District School No. 14
Encyclopedia
The former District School No. 14 building is located on Academy Street in Pine Hill
, New York, United States. It is a concrete-sided frame
building erected in the mid-1920s.
It replaced an 1880s school on the site that had burned down. Architecturally it combines the Colonial Revival
and American Craftsman
styles
, both popular at the time it was built. Its interior layout also reflects changes in school building standards issued by New York's Education Department
in 1910 that ended the one-room schoolhouse era in rural areas such as that section of the Catskills
.
Classes were held there until 1960, when all the small local school districts in that area of western Ulster County
were centralized. Afterwards it went through a variety of commercial reuses. Later it was transferred to the Town of Shandaken
, which has converted
it into the local historical museum known as the Town of Shandaken Historical Museum.
In 1997 the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
NY 28
. The ground slopes down to the east. The neighborhood is mostly residential, with homes on lots
with mature tree cover. A short distance to the southeast is the Morton Memorial Library
and Elm Street Stone Arch Bridge
, both also listed on the Register.
The building itself is a five-by-three-bay
two-story structure on a raised concrete
foundation
. It is faced in flat boards covered in stucco
and wire lath
. The peaked roof is covered in asphalt shingles and pierced by a small octagonal belfry
.
On the west (front) facade
is a full-width projection a single bay deep, with a gable
d central entrance bay projecting from it. Its roof has broad eaves supported by knee brackets
. The rear has a projecting entrance at ground level, where the slope exposes the entire basement.
The main entrance's glazed double doors are framed in a Colonial Revival
surround topped by a round-arched Palladian-style light. They open into an entrance vestibule
with stairs leading to both the basement and upper story. The former, a gym
nasium/auditorium
, remains intact. In the latter, classroom walls have been removed to create an open space more in keeping with the building's current use. Flooring throughout the interior is the original maple
tongue and groove
planking. The walls and 12-foot (4 m) ceilings also retain their original plaster on lath
.
ed the land to the district for that purpose. That building was located on the southeast corner of the site, just east of the present building.
In the early 1920s, it burned down. The community decided to rebuild on the site. The new school would be known as the District 14 school due to administrative changes to the area's districting.
A new building was authorized in 1924. Thomas Storey, a builder from nearby Arkville
, was hired for the job. He finished it in May 1925, at a cost of $23,000 ($ in contemporary dollars), $3,000 over the amount originally budgeted and five months after his original expected date of completion. Classes were held in the building starting that September.
Its design combines two then-popular architectural styles. The hipped roof
, belfry and entrance are hallmarks of the Colonial Revival
style, while the brackets, exposed rafters, six-over-one sash window
s and stucco finish are associated with the American Craftsman
movement.
The building's design was also affected by new standards the state put out in 1910 for school buildings. These led many rural communities to abandon traditional one-room schoolhouses in favor of slightly larger multi-purpose buildings with several rooms that could be used for different educational purposes. They were meant to use natural lighting as much as possible, hence the high ceilings. The exterior stucco finish and interior plaster also met a new state requirement that frame structures be enclosed in incombustible material, adopted in the wake of the 1908 Collinwood school fire
near Cleveland
, which killed 175, most of them students.
The school stayed in use until 1960, when the small rural districts in the area were consolidated into what is today the Onteora Central School District
. Four years later, the district transferred it to the then-village of Pine Hill, which used it for a while as a youth center. Later it would be used privately, serving as a coat manufacturing center and furniture repair shop. For those purposes, the walls upstairs were removed.
In 1985, when Pine Hill's residents voted to dissolve
the village, title reverted to the Town of Shandaken
, which eventually allowed its historical society to move in and start the museum which continues in operation. It has exhibits on all 12 of the hamlets in the town, a recreated schoolroom, and antiques.
Pine Hill, New York
Pine Hill is a hamlet in the western part of the town of Shandaken in Ulster County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the CDP had a total population of 308.- History :...
, New York, United States. It is a concrete-sided 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...
building erected in the mid-1920s.
It replaced an 1880s school on the site that had burned down. Architecturally it combines the Colonial Revival
Colonial Revival architecture
The Colonial Revival was a nationalistic architectural style, garden design, and interior design movement in the United States which sought to revive elements of Georgian architecture, part of a broader Colonial Revival Movement in the arts. In the early 1890s Americans began to value their own...
and American Craftsman
American Craftsman
The American Craftsman Style, or the American Arts and Crafts Movement, is an American domestic architectural, interior design, landscape design, applied arts, and decorative arts style and lifestyle philosophy that began in the last years of the 19th century. As a comprehensive design and art...
styles
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
, both popular at the time it was built. Its interior layout also reflects changes in school building standards issued by New York's Education Department
New York State Education Department
The New York State Education Department is the state education department in New York. It is part of the University of the State of New York , one of the most complete, interconnected systems of educational services in the United States...
in 1910 that ended the one-room schoolhouse era in rural areas such as that section of the Catskills
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
.
Classes were held there until 1960, when all the small local school districts in that area of western Ulster County
Ulster County, New York
Ulster County is a county located in the state of New York, USA. It sits in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 182,493. Recent population estimates completed by the United States Census Bureau for the 12-month period ending July 1 are at...
were centralized. Afterwards it went through a variety of commercial reuses. Later it was transferred to the Town of Shandaken
Shandaken, New York
Shandaken is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 3,235. The name is from a native phrase for "land of rapid waters."...
, which has converted
Adaptive reuse
Adaptive reuse refers to the process of reusing an old site or building for a purpose other than which it was built or designed for. Along with brownfield reclamation, adaptive reuse is seen by many as a key factor in land conservation and the reduction of urban sprawl...
it into the local historical museum known as the Town of Shandaken Historical Museum.
In 1997 the building 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...
.
Building
The school is located on the east side of Academy Street a short distance south of state highwayState 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...
NY 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...
. The ground slopes down to the east. The neighborhood is mostly residential, with homes on lots
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...
with mature tree cover. A short distance to the southeast is the Morton Memorial Library
Morton Memorial Library (Pine Hill, New York)
Morton Memorial Library is located on Elm Street in Pine Hill, New York, United States. It is a stone building in the Georgian Revival architectural style built at the beginning of the 20th century....
and Elm Street Stone Arch Bridge
Elm Street Stone Arch Bridge
The Elm Street Stone Arch Bridge is located along that street in Pine Hill, New York, United States. It is a short bridge built over Alton Creek in the early 20th century using stonemasonry techniques and an arch bridge design that had been employed in the Catskills since the 18th century, one...
, both also listed on the Register.
The building itself is a five-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:...
two-story structure on a raised concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
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:...
. It is faced in flat boards covered in stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
and wire lath
Lath
A lath is a thin, narrow strip of some straight-grained wood or other material, including metal or gypsum. A lattice, or lattice-work, is a criss-crossed or interlaced arrangement of laths, or the pattern made by such an arrangement...
. The peaked roof is covered in asphalt shingles and pierced by a small octagonal belfry
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...
.
On the west (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"....
is a full-width projection a single bay deep, 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 central entrance bay projecting from it. Its roof has broad eaves supported by knee brackets
Bracket (architecture)
A bracket is an architectural member made of wood, stone, or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight. It may also support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They can be entirely...
. The rear has a projecting entrance at ground level, where the slope exposes the entire basement.
The main entrance's glazed double doors are framed in a Colonial Revival
Colonial Revival architecture
The Colonial Revival was a nationalistic architectural style, garden design, and interior design movement in the United States which sought to revive elements of Georgian architecture, part of a broader Colonial Revival Movement in the arts. In the early 1890s Americans began to value their own...
surround topped by a round-arched Palladian-style light. They open into an entrance 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...
with stairs leading to both the basement and upper story. The former, a gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium/auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
, remains intact. In the latter, classroom walls have been removed to create an open space more in keeping with the building's current use. Flooring throughout the interior is the original maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
tongue and groove
Tongue and groove
A strong joint, the tongue and groove joint is widely used for re-entrant angles. The effect of wood shrinkage is concealed when the joint is beaded or otherwise moulded...
planking. The walls and 12-foot (4 m) ceilings also retain their original plaster on lath
Lath and plaster
Lath and plaster is a building process used mainly for interior walls in Canada and the United States until the late 1950s. After the 1950s, drywall began to replace the lath and plaster process in the United States. In the United Kingdom, lath and plaster was used for some interior partition...
.
History
What was known at the time as the District 10 school had been on the Academy Street site since 1884, when a local resident, Richard Hill, deedDeed
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...
ed the land to the district for that purpose. That building was located on the southeast corner of the site, just east of the present building.
In the early 1920s, it burned down. The community decided to rebuild on the site. The new school would be known as the District 14 school due to administrative changes to the area's districting.
A new building was authorized in 1924. Thomas Storey, a builder from nearby Arkville
Arkville, New York
Arkville is a hamlet of the Town of Middletown, New York, United States. It is located along state highway NY 28 a mile north of the village of Margaretville in the western Catskill Mountains. It has the ZIP Code 12406....
, was hired for the job. He finished it in May 1925, at a cost of $23,000 ($ in contemporary dollars), $3,000 over the amount originally budgeted and five months after his original expected date of completion. Classes were held in the building starting that September.
Its design combines two then-popular architectural styles. The hipped roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
, belfry and entrance are hallmarks of the Colonial Revival
Colonial Revival architecture
The Colonial Revival was a nationalistic architectural style, garden design, and interior design movement in the United States which sought to revive elements of Georgian architecture, part of a broader Colonial Revival Movement in the arts. In the early 1890s Americans began to value their own...
style, while the brackets, exposed rafters, six-over-one 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 and stucco finish are associated with the American Craftsman
American Craftsman
The American Craftsman Style, or the American Arts and Crafts Movement, is an American domestic architectural, interior design, landscape design, applied arts, and decorative arts style and lifestyle philosophy that began in the last years of the 19th century. As a comprehensive design and art...
movement.
The building's design was also affected by new standards the state put out in 1910 for school buildings. These led many rural communities to abandon traditional one-room schoolhouses in favor of slightly larger multi-purpose buildings with several rooms that could be used for different educational purposes. They were meant to use natural lighting as much as possible, hence the high ceilings. The exterior stucco finish and interior plaster also met a new state requirement that frame structures be enclosed in incombustible material, adopted in the wake of the 1908 Collinwood school fire
Collinwood School Fire
The Collinwood school fire of Ash Wednesday, March 4, 1908, was one of the deadliest disasters of its type in the United States...
near Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, which killed 175, most of them students.
The school stayed in use until 1960, when the small rural districts in the area were consolidated into what is today the Onteora Central School District
Onteora Central School District
Onteora Central School District is a school district in Boiceville, New York, United States.The superintendent is Phyllis McGill.Laurie Osmond is president of the board of education.-Schools:The district operates the following schools:...
. Four years later, the district transferred it to the then-village of Pine Hill, which used it for a while as a youth center. Later it would be used privately, serving as a coat manufacturing center and furniture repair shop. For those purposes, the walls upstairs were removed.
In 1985, when Pine Hill's residents voted to dissolve
Dissolution (law)
In law, dissolution has multiple meanings.Dissolution is the last stage of liquidation, the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed....
the village, title reverted to the Town of Shandaken
Shandaken, New York
Shandaken is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 3,235. The name is from a native phrase for "land of rapid waters."...
, which eventually allowed its historical society to move in and start the museum which continues in operation. It has exhibits on all 12 of the hamlets in the town, a recreated schoolroom, and antiques.