District #2 Schoolhouse
As a trustee for the town of Genesee Falls' school district, Letchworth helped design and finance a new schoolhouse that was built on this site in 1874. That schoolhouse remained in use for 60 years and then stood vacant until 1947, when it became the property of New York State. The state sold the building along with its contents in a public auction, and in 1987, 40 years after the 1874 schoolhouse was razed, a replica schoolhouse was rebuilt on the site of the original building.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Education • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1874.
Location. 42° 35.398′ N, 78° 2.36′ W. Marker is near Castile, New York, in Wyoming County. It is on Trout Pond Road, on the left when traveling north. This is in Letchworth Park, the marker is located on Trout Pond Road that intersects Maintenance Rd which is off of the main Park Rd. Note that the road ends at the Trout Pond. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Castile NY 14427, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York, specifically in Western New York, and in the Finger Lakes. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, New Netherland, and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
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Regarding District #2 Schoolhouse. Descriptions of the pictures on the marker:
In 1876, Barnard's American Journal of Education praised the District #2 Schoolhouse for its progressive use of tar paper insulation, its specialized air vent, and its windows with counter balances, all innovations that improved the classroom environment. This watercolor painting of the schoolhouse dates to ca. 1876.
Although few changes were made to the outside of the building, its floor plan and interior finishes did change over time. After William Pryor Letchworth's death in 1910, the town of Genesee Falls District #2 schoolhouse was called the Letchworth Park School.
In its early days the schoolhouse accommodated students in grades 1-12. Later, only students in grades 1-8 attended.
Mr. Letchworth donated
This school bell, which was once used at the District #2 Schoolhouse, is on display at the William Pryor Letchworth Museum.
This floor plan of the schoolhouse dates to ca.1876. Notice that the boys and girls had separate entrances, playgrounds, and privies. A seven-foot-high picket fence separated the boys' and girls' portions of the yard.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 2, 2021. It was originally submitted on March 1, 2021, by Bruce Kelly of Perry, New York. This page has been viewed 436 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on March 1, 2021, by Bruce Kelly of Perry, New York. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
