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The District #6 Schoolhouse, also known locally as the Little Red Schoolhouse located in Brunswick, New York,
The schoolhouse was built either in 1830 or 1837—though sources disagree on which—and served as a local grade school for more than a century. It hosted children ranging from grade one to eight together in one classroom. The district was centered around Clums Corners and was originally designated District 11 until being renamed District 6 sometime between 1854 and 1862.
The structure was built on land donated by Luther and Olive Eddy, who owned a large tract of farmland adjacent to the current lot. Luther Eddy later became the first town superintendent for education in 1844.
After the consolidation of Brunswick Central School District in the 1950s, the school was closed. At one point, it was reopened for a year to accommodate the large student population on the new school's campus.
It was later used as a garage by the school district. The west wall was removed to accommodate vehicles. After that, it was used as a storage house by the district.
During the 1970s, the exterior of the building was restored by the local
Brunswick Historical SocietyTown of BrunswickBrunswick (Brittonkill) Central School District
{{National Register of Historic Places in New York Schoolhouses in the United States National Register of Historic Places in Rensselaer County, New York Defunct schools in New York (state) Brunswick, New York Historical society museums in New York (state) Education museums in the United States
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, is a one-room schoolhouse
One-room schools, or schoolhouses, were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries, including Prussia, Norway, Sweden, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Spain. In most rural and s ...
built c. 1830 or 1837 that was home to grades one through eight until the consolidation of Brunswick (Brittonkill) Central School District
Brunswick (Brittonkill) Central School District (BCSD) is a rural fringe central school district located east of the city of Troy whose main campus resides in the town of Brunswick in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The district ...
in 1952. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
(NRHP) on July 3, 2008 and a dedication ceremony for the accomplishment was held on June 12, 2009.
The building, located on New York Route 278, is still owned by Brunswick Central School District. It is believed to be one of the oldest remaining schoolhouses in Rensselaer County
Rensselaer County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 161,130. Its county seat is Troy. The county is named in honor of the family of Kiliaen van Rensselaer, the original Dutch owner of the ...
.
History
The schoolhouse was built either in 1830 or 1837—though sources disagree on which—and served as a local grade school for more than a century. It hosted children ranging from grade one to eight together in one classroom. The district was centered around Clums Corners and was originally designated District 11 until being renamed District 6 sometime between 1854 and 1862.
The structure was built on land donated by Luther and Olive Eddy, who owned a large tract of farmland adjacent to the current lot. Luther Eddy later became the first town superintendent for education in 1844.
After the consolidation of Brunswick Central School District in the 1950s, the school was closed. At one point, it was reopened for a year to accommodate the large student population on the new school's campus.
It was later used as a garage by the school district. The west wall was removed to accommodate vehicles. After that, it was used as a storage house by the district.
During the 1970s, the exterior of the building was restored by the local Kiwanis
Kiwanis International ( ) is an international service club founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and is found in more than 80 nations and geographic areas. Since 1987, the organizati ...
, including replacing the west wall which had been removed. The building was then used by the Brunswick Historical Society as a museum. By 2007, most of the interior was refurbished by donations of time and materials from local residents.
Beginning in the mid-2000s (decade), an effort was made by the Brunswick Town Historian to add the site to National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
. This would be the second former schoolhouse in the town to be listed on the NRHP, the Garfield School being the first. Following an interior restoration that was completed in 2007, the site was added to the register on July 3, 2008 as District No. 6 Schoolhouse.
References
External links
Brunswick Historical Society
{{National Register of Historic Places in New York Schoolhouses in the United States National Register of Historic Places in Rensselaer County, New York Defunct schools in New York (state) Brunswick, New York Historical society museums in New York (state) Education museums in the United States