Schools of the Past: Greene: District 8, Spring Valley
Returning to the northern section of the Town of Greene, with the research for this district the documented history of the Spring Valley District credit has to be given both to Mrs. Mildred Folsom and to Guernsey Memorial Library for their extensive information. For all who are not familiar with this section of the Town of Greene, this schoolhouse is located at the intersection of New York State #41 and Spring Valley Road and has been converted to a private dwelling.
Documented history of this one-room school gives us the fact that it was active from 1822 to 1940 and we will assume that the original schoolhouse was either log or a very primitive wood frame dwelling. The photo accompanying this article gives us a picture taken in 1929 with the following students in the photo. Left to right: Clifford Davis, Jack Lavin, Edith Decker and Shirley Simmons.
However let us move backward in time to the year of 1844 after the decision had been brought before the Trustees to erect a new schoolhouse. As stated above we are fortunate to have a copy of the original proposal and contract that was drawn to erect the new school. As both of these papers are of historical interest both documents are quoted verbatim for this week’s article.
PROPOSAL
“G.W. Tillotson as Trustee District 8 of Greene
First: I submit the following proposal to build a School House in accordance with specifications of notice: in District 8 of the Town of Greene. Building 23 x 32 feet with “patent” seats & C. for the sum of six hundred and fifty dollars.
Second: Building 23 x 36 feet with best pine seats & C. for the sum of six hundred and twenty-five dollars.
L. S. Eggleston”
CONTRACT
“Contract made and concluded this 26th day of March A. D. 1884 between Franklin Bush of the Town of Greene, County of Chenango and State of New York. Party of the first part, and George W. Tillotson as Trustee of School District No. 8 of Greene, County and State aforesaid of the second part.
To Wit; the said Franklin Bush agrees to remove the old school house on the schoolhouse site of the schoolhouse site of said District 8 so as to give room sufficient to build a new schoolhouse on said site, and leave the old schoolhouse leveled and in condition for school purpose.
Also to build a new school house on said site to be 23 x 32 feet on the ground, for the foundation of which a trench shall be dug two feet wide, and two feet deep unless level-jean (this is questionable wording - difficult to decipher handwriting) shall be found at a less dept, said trench to be filled with small stone, on which an underpinning to be one foot high from the ground at the level join shall be laid in cement.
The sides of said house to be 8 x 8 inches and the sleepers (the oblique rafter that lies in a gutter) to be 3 x 8 inches and double bridged. The frame to be a “balloon frame” the sleepers, studding and joints to be 1 % feet apart from center to center. Studs to be 2 x 4 inches and joints 2x8 inches. Plates to be made of two thicknesses of 2 x 4 scantlings (In United States, timber sawed or cut into pieces of small size, as for studs, rails, et.) with joints well broken.
Roof boards to be of inch hemlock and sill, sleepers, joists, studs, and roof boards to be of good sound hemlock. Roof to be shingled with shaved hemlock shingles and laid not more than five inches to the weather. Cornice to be not less than one foot out, siding to be “Cove siding” and lined with sheathing paper. The rooms of said building shall be twelve feet high in the clear and ceiled through on with one inch ceiling.
Floor to be of 1 % inches and lined.
Floor, ceilings, siding, cornice and shingles to be of good well seasoned pine.
The schoolroom shall be 23 x 32 feed and seated with sixteen patent seats and one row of pine seats against ceiling on North end, and a Teachers desk,, also a wood room to be 10 x 11 feed to be sealed inside with inch hemlock, also two entry rooms one on each side of wood recess.
The building to have eight twelve lighted 10 x 16 glass windows. The outside doors to be 2 feet inches by 6 feet inches, 1 1/2 inches thick, inside doors to be 2 - 6X 6 X 6. Chimney to be built so as to receive (unreadable word) below ceiling. Also to build two privies with vaults three feet deep.
The whole to be done in workmanlike manner and painted with two coats of pure lead and oil paint, and be completed by the first day of August next.
For which the said George W. Tillotson agrees to pay him by order on the District Collector the sum of four hundred and seventy five ($475) dollars when completed and inspected.
For witness where of the said parties have thereunto set their hands and seals on the day and in the year first above written.
Franklin Bush
George W. Tillotson”
In closing this article it is most fortunate to have this original contract survive as so many of the school records have been destroyed. Finally Part 2 will continue the history of the Spring Valley school and again the plea: if you have documented written history of no importance to you, please pass it on to your local historian.
Documented history of this one-room school gives us the fact that it was active from 1822 to 1940 and we will assume that the original schoolhouse was either log or a very primitive wood frame dwelling. The photo accompanying this article gives us a picture taken in 1929 with the following students in the photo. Left to right: Clifford Davis, Jack Lavin, Edith Decker and Shirley Simmons.
However let us move backward in time to the year of 1844 after the decision had been brought before the Trustees to erect a new schoolhouse. As stated above we are fortunate to have a copy of the original proposal and contract that was drawn to erect the new school. As both of these papers are of historical interest both documents are quoted verbatim for this week’s article.
PROPOSAL
“G.W. Tillotson as Trustee District 8 of Greene
First: I submit the following proposal to build a School House in accordance with specifications of notice: in District 8 of the Town of Greene. Building 23 x 32 feet with “patent” seats & C. for the sum of six hundred and fifty dollars.
Second: Building 23 x 36 feet with best pine seats & C. for the sum of six hundred and twenty-five dollars.
L. S. Eggleston”
CONTRACT
“Contract made and concluded this 26th day of March A. D. 1884 between Franklin Bush of the Town of Greene, County of Chenango and State of New York. Party of the first part, and George W. Tillotson as Trustee of School District No. 8 of Greene, County and State aforesaid of the second part.
To Wit; the said Franklin Bush agrees to remove the old school house on the schoolhouse site of the schoolhouse site of said District 8 so as to give room sufficient to build a new schoolhouse on said site, and leave the old schoolhouse leveled and in condition for school purpose.
Also to build a new school house on said site to be 23 x 32 feet on the ground, for the foundation of which a trench shall be dug two feet wide, and two feet deep unless level-jean (this is questionable wording - difficult to decipher handwriting) shall be found at a less dept, said trench to be filled with small stone, on which an underpinning to be one foot high from the ground at the level join shall be laid in cement.
The sides of said house to be 8 x 8 inches and the sleepers (the oblique rafter that lies in a gutter) to be 3 x 8 inches and double bridged. The frame to be a “balloon frame” the sleepers, studding and joints to be 1 % feet apart from center to center. Studs to be 2 x 4 inches and joints 2x8 inches. Plates to be made of two thicknesses of 2 x 4 scantlings (In United States, timber sawed or cut into pieces of small size, as for studs, rails, et.) with joints well broken.
Roof boards to be of inch hemlock and sill, sleepers, joists, studs, and roof boards to be of good sound hemlock. Roof to be shingled with shaved hemlock shingles and laid not more than five inches to the weather. Cornice to be not less than one foot out, siding to be “Cove siding” and lined with sheathing paper. The rooms of said building shall be twelve feet high in the clear and ceiled through on with one inch ceiling.
Floor to be of 1 % inches and lined.
Floor, ceilings, siding, cornice and shingles to be of good well seasoned pine.
The schoolroom shall be 23 x 32 feed and seated with sixteen patent seats and one row of pine seats against ceiling on North end, and a Teachers desk,, also a wood room to be 10 x 11 feed to be sealed inside with inch hemlock, also two entry rooms one on each side of wood recess.
The building to have eight twelve lighted 10 x 16 glass windows. The outside doors to be 2 feet inches by 6 feet inches, 1 1/2 inches thick, inside doors to be 2 - 6X 6 X 6. Chimney to be built so as to receive (unreadable word) below ceiling. Also to build two privies with vaults three feet deep.
The whole to be done in workmanlike manner and painted with two coats of pure lead and oil paint, and be completed by the first day of August next.
For which the said George W. Tillotson agrees to pay him by order on the District Collector the sum of four hundred and seventy five ($475) dollars when completed and inspected.
For witness where of the said parties have thereunto set their hands and seals on the day and in the year first above written.
Franklin Bush
George W. Tillotson”
In closing this article it is most fortunate to have this original contract survive as so many of the school records have been destroyed. Finally Part 2 will continue the history of the Spring Valley school and again the plea: if you have documented written history of no importance to you, please pass it on to your local historian.
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