District 10 School
Encyclopedia
The former District 10 School is located just north of state highway
s 28
and 30
south of Margaretville
, New York, United States. It is a stone one-room schoolhouse built, demolished and rebuilt in the middle of the 19th century.
It was the only structure left standing in the large area condemned
by New York City
when nearby Pepacton Reservoir
was built. Today it serves as a local history museum. In 1998 it and its privy
were listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
of the Delaware River
, the waterway impounded to create the reservoir, is a short distance to the northwest.
The main building is a small one-story structure, 36 by, of fieldstone
walls and foundation
with a gable
d roof covered in asphalt shingles, pierced by a small bell tower
at the front and a brick chimney
at the rear. Clapboard
fills in the gable ends. A single paneled door is centrally located in the south (front) facade
; there are three windows on either side and two on the rear. A stone step leads up to the front door, supplemented by a modern wooden wheelchair ramp
. At the left, five feet (1.75 m) off the ground is a datestone
with "1820" on it.
Inside a small vestibule
opens into the main schoolroom, with wooden floors, walls in horizontal wood siding to four feet (1.3 m) and pressed tin above joining a similar ceiling. A box stove is at the rear, and blackboards and desks and other school items, some original, are located within.
The privy is northeast of the school. It is a small frame building, 6½ by 10½ feet (2 by 3.2 m) on a stone foundation, sided in clapboard with an asphalt roof. There are two rooms, one for boys and another for girls.
the small lot
where the school stands now to the school district with the condition that it could only be used for educational or religious purposes by them or any subsequent owner. The townspeople built a school of fieldstone, an unusual material for a schoolhouse in upstate New York
but probably understandable in Dunraven due to its local abundance. Its appearance is not known, although it may have been similar to the current building. The original privy, whose exact date of construction is not known, had no separate toilets.
By 1857 the school had fallen into disrepair, and was apparently torn down. The stones were saved to be rebuilt with new mortar
in 1860. Eighty years later, in 1940, the small local districts were centralized, and the school became the property of the Margaretville Central School District.
After World War II
, when New York City began the process of acquiring and condemning
land for Pepacton Reservoir
, it first attempted to overturn the deed restriction in order to demolish the school. It was unsuccessful, and after it abandoned the attempt the district tried to sell the building. Voters rejected the proposal, and the district then transferred the property to the Town of Middletown
for use as a historical museum. It also serves some other public purposes.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
s 28
New York State Route 28
New York State Route 28 is a state highway extending for in the shape of a "C" between the Hudson Valley city of Kingston and southern Warren County in the U.S. state of New York. Along the way, it intersects several major routes, including Interstate 88 , U.S. Route 20 , and the...
and 30
New York State Route 30
New York State Route 30 is a state highway in the central part of New York in the United States. It extends for from an interchange with NY 17 in the Southern Tier to the Canadian border in the state's North Country, where it continues into Quebec as Route 138. On a regional level,...
south of Margaretville
Margaretville, New York
Margaretville is a village in Delaware County, New York, United States. The population was 643 at the 2000 census.The Village of Margaretville is in the Town of Middletown. The village is on the border of the Catskill Park...
, New York, United States. It is a stone one-room schoolhouse built, demolished and rebuilt in the middle of the 19th century.
It was the only structure left standing in the large area condemned
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
by New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
when nearby Pepacton Reservoir
Pepacton Reservoir
The Pepacton Reservoir, also known as the Downsville Reservoir or the Downsville Dam, is a reservoir in Delaware County, New York that was formed by impounding over ¼ of the East Branch of the Delaware River...
was built. Today it serves as a local history museum. In 1998 it and its privy
Outhouse
An outhouse is a small structure separate from a main building which often contained a simple toilet and may possibly also be used for housing animals and storage.- Terminology :...
were listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Property
The school and privy are at the end of a small unpaved road leading north from the highway about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Margaretville, just north of the reservoir. The area around the school is wooded and otherwise undeveloped. The East BranchEast Branch Delaware River
The East Branch Delaware River, approximately 75 miles long in the U.S. state of New York, is one of two branches, along with the West Branch, that join to form the Delaware River. It flows through a mountainous area on the southwestern edge of the Catskill Park. For a long stretch it serves...
of the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
, the waterway impounded to create the reservoir, is a short distance to the northwest.
The main building is a small one-story structure, 36 by, of fieldstone
Fieldstone
Fieldstone is a building construction material. Strictly speaking, it is stone collected from the surface of fields where it occurs naturally...
walls and foundation
Foundation (architecture)
A foundation is the lowest and supporting layer of a structure. Foundations are generally divided into two categories: shallow foundations and deep foundations.-Shallow foundations:...
with a gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roof covered in asphalt shingles, pierced by a small bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
at the front and a brick chimney
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
at the rear. Clapboard
Clapboard (architecture)
Clapboard, also known as bevel siding or lap siding or weather-board , is a board used typically for exterior horizontal siding that has one edge thicker than the other and where the board above laps over the one below...
fills in the gable ends. A single paneled door is centrally located in the south (front) facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
; there are three windows on either side and two on the rear. A stone step leads up to the front door, supplemented by a modern wooden wheelchair ramp
Wheelchair ramp
A wheelchair ramp is an inclined plane installed in addition to or instead of stairs. Ramps permit wheelchair users, as well as people pushing strollers, carts, or other wheeled objects, to more easily access a building....
. At the left, five feet (1.75 m) off the ground is a datestone
Datestone
A datestone is typically an embedded stone with the date of engraving and other information carved into it. They are not considered a very reliable source for dating a house, as instances of old houses being destroyed and rebuilt have been reported.Specific locations have often been chosen for...
with "1820" on it.
Inside a small vestibule
Vestibule (architecture)
A vestibule is a lobby, entrance hall, or passage between the entrance and the interior of a building.The same term can apply to structures in modern or ancient roman architecture. In modern architecture vestibule typically refers to a small room or hall between an entrance and the interior of...
opens into the main schoolroom, with wooden floors, walls in horizontal wood siding to four feet (1.3 m) and pressed tin above joining a similar ceiling. A box stove is at the rear, and blackboards and desks and other school items, some original, are located within.
The privy is northeast of the school. It is a small frame building, 6½ by 10½ feet (2 by 3.2 m) on a stone foundation, sided in clapboard with an asphalt roof. There are two rooms, one for boys and another for girls.
History
Dunraven had its own school as early as 1765, when a wooden school was built somewhere in the vicinity. It burned sometime between its construction and 1820, when a local couple conveyedConveyancing
In law, conveyancing is the transfer of legal title of property from one person to another, or the granting of an encumbrance such as a mortgage or a lien....
the small lot
Lot (real estate)
In real estate, a lot or plot is a tract or parcel of land owned or meant to be owned by some owner. A lot is essentially considered a parcel of real property in some countries or immovable property in other countries...
where the school stands now to the school district with the condition that it could only be used for educational or religious purposes by them or any subsequent owner. The townspeople built a school of fieldstone, an unusual material for a schoolhouse in upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
but probably understandable in Dunraven due to its local abundance. Its appearance is not known, although it may have been similar to the current building. The original privy, whose exact date of construction is not known, had no separate toilets.
By 1857 the school had fallen into disrepair, and was apparently torn down. The stones were saved to be rebuilt with new mortar
Mortar (masonry)
Mortar is a workable paste used to bind construction blocks together and fill the gaps between them. The blocks may be stone, brick, cinder blocks, etc. Mortar becomes hard when it sets, resulting in a rigid aggregate structure. Modern mortars are typically made from a mixture of sand, a binder...
in 1860. Eighty years later, in 1940, the small local districts were centralized, and the school became the property of the Margaretville Central School District.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when New York City began the process of acquiring and condemning
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
land for Pepacton Reservoir
Pepacton Reservoir
The Pepacton Reservoir, also known as the Downsville Reservoir or the Downsville Dam, is a reservoir in Delaware County, New York that was formed by impounding over ¼ of the East Branch of the Delaware River...
, it first attempted to overturn the deed restriction in order to demolish the school. It was unsuccessful, and after it abandoned the attempt the district tried to sell the building. Voters rejected the proposal, and the district then transferred the property to the Town of Middletown
Middletown, Delaware County, New York
Middletown is a town in Delaware County, New York, United States. The population was 4,051 at the 2000 census.The Town of Middletown is in the southeast part of the county.- History :...
for use as a historical museum. It also serves some other public purposes.