Pearl Street Schoolhouse
Encyclopedia
The Pearl Street Schoolhouse, also known as District 11 Schoolhouse, is located south of the junction of Awosting and Decker roads in the Town of Shawangunk
, New York, United States. It was built around 1850.
The schoolhouse name is derived from the tendency of the Jansen family to speak often of Pearl Street
in what is today Lower Manhattan
. The homes of early settlers Thomas
and Johannes
are within a mile (1.6 km) of each other. Eventually, the whole area they lived in became known as Pearl Street.
The building, now a private home, was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1983. It is a single-story three-by-three-bay
frame
structure on a stone foundation, now parged with concrete. A gable
d roof is pierced by a brick chimney. To the west a modern shed-roofed wing on block piers projects.
Inside, the single room has been divided into two large spaces. Much of the original woodwork, including the wainscoting, remains. Other signs of the building's use as a school are evident, particularly the coat pegs near the south door, a black spot on the floor where the potbelly stove
was and a hole in the wall for its exhaust pipe.
The first record of the building is an 1858 atlas describing the building as a store with the school across the street; however this is believed to be in error because of the building's architecture. In 1875 another atlas describes it as Public School No. 11. It remained in use as a school until 1942-43, after which it was sold for use as a private residence. In 1956 the rear wing was added, and it was expanded nine years later, adding two more rooms to the house.
Shawangunk, New York
Shawangunk is a town in southwestern Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 12,022 at the 2000 census. Like the neighboring mountain range, for which it is named, it is pronounced either as the Munsee Lenape, Shawangunk , or as the colonial Shongum by local residents...
, New York, United States. It was built around 1850.
The schoolhouse name is derived from the tendency of the Jansen family to speak often of Pearl Street
Pearl Street (Manhattan)
Pearl Street is a street in the Lower section of the New York City borough of Manhattan, running northeast from Battery Park to the Brooklyn Bridge, then turning west and terminating at Centre Street...
in what is today Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
. The homes of early settlers Thomas
Thomas Jansen House
The Thomas Jansen House, also known as Dwaarkill Manor, a historic home located on Jansen Road in the western section of the Town of Shawangunk, in Ulster County, New York, USA. It is a Dutch stone house built first in 1727 by Jansen, an early settler of the area...
and Johannes
Johannes Jansen House
The Johannes Jansen House, also known as Johannes Jansen House and Dutch Barn, is located along Decker Road at the foot of the Shawangunk Ridge in the western section of the Town of Shawangunk, in Ulster County, New York, USA. It was started by Jansen, who had settled the area along with his...
are within a mile (1.6 km) of each other. Eventually, the whole area they lived in became known as Pearl Street.
The building, now a private home, was added to 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...
in 1983. It is a single-story three-by-three-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
frame
Framing (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
structure on a stone foundation, now parged with concrete. 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 is pierced by a brick chimney. To the west a modern shed-roofed wing on block piers projects.
Inside, the single room has been divided into two large spaces. Much of the original woodwork, including the wainscoting, remains. Other signs of the building's use as a school are evident, particularly the coat pegs near the south door, a black spot on the floor where the potbelly stove
Potbelly stove
A potbelly stove is a cast-iron wood-burning stove, round with a bulge in the middle. The name is derived from the resemblance of the stove to that of a fat man's pot belly. They were designed to heat large spaces and were often found in train stations or one-room schoolhouses...
was and a hole in the wall for its exhaust pipe.
The first record of the building is an 1858 atlas describing the building as a store with the school across the street; however this is believed to be in error because of the building's architecture. In 1875 another atlas describes it as Public School No. 11. It remained in use as a school until 1942-43, after which it was sold for use as a private residence. In 1956 the rear wing was added, and it was expanded nine years later, adding two more rooms to the house.