Owners Of Historic School, Winery Aim To Preserve History

Are you interested in a quiet spot for a short day-trip on a sunny fall weekend like the one coming up?

Well if so, there's a place over in Creek County with a bit of history and a glass of wine waiting for you.

Jeff Scott is one of the new owners of the old Tidal School in Drumright, now the Tidewater Winery.

"It went from John D. Rockefeller to J. Paul Getty," he said.

The school was built about 100 years ago to serve the children of John D. Rockefeller's oil company.

3/20/2014 Related Story: Drumright's Historic Winery Auctioned Off

It continued as a school until about 1950. After that it was the site of parties, proms and other gatherings.

The new owners want to preserve that history as well as market eight new wines under the Tidewater label.

Art Murphy's primary interest, he said, is the wine.

There is a small laboratory downstairs where he tastes and blends and checks the chemistry of the wines they'll sell. There is a small vineyard on the grounds and another not far away.

Drumright is home to lots of public murals and they've incorporated many of them into the labels of their wines.

"Each of these has a little bit of a story to it, and tells some of the history of Drumright. We thought it was a good idea, it would help us and bring a little attention to Drumright," said Toni Osterhout.

The building is on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Scott said, "It's not a museum, but it could function as a museum as it relates to this little piece of history."

History as a school; but present and future as home to the Tidewater Winery.

The big do is Saturday from noon to six at the Tidewater Winery. That's south of Drumright on Highway 16.

For more information you can visit Tidewater Winery online.