Oxford Historical Society to host Peach Festival at Great Hill UMC in Seymour

SEYMOUR - The Oxford Historical Society will host its 17th annual Peach Festival from 4 to 7 p.m. Aug. 24 at Great Hill United Methodist Church, 225 Great Hill Road. 

The festival celebrates 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.

Homemade peach shortcake will be featured with fresh peaches and whipped cream plus Rich Farm’s peach ice cream. The fee for admission and one serving of dessert is $8. Bottled water, tea or coffee will also be available.

This year’s Peach Festival will also highlight Oxford’s 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 in Connecticut and then winterizing their ​“dachas” on Loughlin Road, Hemlock Trail, Little Punkup Road, and Roosevelt Drive 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 intelligent and creative Russian-speaking expatriates such as artist Eugene Agafonoff, who continued his painting in his studio on Little Punkup Road. 

Oxford’s ​“Russian House” known at Oltan, the work of Oleg and Tatiana Novosilzof is on the State Register of Historic Sites and many photos of the architecture and artwork will be featured.

All proceeds support the society’s preservation and opening of the historic Mr. Munn’s one-room schoolhouse. 

For additional information call 203-888‑0230.

This is shared from the Oxford Historical Society Facebook page.