District No. 1 Schoolhouse | |
Area: | Less than 1acres |
Coordinates: | 42.7512°N -73.5747°W |
Location: | Clums Corners, North Greenbush, New York |
Nearest City: | Troy |
Built: | c. 1830 or 1837 |
Architecture: | Greek revival[1] |
Added: | July 3, 2008 |
Refnum: | 08000582 |
The District #6 Schoolhouse, also known locally as the Little Red Schoolhouse [2] located in Brunswick, New York, United States, is a one-room schoolhouse built c. 1830 or 1837[1] that was home to grades one through eight until the consolidation of Brunswick (Brittonkill) Central School District in 1952.[3] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on July 3, 2008[4] and a dedication ceremony for the accomplishment was held on June 12, 2009.[3]
The building, located on New York Route 278, is still owned by Brunswick Central School District.[3] It is believed to be one of the oldest remaining schoolhouses in Rensselaer County.[1]
The schoolhouse was built either in 1830 or 1837[1] —though sources disagree on which—and served as a local grade school for more than a century. It hosted children ranging from grade one to eight together in one classroom. The district was centered around Clums Corners and was originally designated District 11 until being renamed District 6 sometime between 1854 and 1862.[1]
The structure was built on land donated by Luther and Olive Eddy, who owned a large tract of farmland adjacent to the current lot.[1] Luther Eddy later became the first town superintendent for education in 1844.[5]
After the consolidation of Brunswick Central School District in the 1950s, the school was closed. At one point, it was reopened for a year to accommodate the large student population on the new school's campus.
It was later used as a garage by the school district. The west wall was removed to accommodate vehicles.[1] After that, it was used as a storage house by the district.[1]
During the 1970s, the exterior of the building was restored by the local Kiwanis, including replacing the west wall which had been removed.[1] The building was then used by the Brunswick Historical Society as a museum. By 2007, most of the interior was refurbished by donations of time and materials from local residents.
Beginning in the mid-2000s (decade), an effort was made by the Brunswick Town Historian to add the site to National Register of Historic Places.[1] This would be the second former schoolhouse in the town to be listed on the NRHP, the Garfield School being the first.[1] [6] Following an interior restoration that was completed in 2007, the site was added to the register on July 3, 2008 as District No. 6 Schoolhouse.[4]