horse and dog is, but the photo tells another story of life in the hamlet.  Contributed photo

“I have real respect for our forefathers,” Doug said, “and what they had to endure. I think we need to remember them and preserve the things they created.” 

“The Cheritree house was the first in the township to seek and receive historic designation from the Durham Historic Preservation Commission.”

“Thomsen, the former Town of Durham historian, has been working with his wife on the house for the last six years and says there is much left to be done. ‘Most of the things we’ve used in the restoration were made locally,’ he said. Those ‘things’ includes a door from an old brick Federal-style house that was torn down in Cairo [hence the front door noted by Krattinger], beams from Greenville, a cabinet from Oak Hill and a brick wall made up entirely of bricks from Coxsackie and Catskill, and moldings and a mantle from the Alden House in Cairo.’ The Thomsens have made sure that even the smallest detail does not go unnoticed in the house right down to the nails in the floor. Knowing where to look for old pieces, said Doug, is one of the keys in restoration.”

And then I came across another account of a house in early Oak Hill: “Directly opposite the hotel is a long building two stories high, and built some years since as a dwelling house and at one time occupied by several families.”  

I wish I knew more about it. Was this where the Beechers built their modern house?

There is always so much more to learn. If anyone has information I do not have, please share it.  I think these are the details that make history alive.

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