Volunteers offered informational SeptemberFest

Guests at the SeptemberFest were told about the history of the building and the Oviatt family, the original owners of the building. Historical records show that Mason Oviatt was part of the Underground Railroad. Photo submitted.

Oviatt House volunteers held their annual SeptemberFest on Sept. 26 and offered tours, raffles, games, and crafts.

One of the highlights was showing the progress of turning the 1836 house into a museum recognizing the involvement of the owner, Mason Oviatt, abolitionist John Brown, and others in the Underground Railroad movement to help people who were fleeing from slavery. The building is listed on the National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

Photo caption: Tricia Steiner, president of Oviatt House Inc., shows a lathe wall that was exposed when dry wall was removed from the inside of the building. Photo submitted.