Arnoff and Lou’s Relics celebrate 100 years in business

One corner of one room at the fully stocked Lou’s Relics.
Judith O’Hara Balfe
One corner of one room at the fully stocked Lou’s Relics.
MILLERTON — Arnoff Moving and Storage plans to celebrate its 100th birthday by breaking ground for a new building at its location on Millerton road in spring of this year.
Currently, Arnoff is being handled by the fifth generation of Arnoffs — Daniel, brother Craig and cousin Nicholas.
With a full fleet of almost 200 trailer trucks and 650,000 square feet of storage space spread across Poughkeepsie, Malta, Millerton and Lakeville, the business has come a long way since 1924, when it began with one truck, an office and a warehouse in Lakeville.
But Arnoff’s story began even before that — back in 1917.
Molly Arnoff emigrated from Russia to New Haven, Connecticut, in the early 1900s, when she fell in love with a property at 345 Millerton Road.
She packed up her family, including her son Louis, and her belongings, and moved to what was, at the time, a comparatively rustic scene: the outskirts of Lakeville.
On arriving at her new home, she found that the previous owners had left behind all of their furnishings, so she moved the former owners’ belongings to the barn, along with her three cows.
When people came to welcome her to the neighborhood, she offered them the chance to buy some of the things stored in the barn.
Louis, when he got a little older, founded a moving business in 1924: one warehouse, one truck, and a little peddling business on the side.
The cows were sold and the barn began to be filled with a objects and household goods that Lou collected through his business; when people moved, they often left things behind, or sold them cheap.
These items were placed in the barn and offered for sale, and in short order Lou became known as a dealer who offered good quality at fair prices.
Lou’s Relics still stands: Today there are about 10 rooms filled with an unbelievable number of objects for sale.
When Lou married a lady named Marion, they lived in Lakeville and their business grew. They had a son, Richard, who eventually took over the business, expanding it even more.
Then Richard married Phyllis, and they had two sons, Marc and Michael. Lou and Marion moved to Florida, but every summer they returned to the Lakeville property to sell antiques and other items from the barn. Both businesses grew with the family.
When his parents died, Richard took over barn duties, and Lou’s Relics lived on. Richard grew that business as well, and with help from Doug Hall, who has been with Lou’s Relics for more than 40 years, has continued to collect and sell antiques and collectibles.
All this time, the family has also been growing their moving and storage business, offering full service in both the moving and storage areas in the Hudson Valley, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Florida and other states and places besides.
Each of the last five generations have been involved in some way. Family policy dictates that when an Arnoff finishes their schooling, they spend a year working for another company in the field. They see how others work, get an understanding of policy, and bring fresh ideas back to Arnoff.
Their motto remains, “Let Our Family Move Your Family.”
Arnoff building and facility, 5979 Elm Ave., Millerton. Judith O’Hara Balfe
Long-term town employees were recognized at the Town Board meeting on Thursday, June 12. Honorees pictured with Town Supervisor Leo Blackman, were Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the Town Garage, center, for her 35 years of service to the town and Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent, for 20 years.
AMENIA — Acknowledging the many years of service accumulated by town employees, the Town Board paused to honor that service at its meeting on Thursday, June 12.
“Thank you for making a difference,” said Town Supervisor Leo Blackman in recognizing Judy Carlson, Office Manager at the town garage, for her 35 years of service.
“Megan’s job is not an easy one,” Blackman said, honoring Megan Chamberlin, current Highway Superintendent who has served the town for 20 years.
Also among those honored was Town Clerk Dawn Marie Klingner for 20 years of service as Court Clerk.
Maureen Moore, Court Clerk, was also honored in absentia for her 20 years of town service.
In anticipation of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution in 2026, new historic markers are appearing at each of the local cemeteries where Revolutionary War veterans are buried. Unveiling the new marker at Amenia Union Cemetery on Saturday, June 21, were left to right, Town Historian Betsy Strauss, Jim Middlebrook representing the regional chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, and Gail Seymour, President of the Union Cemetery Association.
AMENIA — One by one, new historic markers are appearing at local cemeteries where Revolutionary War dead are buried. On Saturday, June 21, community members gathered to see a new marker unveiled at Amenia Union Cemetery on Leedsville Road.
A tent provided welcome shade for the attendees and refreshments as about 30 residents gathered for the unveiling and to share stories of local history with one another.
As with the first historic market installation at the Old Amenia Burying Ground, held in April, Amenia Union Cemetery graves of Revolutionary War veterans had been marked with American flags in advance.
Jim Middlebrook, representing the Columbia Mid-Hudson chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, attended along with other members of his chapter. Speaking before the unveiling, Middlebrook said that the historic marker project had begun in August 2024, and included a detailed process to certify the names on the graves.
Middlebrook described the work of the William C. Pomeroy Foundation of Syracuse whose mission is to promote “pride of place” by providing grants in support of installing historic markers and plaques nationwide to honor patriots for their service. Active now in seven or eight states, Middlebrook said, the foundation will soon add Connecticut and Massachusetts to the list.
The new Amenia Union marker honors “at least five veterans of the American Revolution interred between 1787 and 1810,” although Town Historian Betsy Strauss lists six veterans buried in the cemetery. The sixth, Gerhard Winegar, whose burial had been in 1781 could not fully satisfy the certification standards.
Strauss provided the following listing of six names:
Col. Colbe Chamberlain, 1739-1796
Capt. William Chamberlain, 1745-1810
Lieut. Samuel Snyder, 1712-1808
Gerhard Winegar, 1750-1781
Ensign Henry Winegar, 1723-1787
Capt. William Young, 1747-1806
Bee Bee the clown, face painters and a community wide scavenger hunt are among the activities planned for the Millerton Street Fair in Downtown Millerton on Saturday, June 28.
MILLERTON — The Millerton News, in partnership with the North East Community Center (NECC) and the Millerton Business Alliance, is hosting its first Street Fair on Saturday in a celebration of the town.
Rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m, the fair will bring together local nonprofits and businesses, with live music, entertainment, kids’ activities, local eats, and family fun in Veterans Park, in front of the Millerton Inn, and beyond.
“The Millerton Street Fair will celebrate everything we love about this community — its spirit, its dedication to service and its creative energy,” said James Clark, publisher and CEO of The Millerton News.
Local nonprofits will showcase their work and impact, including Climate Smart Millerton, Eddie Collins Memorial Park, North East Historical Society, Townscape, Tri-Corner FEED, Village of Millerton, and the Webutuck Elementary School.Participating businesses include Bes, Little Red Bird Studio, NBT, The Elephant’s Tusk, and many more.Local retail and dining establishments will be open with special promotions. NECC’s Farmer’s Market will run during the event.
Among the planned festivities are live music from John Stey and the Resilience Brass Band, performances from Bee Bee the Clown, face painting by students from Webutuck High School, and a community-wide scavenger hunt for kids.Other kids’ activities include egg and spoon races, and a “touch-a-truck” open house at the firehouse.The Irondale Schoolhouse will be hosting a special exhibit, and the North East-Millerton Library will be offering signups for the Summer Reading Program, a science show from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., lawn games, and a cookie cook-off.
For more information, go to millertonnews.com/street-fair.
The Nine Partners Road Quaker Meetinghouse, built in 1780, will be the site of two summer lectures sponsored by the Millbrook Historical Society.
MILLBROOK — Long in the planning, the Millbrook Historical Society has announced that it is sponsoring two lectures in observance of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Both lectures relating to Quaker history are to be held in the historic Quaker Meeting House on Nine Partners Road.
For the first talk, scheduled for Sunday, June 29, at 2 p.m., the historical society has invited Sarah Gronningsater, Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, to talk on “Quakers, Anti-slavery, and the American Revolution.” The topic will explore the role that New York’s Quakers, especially in the Hudson Valley, played in the rise of the anti-slavery movement that followed the American Revolution.
The second talk, scheduled for Sunday, July 27, at 2 p.m., invites Carl Lounsbury of the College of William and Mary and Colonial Williamsburg to speak on the architecture of the Nine Partners Meetinghouse. His talk is titled, “Nine Partners Meetinghouse Plan: A New Form in the Hudson Valley.” Expert in early American architecture, Lounsbury’s talk will compare Nine Partners with other later houses of worship in New York and New England.
Both lecture events will be held at the 1780 brick Nine Partners Quaker Meetinghouse in Millbrook. An earlier meetinghouse on the site had burned. The building has remained largely unchanged since the 18th century.
Given the age of the structure, handicapped access is limited and there are no rest room facilities.
Visitors should enter through the cemetery gate entrance.
The lectures are free and open to all, supported by a grant from the county and offered as part of Dutchess County’s participation in the nation’s 250th anniversary commemoration.