OUR STORY

DISCOVERING STEVENS HILL

My name is Kobie Jackson and as Chairman and Founder, it is my honor to welcome you to The Oare Rover Foundation.

Our story began in 2015 when my family and I discovered Stevens Hill Farm on a trip to Upstate New York. Though we loved living in Brooklyn, something about this historical gem nestled in the Catskills immediately felt like home. In fact, the minute we pulled up to Stevens Hill, my oldest son asked, “Is this my house?” 

Today, it is our house. But Stevens Hill is more than a place to build our future – it's a place with an important past. The Stevens family, who have passed this incredible property down through eight generations, built a long legacy both on the home front and the front lines of America’s most legendary battlefields. And though the Stevens family and my family never met, our histories are linked. Captain James Stevens fought for the Union in the Civil War to free my ancestors from slavery. As a Black man, the poetry and magnitude of this connection is not lost on me. The house I own today belonged to a man who fought for my right to own it.

Stories like this one matter. They ground us in the realities of American history – the good, the bad, and the ugly – and inform the way we move forward. I founded The Oare Rover Foundation to make sure the stories behind America’s historical places can continue to teach and inspire us forever.

Now, as we restore Stevens Hill Farm to its original glory and capture the rich history of our property and surrounding area through the Greenville Pioneer Museum and Cultural Arts Center, we’ve got our eye on a bigger vision. Our goal is to save historical places across America and open their doors to the public – so that communities all over the country have the opportunity to connect with their past and envision a better future.