National Registry designation will help Rosendale receive grants for restoration
One of Niskayuna’s oldest buildings will undergo preservation efforts to bring an old school back to the days of its prime.
The Rosendale Common School, later known as the Niskayuna Grange Hall #1542, was recently placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built around the 1850s, the school retains many important architectural features. In June 1948, the school building was sold to the Niskayuna Grange, which played a vital role in the agricultural economy of time.
It is considered a rare and intact example of 19th century schoolhouse, said Dan Keefe, spokesman for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
The school is constructed of wood and locally quarried limestone, which where materials that were abundant during construction. Some of the surviving architectural features are the shutters, windows and Victorian entrance doors.
Keefe said the newly acquired status allows the town to apply for certain national programs to help facilitate improvements.
`We are very pleased that it is placed on the register because it will allow us to receive funding from various preservation sources,` said Town Supervisor Joe Landry. `It is locked up right now, and we’re planning on working with ECOS, so that it has a public use.`
The Town Board passed a resolution Tuesday, Aug. 31, for the town to enter into an agreement with the not-for-profit ECOS: The Environmental Clearinghouse. The Rosendale Common School would become ECOS’s office location.
Patrick Clear, executive director of ECOS, said Luke Smith, former town supervisor, had approached the group about moving into the building because it remained empty since the 1960’s.
`It is right at the entrance of the Lisha Kill Nature Preserve and there is also two schools right near here,` said Clear. `It is a great location in a residential neighborhood and the space is right. It is a former one-room schoolhouse, and we are a small organization. It is really a good size for us.`
Landry said an addition would be built at the back of the building to accommodate ECOS, while preserving the rest of the building with a possible display and educational area. Currently, ECOS has $51,000 toward the addition. Landry estimates restoring the inside of the building could range from $80,000 to $120,000.
Clear said it could be months before actual renovations start. The building’s foundation is the first area that needs to be repaired, said Clear, and it can’t be done in the winter months.
ECOS does a variety of environmental activities. Clear said they do environmental education and nature walks for adults, families and schools. Currently they’re working on a conference for late winter to early spring on smart growth and development. They also publish a series of nature area guides, which give maps and descriptions for Saratoga, Schenectady, Albany and Rensselaer counties.
`I like being outdoors a lot,` said Clear. `For me it is mostly a learning experience.“
