Valley Heritage Driving Tour

Schreiber Farm

The Schreibers occupied this farm for over 70 years. Corn fields can be seen in the summer and pumpkins in the fall. The Schrieber Farm, consisting of about 400 acres, was bought by the Schreibers in 1910 from a Mr. Ryder. It was originally a dairy farm and has been a farm since the early 1600s. The house is divided into three parts with the middle part dating back to before the 1800s.

There was a mill on the Eight Mile Brook*, which was moved to the house sometime in the 1800s. In the early 1900s, there were apple orchards up the mountain. This often presented problems in collecting the harvest. The horse and carts had great difficulty descending the mountain with all the produce.

*Eight Mile Brook – according to our lifelong residents, enters Oxford from Middlebury around the Industrial Area of town, meanders through the town for about eight miles (thus the name), crossing Route 67, Quaker Farm’s Road, and Route 34, finally emptying into the Housatonic River. All along the Eight Mile Brook, at various points, there are remnants of foundations that were old mills established between 1700 and 1800. There were saw mills, cider mills, tanneries, and even a button factory along the main areas.

The Miller House, first recorded in 1747, at 63 Barry Road, was so named because it was across the road from the mill.

Proceed 0.2 miles. The Brookside Cemetery will be set back off the road on your right.

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