Gracing the screen in 1939 were Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh in “Gone with the Wind” and Errol Flynn and Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz.”
And then there was a cast of hundreds–-probably not thousands––in “People and Places of Cobleskill.”
The 40-minute movie will be the main feature of “Historic Preservation Evening” hosted by the Village of Cobleskill’s Historic District Review Commission.
The program is at 7pm next Wednesday in the Cobleskill Firehouse. The evening is free and open to the public.
The program’s purpose is to promote interest in Cobleskill’s past. The HDRC acts on and advises proposed changes to buildings in Cobleskill’s Historic District.
Having held walks focusing on architecture and history, the HDRC wanted to do something different, according to Chairman Sandy Poole.
“A lot of people have heard about the movie, but I don’t think too many people have seen it,” she said.
“We’re promoting historic preservation and the history of Cobleskill, too.”
In addition to the movie, the program will include a slide show and talk by HDRC member Bob Holt, and Mayor Mark Nadeau will present awards for the “Most Well Preserved Home and the commercial property with the “Most Curb Appeal.”
But the movie may draw the most interest. Mr. Holt said it appears the 16 millimeter film was made by the Cobleskill Exchange Club, but he’s not sure of the purpose.
“Maybe it was to promote Cobleskill. . .that seems to be what it is,” Mr. Holt said. “But we’re not sure.”
The silent movie centers on Cobleskill farms and businesses, such as the former Rockefeller Farm on Mineral Springs Road and Scholet Furniture when it was on Division Street.
It also shows a Cobleskill Fire Department drill––with the camera aboard a fire truck, racing through the village––and firefighters battling a mock blaze at the Harder Refrigeration Company.
But the movie also encompasses outlying areas, including the Parsons Ford dealership in Central Bridge, the Old Stone Fort in Schoharie, Howe Caverns and the baths in Sharon Springs.
And there are plenty of residents and business owners in the film.
“These aren’t just actors on a movie set,” Mr. Holt said. “These are real people, and some of them are probably still around.”
Like Ms. Poole, Mr. Holt believes the evening will heighten interest in Cobleskill and its past.
“We want to preserve the character of our community and what it was,” he said. “I think there’s a resurgence in people who want to preserve our village.”