Holmesville, New York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Holmesville, New York
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 Holmesville, New York
Location in New York
Holmesville, New York
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Chenango |
| Town | New Berlin |
| Elevation | 1,053 ft (321 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
13843
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| Area code(s) | 607 |
| GNIS feature ID | 953022 |
Holmesville is a small community, known as a hamlet, in Chenango County, New York. It is located right next to the Unadilla River. You can find it in the southeastern part of the town of New Berlin.
Contents
Holmesville's Past Businesses
Long ago, Holmesville was a busy place with many different businesses. A branch of the Midland Rail Road even had a train station here. This station was about one and a half miles south of South New Berlin.
Holmesville used to have a population of 168 people. It had a school for local children. There were also two stores where people could buy goods. For making things, there was a grist-mill, which grinds grain, and a saw, shingle, and planing mill for wood. A cheese factory, built in 1861, made cheese. The hamlet also had two shoe shops, a blacksmith shop, two wagon shops, two cabinet shops, and a cooper shop that made barrels.
A Look at Holmesville's History
Early Settlers and Stores
The first merchant in Holmesville was Waterman Fields. His father was one of the very first settlers in the area. Waterman Fields built his store in 1833. It was on the same spot where Martin A. Burlingame's store later stood.
There was a general store on the southeast corner of an intersection. Herbert Reed was the last owner of this store. This building also served as the local post office. Even after the store closed, the building continued to be a post office. Richard Meade was the last Postmaster there.
Around 1844, Abraham Holmes, James Isbell, and Zara Arnold opened another store. This building was later used by Charles H. Thornton.
Churches in Holmesville
About a mile west of the village, on Holmesville Hill Road, a church was built in 1826. It was called the "Free Will Baptist Church." Later, the people of this church built a new building right in the village. This new church was named the Holmesville Baptist Church.
The church used a small schoolhouse across the main road for Sunday School classes. By 1968, the old schoolhouse was taken down. A new building was built in its place, which is still there today. The old church building was sold to a company called AutoMecha. This company made paper folding machines. After a few years, the AutoMecha building burned down. The owner sold the empty land back to the church for just $1.00. The church agreed to remove what was left of the burned building.
Merchants and Post Office
Ira Dibble moved to Holmesville from Guilford about 30 years before 2015. He took over the building that the Isbells had left. He ran his business for about five years before moving to New York.
Charles H. Thornton, who grew up in Holmesville, runs a business there now. Another merchant, Martin A. Burlingame, also from Holmesville, started his business on February 1, 1879.
The post office in Holmesville officially opened in the fall of 1871. George Miller was the first postmaster. Wallace Sherburne later took over the job.
Mills and Factories
The Holmesville flouring and grist-mill was owned by the family of Mason White. Rufus S. Whitenden started running it on November 12, 1878. This mill used water from the Unadilla River to power its grinding stones. The water came through a ditch about a quarter of a mile long, creating a six-foot drop to power the mill.
The saw, shingle, and planing mill was built by Abraham Holmes about sixty years before 2015. He ran it until about 1864, when he sold it to his son Dennis. Dennis then sold it to his brother Ira in 1873. Stephen Curtis was also a partner for a few years but sold his share to Ira. The grist-mill was built soon after the saw-mill by Abraham Holmes. It also changed owners several times. Ira Holmes sold it to Mason White, who ran it until he passed away in 1879. Since then, his family has owned it.
Modern Changes
Over the years, Holmesville has seen many businesses come and go. For many years, it was home to the Holmesville Christian Academy. This was a small school for students from kindergarten to 12th grade. It usually graduated about 3 to 5 students each year.
The building that housed the post office also had Reed's General Store. Postmaster Herb Reed owned it and sold many kinds of boots and shoes to people in the community. Today, both the store and the academy are gone. A private owner now owns the building. However, the post office boxes are still in front of the building and are used by local residents.
The town even had its own newspaper called "Our Enterprise." It was published weekly from 1884 for some years in the 1800s. Fred Caton created and published it. The newspaper was dedicated to the well-being of homes, the country, and the church.
