Indian Rock Schoolhouse
Encyclopedia
Indian Rock Schoolhouse, also known as District 3 Schoolhouse or Webutuck Country Schoolhouse, is located on Mygatt Road in the hamlet of Amenia
, New York, United States. It is a wooden one-room schoolhouse built in the mid-19th century in accordance with a standard state plan for small rural schools that reflected contemporary educational reform movements.
Of 12 such schools built in the Town of Amenia
during that era, only this one survives mostly intact. It remained in use until 1927. In 2002 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. Since then it has been restored
by a nearby private school and has been used for community events and historic education.
, a private institution for children with learning disabilities
, is to the north, across a meadow.
The building is in the southwest corner of the lot, 40 feet (12.2 m) from the road at the end of a short gravel driveway. It is a one-story timber-framed
structure on a stone foundation
17 by with board-and-batten
siding
and a steeply pitched
gable
roof shingled
in cedar
shake
.
All elevations except the north have two double-hung six-over-six sash window
s. Pointed hoods shelter those on the south. In the gable field is another pointed hood with a sign saying "Indian Rock Schoolhouse", giving the period of its use in smaller type. Another, smaller sign identifying the property is in the ground near the southeast corner. At the northeast and northwest corners are entrances with a glass transom
. The north (rear) elevation has two large barn-style doors.
Inside the schoolhouse there are remnants of the original heating system, the flue
and lower section of the brick chimney. Original low wooden wainscoting, with some initials carved into it, remains along the walls, which also have some of the original plaster and blackboard
s. Channels on the floor, where desks and seats were affixed to it, also remain, as do some remnants of the original vestibule
s in the otherwise open interior.
Amenia built 12 such schools around the town. The one on Mygatt Road acquired the name "Indian Rock" from a nearby lookout supposedly used by the area's Native American
tribes. Notwithstanding what is believed to be its construction date, its existence is first mentioned in an 1884 deed
for the sale of the property. It is not known if it had a separate lot then as it does now; however such subdivisions were a common practice for schools in upstate New York
at the time.
In 1927 the school was closed as districts began to consolidate into larger, more permanent schools. It would later be used for storage in the 1950s, when the rear barn doors were added. The building was neglected throughout the remainder of the 20th century, and at the time of its listing on the National Register the windows had been boarded up.
Shortly before then, it had been acquired by the president of the local historical society, who donated it to the Webutuck Schoolhouse Association of Maplebrook School. That organization has been able to raise enough funds to restore
it to its current condition by 2004. It is the only one of the 12 schools built in Amenia to remain largely intact from its original construction.
The association has published a newsletter and maintains a blog
of oral history
of the school from former students, now mostly senior citizen
s. It now has over a hundred members. Maplebrook School has used the building for community service
projects for its students. It continues to host events in conjunction with local public schools, such as an Arbor Day
picnic and Summer Sundays. Students from local day care
centers have even had classes in the building, using slate
s and other period equipment.
Amenia (CDP), New York
Amenia is a hamlet in Dutchess County, New York, United States. The population was 1,115 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined...
, New York, United States. It is a wooden one-room schoolhouse built in the mid-19th century in accordance with a standard state plan for small rural schools that reflected contemporary educational reform movements.
Of 12 such schools built in the Town of Amenia
Amenia (town), New York
Amenia is a town in Dutchess County, United States. New York, United States. The population was 4,048 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the Latin word, amoena, which means "pleasant to the eye."...
during that era, only this one survives mostly intact. It remained in use until 1927. In 2002 it was 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...
. Since then it has been restored
Building restoration
Building restoration describes a particular treatment approach and philosophy within the field of architectural conservation. According the U.S...
by a nearby private school and has been used for community events and historic education.
Building
The school is situated on a one-acre (4,000 m²) lot on the north side of the road, at the north fringe of the developed area of the hamlet. The surrounding terrain is level, mostly open and rural. Amenia's Rural Cemetery is across the curve in the road. To the west is an altered 18th-century house, with an early 19th century gambrel-roofed farmhouse on the east. Maplebrook SchoolMaplebrook School
Maplebrook School is a small boarding school in Amenia, New York, that serves adolescents and young adults with learning differences.-History and Goals:Maplebrook School was founded in 1945 by Serena Merck, Marjorie Finger and Sunny Barlow...
, a private institution for children with learning disabilities
Learning disability
Learning disability is a classification including several disorders in which a person has difficulty learning in a typical manner, usually caused by an unknown factor or factors...
, is to the north, across a meadow.
The building is in the southwest corner of the lot, 40 feet (12.2 m) from the road at the end of a short gravel driveway. It is a one-story timber-framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
structure on a stone 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:...
17 by with board-and-batten
Batten
A batten is a thin strip of solid material, typically made from wood, plastic or metal. Battens are used in building construction and various other fields as both structural and purely cosmetic elements...
siding
Siding
Siding is the outer covering or cladding of a house meant to shed water and protect from the effects of weather. On a building that uses siding, it may act as a key element in the aesthetic beauty of the structure and directly influence its property value....
and a steeply pitched
Roof pitch
In building construction, roof pitch is a numerical measure of the steepness of a roof, and a pitched roof is a roof that is steep.The roof's pitch is the measured vertical rise divided by the measured horizontal span, the same thing as what is called "slope" in geometry. Roof pitch is typically...
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...
roof shingled
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
in cedar
Cedar wood
Cedar wood comes from several different trees that grow in different parts of the world, and may have different uses.* California incense-cedar, from Calocedrus decurrens, is the primary type of wood used for making pencils...
shake
Shake (shingle)
A shake is a basic wooden shingle that is made from split logs. Shakes have traditionally been used for roofing and siding applications around the world. Higher grade shakes are typically used for roofing purposes, while the lower grades are used for siding purposes...
.
All elevations except the north have two double-hung six-over-six sash window
Sash window
A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels or "sashes" that form a frame to hold panes of glass, which are often separated from other panes by narrow muntins...
s. Pointed hoods shelter those on the south. In the gable field is another pointed hood with a sign saying "Indian Rock Schoolhouse", giving the period of its use in smaller type. Another, smaller sign identifying the property is in the ground near the southeast corner. At the northeast and northwest corners are entrances with a glass transom
Transom (architectural)
In architecture, a transom is the term given to a transverse beam or bar in a frame, or to the crosspiece separating a door or the like from a window or fanlight above it. Transom is also the customary U.S. word used for a transom light, the window over this crosspiece...
. The north (rear) elevation has two large barn-style doors.
Inside the schoolhouse there are remnants of the original heating system, the flue
Flue
A flue is a duct, pipe, or chimney for conveying exhaust gases from a fireplace, furnace, water heater, boiler, or generator to the outdoors. In the United States, they are also known as vents and for boilers as breeching for water heaters and modern furnaces...
and lower section of the brick chimney. Original low wooden wainscoting, with some initials carved into it, remains along the walls, which also have some of the original plaster and blackboard
Blackboard
A chalkboard is a reusable writing surface.Blackboard may also refer to:* Blackboards are synonymous with "boards of infamy", an element of agitation-propaganda in the Soviet Union in 1930s, coincidental with Holodomor...
s. Channels on the floor, where desks and seats were affixed to it, also remain, as do some remnants of the original 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...
s in the otherwise open interior.
History
The school was built around 1850, possibly slightly earlier. A decade before New York, following a broad education-reform movement of the time, had issued standard plans for a rural one-room schoolhouse with separate entrances for boys and girls to a single open room inside. Many adopted stylistic features of the early Gothic Revival movement such as steeply pitched roofs and board-and-batten siding, as reflected in a popular 1870 pattern book.Amenia built 12 such schools around the town. The one on Mygatt Road acquired the name "Indian Rock" from a nearby lookout supposedly used by the area's Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribes. Notwithstanding what is believed to be its construction date, its existence is first mentioned in an 1884 deed
Deed
A deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, or affirms or confirms something which passes, an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions sealed...
for the sale of the property. It is not known if it had a separate lot then as it does now; however such subdivisions were a common practice for schools 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...
at the time.
In 1927 the school was closed as districts began to consolidate into larger, more permanent schools. It would later be used for storage in the 1950s, when the rear barn doors were added. The building was neglected throughout the remainder of the 20th century, and at the time of its listing on the National Register the windows had been boarded up.
Shortly before then, it had been acquired by the president of the local historical society, who donated it to the Webutuck Schoolhouse Association of Maplebrook School. That organization has been able to raise enough funds to restore
Building restoration
Building restoration describes a particular treatment approach and philosophy within the field of architectural conservation. According the U.S...
it to its current condition by 2004. It is the only one of the 12 schools built in Amenia to remain largely intact from its original construction.
The association has published a newsletter and maintains a blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
of oral history
Oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
of the school from former students, now mostly senior citizen
Senior citizen
Senior citizen is a common polite designation for an elderly person in both UK and US English, and it implies or means that the person is retired. This in turn implies or in fact means that the person is over the retirement age, which varies according to country. Synonyms include pensioner in UK...
s. It now has over a hundred members. Maplebrook School has used the building for community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
projects for its students. It continues to host events in conjunction with local public schools, such as an Arbor Day
Arbor Day
Arbor Day is a holiday in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant and care for trees. It originated in Nebraska City, Nebraska, United States during 1872 by J. Sterling Morton. The first Arbor Day was held on April 10, 1872, and an estimated 1 million trees were planted that day.Many...
picnic and Summer Sundays. Students from local day care
Day care
Child care or day care is care of a child during the day by a person other than the child's legal guardians, typically performed by someone outside the child's immediate family...
centers have even had classes in the building, using slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
s and other period equipment.