Thomas Berry purchased the first 116 acres of the Oak Hill farm in 1871 for $9,000. The original early Victorian farmhouse burned during the 1870s, and the current residence was built c. 1884 in the Greek Revival style; Martha Berry’s mother, Frances Rhea Berry, lived in the house until her passing in 1927. A major gift from Emily Vanderbilt Hammond transformed the house, which had been neither plumbed nor electrified, into a destination for dignitaries such as Henry and Clara Ford. Interior renovations reflect a fashionable Colonial Revival home of the 1920s, with intricately carved moldings throughout and Zuber wallpaper in the dining room.
Today, Oak Hill operates as a historic house museum, preserved as it was when Martha Berry was in residence in the 1930s; the house is filled with furniture, portraits and personal effects of the Berry family. Along with the historic buildings on the Berry campus, Oak Hill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Oak Hill is open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm, and guided tours are available; visitors check in at the Martha Berry Museum. Museum fees, closings, holiday updates, and special events can be found at www.oakhillmuseum.com.