South Otselic will celebrate the 40th anniversary of its designation on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district beginning at 1 p.m. on July 8 with a concert performed by the Smyrna Citizens Band in the South Otselic United Methodist Church. (Submitted photo)

SOUTH OTSELIC — On July 8, 2023, South Otselic will celebrate the 40th anniversary of its designation on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district.

The program will begin at 1 p.m. in the South Otselic United Methodist Church with a concert performed by the Smyrna Citizens Band. Following a brief intermission at 1:45 p.m., a historic road marker funded by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation will be unveiled on the property of the Ford House, adjacent to the church. The Honorable Joseph Angelino, New York State Assembly, district 121 will be the main speaker, and Town Supervisor Marjorie Davis will unveil the marker.

From its incorporation in 1817, the Town of Otselic grew slowly and steadily throughout the 19th century. South Otselic became the social, commercial, and religious hub of the town. During that time, it could boast of two hotels, a saw mill, grist mill, five stores which could draw as many as 1,000 visitors on the weekends, and a number of other small businesses.

The B. F. Gladding Corporation (now Gladding Braided Products LLC) moved from nearby Pharsalia into the Hamlet of South Otselic and continues to provide economic stability to the neighborhood, despite the decline of population that continued through the 20th century.

The historic district includes nearly 50 contributing structures that are mainly residential, industrial, or religious. These range from the simple post-and-beam houses, common in the decades before the Civil War, such as the Ford House, to the elegant mansions of the gilded age, such as the Gladding Residence.

In 1983, a large part of South Otselic was designated as a historic district on the National Register of Historic places.

During the intermission of the celebration, light refreshments will be served. A brochure series of self-guided walking tours will be available for those who would like to learn more about some of the historic homes and the people who lived in them.

-Information provided by the Town of Otselic Historian