Steppingstone to Barrington A local real estate agent says some people use Oak Hill as a steppingstone to Barrington, moving as their children approach 7th grade. What residents love about Oak Hill, besides its proximity to East Side shopping, is the neighborhood feel, the welcoming sense that people watch out for one another. Real estate agent Fishman drives through Oak Hill slowly, pointing out local treasures, like Stone Blossom, a floral and gift shop that opened in a historic cottage and greenhouse on Pleasant Street a couple of years ago. A jogger, seeing the car creep by, thinks Fishman is a customer. That's the kind of neighborhood it is, says Joyce Holland, Stone Blossom's owner.
People stop in to chat or have a cup of tea in the relaxing atmosphere of the greenhouse.
Some even rent the quaint shop for bridal and baby showers. May, who was originally from Georgia, loved to garden, Holland says. She enjoyed growing camellias, a flower that doesn't take to the northern climate. To keep his bride from wanting to return to the South, Davis built her the greenhouse where she could do what she loved best. May took her hobby and expanded it into a successful floral business that she ran for over 60 years, until her death.