East Irvington School
Encyclopedia
The East Irvington School, or East Irvington Public School, is a former school building that served the neighborhood of that name in the town of Greenburgh
, New York
, United States
as part of the Irvington School District. It was built in 1891
to educate the children of a growing population of Irish American
laborers, and was used as a school until 1972. The brick building on Mountain Lane, with a rear entrance on Taxter Road, has since been converted to a condominium
, but remains the oldest standing school building in the area. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1983.
exposed at the rear. A thin stone course
divides the two stories. The school's name appears in molded
concrete
above its main entrance, also surrounded with a concrete entablature
. The windows use stone trim. The rear entrance has a brick, stone and concrete porch
. The asphalt
-shingled
hipped roof
has gable
d, louver
ed dormers on the front and back and an off-center cupola
.
Inside, much of the building remained as it originally was when used as a school, at least at the time of its addition to the Register. It is heavy on wood, particularly oak
, paneling and wainscoting.
grew in the late 19th century, due to the completion of the Hudson River Railroad, it became home to a number of wealthy residents, who imitated the village's namesake, Washington Irving
, by buying, building or expanding large houses along the river
. This activity, and the maintenance of those houses, required a large labor force. Irish immigrants, already drawn to the area by jobs on the railroad, the docks and the building of the Croton Aqueduct, filled them. They settled in a previously rural area to the east of Irvington that quickly came to be known as "Little Dublin".
Irvington had built its first public school in 1872 in the village, but that wasn't enough to handle the pupils from further inland. Accordingly, East Irvington School was built in 1891 as a single-story building, educating students from kindergarten
to eighth grade
, including some from the village.
By 1925 continued population growth led to the addition of the second story. In the early 1950s, what was now the Irvington Union Free School District changed its grade structure to the district's primary school, educating all students from kindergarten to second grade
, but by 1955 it was back to its original grades, but reverted again to limited grade use in 1960. The school was finally closed in 1972. The building stood vacant for a decade before being converted
into a condominium in the 1980s. The former school yard is now East Irvington Park.
Greenburgh, New York
Greenburgh is a town in the western part of Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 88,400 at the 2010 census. Paul J. Feiner has been the Town Supervisor since 1991.-History:...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as part of the Irvington School District. It was built in 1891
1891 in architecture
The year 1891 in architecture involved some significant events.-Buildings:*Monadnock Building - Chicago, tallest masonry load-bearing wall building when built.*Wainwright Building - St...
to educate the children of a growing population of Irish American
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
laborers, and was used as a school until 1972. The brick building on Mountain Lane, with a rear entrance on Taxter Road, has since been converted to a condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
, but remains the oldest standing school building in the area. It 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.
Building
The two-story brick building sits on a dressed-rock foundationFoundation (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:...
exposed at the rear. A thin stone course
Course (architecture)
A course is a continuous horizontal layer of similarly-sized building material one unit high, usually in a wall. The term is almost always used in conjunction with unit masonry such as brick, cut stone, or concrete masonry units .-Styles:...
divides the two stories. The school's name appears in molded
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
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...
above its main entrance, also surrounded with a concrete entablature
Entablature
An entablature refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and are commonly divided into the architrave , the frieze ,...
. The windows use stone trim. The rear entrance has a brick, stone and concrete porch
Porch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
. The asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
-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...
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...
has 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, louver
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
ed dormers on the front and back and an off-center cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
.
Inside, much of the building remained as it originally was when used as a school, at least at the time of its addition to the Register. It is heavy on wood, particularly oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, paneling and wainscoting.
History
As the nearby village of IrvingtonIrvington, New York
Irvington, sometimes known as Irvington-on-Hudson, is an affluent suburban village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a station stop on the...
grew in the late 19th century, due to the completion of the Hudson River Railroad, it became home to a number of wealthy residents, who imitated the village's namesake, Washington Irving
Washington Irving
Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
, by buying, building or expanding large houses along the river
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. This activity, and the maintenance of those houses, required a large labor force. Irish immigrants, already drawn to the area by jobs on the railroad, the docks and the building of the Croton Aqueduct, filled them. They settled in a previously rural area to the east of Irvington that quickly came to be known as "Little Dublin".
Irvington had built its first public school in 1872 in the village, but that wasn't enough to handle the pupils from further inland. Accordingly, East Irvington School was built in 1891 as a single-story building, educating students from kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
to eighth grade
Eighth grade
Eighth grade is a year of education in the United States, Canada, Australia and other nations. Students are usually 13 - 14 years old. The eighth grade is typically the final grade before high school, and the ninth grade of public and private education, following kindergarten and subsequent grades...
, including some from the village.
By 1925 continued population growth led to the addition of the second story. In the early 1950s, what was now the Irvington Union Free School District changed its grade structure to the district's primary school, educating all students from kindergarten to second grade
Second grade
In the United States, second grade is a year of primary education. Second grade is the second school year after kindergarten. Students are traditionally 7–8 years old, depending on when their birthday occurs....
, but by 1955 it was back to its original grades, but reverted again to limited grade use in 1960. The school was finally closed in 1972. The building stood vacant for a decade before being 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...
into a condominium in the 1980s. The former school yard is now East Irvington Park.
External links
- East Irvington Public School, at Irvington Historical Society