Major Bibliographical References (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.) Previous documentation on file (NPS): Primary location of additional data: _ preliminary determination of individual listing (36 _ State Historic Preservation Office CFR 67) has been requested Other State agency _ previously listed in the National Register .Federal agency - previously determined eligible by the National _ Local government Register . University _ designated a National Historic Landmark x Other _ recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey Name of repository: # Richmond Historical Commission _ recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # NPS Form 1 10-900-2 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet OMB Approval No.
1024-0018 Section number_7/8 Page_4/1 Northeast School, District #1 Richmond, Berkshire County, MA upland terrace within 1000 feet of wetlands. A stream located northeast of the school drains northerly to Richmond Pond within the Housatonic River drainage. Soils in the area are characteristically extremely stony, a factor that may adversely effect the ancient Native American site potential for this area. Given the above information, known ancient Native American settlement patterns in the region, the size of the parcel (3.17 acres) and impacts related to relocation of the school in 1993 and construction of the foundation and basement, a moderate to high potential exists for locating ancient Native American resources on the property. A low potential exists for locating historic archaeological resources on the school property.
The school was moved to its present site in 1993 from across the street indicating little potential for locating resources related to the school at the present site. No additional historic land use has been identified for this location. (end) 8. SIGNIFICANCE: The Town of Richmond's Northeast School (RIC-43) is eligible under Criteria A and C on a local level of significance as an late 18th century surviving example of a one-room rural school house in western Massachusetts, and the earliest of six school houses known to have been built in the Town of Richmond. It is the only school house in town which has not been converted to residential use. It is eligible historically under Criterion A as a reflection of a rural Richmond's response to population increases and a growing understanding of the need for readily available public education in the community.
It is significant architecturally under Criterion C as an intact surviving example of a district school. In order to preserve it, the building was moved a short distance in 1993 from its original location on the east side of Summit Road to the west side, and therefore meets Criterion Consideration B. The property contains a non-contributing wooden sign erected in 1993 at the current site. The area today comprising the towns of Richmond and Lenox was settled in 1758 on sections of land known as Mt. Ephraim and Yokuntown, purchased from two Mahican sachems named Ephriam and Yokun. In 1762, the area west of Lenox Mountain (Yokun's Seat) was set off as Mt. Ephriam, later to become Richmont in 1765.
Primarily an agricultural community, Richmond grew slowly due to a lack of (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page_2 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Northeast School, District #1 Richmond, Berkshire County, MA available water power which limited industrial development until 1829 when the discovery of iron ore on thec Cone darumlac eo the dis 1p)eas of amios ianr anh iron koit shen Batkstire Seauiny, rto sat Thce furnaces in West Stockbridge, Stockbridge, Lenox Dale, Adams, and Van Deusenville. First fired in 1830, it remained in operation until 1923. The area that was set off as Richmond had two main thoroughfares which passed through town.
The north-south road which today corresponds roughly to State Route 41 was shown on the 1795 map as the "road from Connecticut to Lebanon Springs and thence to Bennington." This road traverses the west portion of town. The 1795 map shows an east-west road marked as a "market road from Kinderhook Landing [NY] to Pittsfield, [Massachusetts]." Close to this intersection, now Summit Road and Route 41, in a broad valley a major settlement grew up where the first and second meetinghouses were located. Another old highway came northwest diagonally from the Connecticut line through Sandisfield, Otis, Becket and Lenox through the northeast section of Richmond to the New York state border, laid out to connect Hartford with Albany. From 1800 to 1820, this road was part of the Tenth Massachusetts or Farmington River Turnpike, sections of which continued to collect tolls until 1845.
At Stevens Corners, it crossed the Kinderhook Landing to Pittsfield road, now Summit Road and Swamp Road west and north of the Corners, in the northeast section of Richmond approximately where Osceola Road is today. At this intersection was the second community in Richmond, which became known as "Stevens Corners." The Northeast School house, in School District 1, was situated at Stevens Corners, one of two principal settlements of Richmond with a tavern and store. Today, the Corners is the intersection of five roads. Swamp Road tends southwest to West Stockbridge. Osceola Road and Osceola Extension were parts of the Tenth Massachusetts Turnpike, and Summit Road and Swamp Road were part of the road from Pittsfield west to Kinderhook or Hudson, New York.
At this intersection, around 1790, Vine Branch and his son, Cyprian, built a hostelry with a ballroom on the second floor which stood until 1946 when it burned down. Across Swamp Road to the south, the Branches operated a store (RIC-5). A post office was established in the Branch store in 1806. The Northeast district school house was built east of the Branch store, where it stood until 1993. When Parny Branch married William Stevens in 1816, the area became known as Stevens Corners. In the William R. Stevens obituary, published in the Berkshire Evening Eagle on January 30, 1909, is an excellent short description of Stevens Corners and its importance to the Town of Richmond. The 1909 obituary notes William R.
Stevens's father, also William Stevens, who is described as: "an early settler in Richmond, who for many years kept a typical New England tavern in the northeast part of town, at the junction of five roads. Stevens's Corners, as the site of the hostelry was known, enjoyed the distinction of being the business center of Richmond up to about the year 1850. The post (continued) NPSForm 1 10-900-2 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number_8 Page_3 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Northeast School, District #1 Richmond, Berkshire County, MA office was located there, as was also the general store, besides the only hotel the town ever boasted.
The completion of the Western railroad, now the Boston and Albany, was responsible for the abandonment of the various enterprises at the "Corners" and their subsequent location near the present side of the railroad station." Writing in 1855, Holland's history of Western Massachusetts notes that Richmond schools were established early in the town. Records from the Court of General Sessions in 1772 show that the Town of Richmont, as it was then known, was fined eight pounds, six shillings and eight pence for failing to maintain schools from November 1771 to August of 1772. The Court ordered the fine distributed to the towns of Becket and Partridgefield (Peru). Possibly as a result, in 1772, the first recorded schoolteacher came from Guilford, Connecticut, to teach in the cellar of a private home.
It is likely that the citizens then became serious about maintaining schools, but available records do not indicate when the first school houses were built. In 1781, Richmond was divided into seven school districts. About 1790, the number of school districts was reduced to five and remained so until 1845 when population increases in the iron furnace district near the Richmond furnace at the southwest end of town necessitated a sixth school district and the opening of the Furnace school. That there was a school building in operation at Stevens Corner from 1791 on is well documented. No evidence to the contrary from comprehensive existing town records, it is presumed that the current Northeast school building is also the original one, constructed by 1791.
A thorough search of deeds, together with the Richmond records from Town Meetings and Reports and School Committee meetings, fails to find mention of a new school house being built in Northeast District One, when other school buildings in town are recorded as having been built anew, moved, or replaced. The Northeast school district was numbered District 1. School Committee Meeting Minutes from 1789-1808 indicate that from 1791-1808 there was a Northeast School building and that it did not burn down or was otherwise replaced. School meetings held regularly at "the school house," indicate that there may have been only one school house in Richmond until 1791, the first specific mention of the Northeast school house building.
Minutes of the School Committee for November 9, 1791, specified that the meeting was held at the "school house in the North East District" and voted that "a school be set up in said district the ensuing winter for the term of four months," and that a committee be appointed to "procure an instructor." Subsequent school committee meetings were noted specifically as having been held at the North East school house or at the school house in the First District, on January 6, and March 30, October 7, 1792, and thereafter throughout 1793 to 1808.
On October 22, 1802, the school committee voted to procure a stove for the Northeast school and exempt two local men, Elephalet Redington and his son, from their obligations for monetary support in exchange for "clearing away the chimney and lathing the (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page_4 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Northeast School, District #1 Richmond, Berkshire County, MA vall and over head where the chimney shall be removed." If the building began with a fireplace, this may Pmake datet necesary replaced ban ing te.
Ae sthoi hous committe on October 25, 1808, voted to The town meeting and school committee records through the 19th century, of which there is a complete run, also do not indicate that the Northeast school building was replaced by a new one, and by 1886, the building is described as having "stood so many years without repair...", indicating a building long in use. A deed between Asahel Royce and Cyprian Branch dated December 9, 1813 involving land at Stevens Corner, mentions "the school house which is E[ast] of said Branch dwelling house (RIC-5)." This deed goes on to describe the land adjacent to the lot on which the school house sat. In a May 4, 1842 document involving a dispute between Stevens Corners residents Cyprian Branch and Avery, mention is made of the chimney on the northeast school house.
Book F, page 88, of the Richmond School Committee Report for April 6, 1846 mentions that, 'In the N.E. District the school continued four months" with average attendance at the school for that year of ten and one-half pupils. In 1856, in a lease for the school lot for $25.00 from Henry B. Stevens to William H. Nichols, a member of the Prudential Committee which oversaw the public schools in Richmond, mention is made of "the south end of the wood house connected with said school house." This lease was consumated after the location of the 10th Massachusetts Turnpike was changed and the road accepted as a public highway.
Specifically mentioned in the lease for the school lot was the obligation of the Prudential Committee to maintain "a good and lawful fence on the west and south and east lines of the said lot." The "wood house" is a written reference to the existing north wing of the present school building, suggesting that wood house ell dates from at least 1856, and possibly earlier.
Further evidence that the Northeast School building was of some age is indicated in the School Committee Report for the year ending March 31, 1886 which notes (italics added): "At the Northeast we have the best planned school house the town can boast, but it has stood so may years without repair that it is today less capable of protecting the inmates from the severity of the frigid winter than any other in town." The Committee went on to plead for money to resheathe and reclapboard the exterior, lay new floors and replaster the walls, tighten the window casings and replace the "shrunken and broken" doors. These repairs were accomplished by the end of the school year in 1888. But the description of the building in 1886 strongly suggests that it was the same building first mentioned in the district school committee's reports of 1791.
In addition, it is now clear that the Northeast school house has only been moved once, in 1993, by the Richmond Historical Commission. Confusion about an earlier move in 1856 seems to have begun with a local historian, who believed that the school had been moved across the road in 1856. In fact, the 10th (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page5 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Northeast School, District #1 Richmond, Berkshire County, MA Massachusetts Turnpike section at Stevens Corners was discontinued and the road shifted to the west after was laid out as a public highway in 1855 just enough to place the school on the east side of the ne ehway when it had been situated on the west side of the Turnpike. In fact the road changed. not tl school location.
The vacated portion of the 10th Massachusetts Turnpike and the new right-of-way at Stevens Corners are shown on an 1857 "Map of Richmond" at the Pittsfield Registry of Deeds. Compounding the problem somewhat is that the school is shown on the west side of the old Turnpike on the Walling map, published in 1858, and entirely left off on subsequent maps, including Beers map of 1876 and the Barnes and Farnham Atlas of 1904. With the road alteration pending, Henry B. Stevens leased the school lot in District 1 to the Town of Richmond on April 3, 1856 for $25.00 (see Deed from William H. Nichols to Henry B. Stevens, April 3, 1856). The five school districts all had associated school buildings and by 1850 were known as North, Northeast, Central, Southeast (closed in 1929), and Depot School. The Furnace School eventually became a two- room school house, while the rest were one-room schools.
The Northeast School building appears to be the oldest district school building in Richmond. The North School was rebuilt in 1859 and replaced a former school building. The Center School building had a major reconstruction in 1885, costing nearly $500 or 5/9ths of the cost of a new school building, to make it habitable. The Southwest's school building, known as the Depot School, was rebuilt in 1885 at a cost of $954.41 by Pittsfield contractor D. J. Saunders. It replaced at least one earlier building dating from around 1802. The Southeast school building appears on the Walling map of 1858, but was substantially repaired in 1888. The Furnace School was rebuilt in 1926 as a two room schoolhouse, replacing two earlier ones built in 1845 and 1890.
The Furnace School at 2953 State Road, now a private dwelling, was placed on the National Register as part of the Richmond Furnace Historical/ Archaeological District, on August 31, 1999. With the opening of the Richmond Consolidated School in September, 1937, the remaining five schoolhouses were permanently closed and all six schoolhouses were sold. Assessors valuations for 1936 or 1937 show that the six schools were valued at between $250 and $850 per building, variously with and without including the land. Four of the school buildings were converted to single family homes and substantially altered. The Northeast school stood empty. Raymond Seymour received it from the town and was used for storage becoming a barn for pigs until 1993 when it was donated to the Richmond Historical Society by owners James and Barbara Mihalke of Pennsylvania.
Historically, the Northeast School house functioned as a laboratory for innovations in education within the Town of Richmond and appears to have been the lead school in town. This nomination is enhanced by the P.T.A. meeting minutes in the early 20th century. The "Minutes and Accounts of the Northeast School House P.T.A. Meetings, 1924-1931," record the activities of this association vis-à-vis the (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page_5_ OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Northeast School, District #1 Richmond, Berkshire County, MA Massachusetts Turnpike section at Stevens Corners was discontinued and the road shifted to the west after highwa id ber as ad ben hitlwvay in tfis vest sidoeugh to plumpitke. ih falothe rod thanged,hot te school location.
The vacated portion of the 10th Massachusetts Turnpike and the new right-of-way at Stevens Corners are shown on an 1857 "Map of Richmond" at the Pittsfield Registry of Deeds. Compounding the problem somewhat is that the school is shown on the west side of the old Turnpike on the Walling map, published in 1858, and entirely left off on subsequent maps, including Beers map of 1876 and the Barnes and Farnham Atlas of 1904. With the road alteration pending, Henry B. Stevens leased the school lot in District 1 to the Town of Richmond on April 3, 1856 for $25.00 (see Deed from William H. Nichols to Henry B. Stevens, April 3, 1856). The five school districts all had associated school buildings and by 1850 were known as North, Northeast, Central, Southeast (closed in 1929), and Depot School. The Furnace School eventually became a two- room school house, while the rest were one-room schools.
The Northeast School building appears to be the oldest district school building in Richmond. The North School was rebuilt in 1859 and replaced a former school building. The Center School building had a major reconstruction in 1885, costing nearly $500 or 5/9ths of the cost of a new school building, to make it habitable. The Southwest's school building, known as the Depot School, was rebuilt in 1885 at a cost of $954.41 by Pittsfield contractor D. J. Saunders. It replaced at least one earlier building dating from around 1802. The Southeast school building appears on the Walling map of 1858, but was substantially repaired in 1888. The Furnace School was rebuilt in 1926 as a two room schoolhouse, replacing two earlier ones built in 1845 and 1890.
The Furnace School at 2953 State Road, now a private dwelling, was placed on the National Register as part of the Richmond Furnace Historical/ Archaeological District, on August 31, 1999. With the opening of the Richmond Consolidated School in September, 1937, the remaining five schoolhouses were permanently closed and all six schoolhouses were sold. Assessors valuations for 1936 or 1937 show that the six schools were valued at between $250 and $850 per building, variously with and without including the land. Four of the school buildings were converted to single family homes and substantially altered. The Northeast school stood empty. Raymond Seymour received it from the town and was used for storage becoming a barn for pigs until 1993 when it was donated to the Richmond Historical Society by owners James and Barbara Mihalke of Pennsylvania.
Historically, the Northeast School house functioned as a laboratory for innovations in education within the Town of Richmond and appears to have been the lead school in town. This nomination is enhanced by the P.T.A. meeting minutes in the early 20th century. The "Minutes and Accounts of the Northeast School House P.T.A. Meetings, 1924-1931," record the activities of this association vis-à-vis the (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 8 Page 6 OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 Northeast School, District #1 Richmond, Berkshire County, MA Northeast school house and assistance to other school houses in Richmond. It was noted on September 24, 1928, for example, that the first P.T.A.
meeting of the year was held at the Northeast School House because "this school is the mother association and each fall the first one is in this schoolhouse." The P.T.A. committee arranged for and discussed purchasing volleyballs for each school in 1926 and subsequently playground equipment, swings, and a see saw for the Northeast school. The Jan 3, 1927 meeting arranged for the piano from the Richmond Grange to be delivered to northeast, and noted that hot lunches had begun. Minutes of Nov. 29, 1927 discussed wiring the school buildings (10 lights for Northeast) and improving sanitary conditions. The P.T.A.
during these years raised money to help defray the costs of electricity, magazine subscriptions, books, teacher supplies, hot lunches (Northeast school house was the first to institute hot lunches), buying a victrola, sheet music, and piano tuning costs at northeast, costs for teachers to attend regional and state teacher conventions and pay the dues to these organizations for the teacher, buying library books, the cost for three new window screens at the northeast school in 1929 from George North, and 13 yards of cretonne material for curtains for the northeast school; and varnish for the school desks in 1930. Other extras through the good offices of the P.T.A.
included oranges for the sick, a tea kettle for the Northeast school, sending a child to camp, supplying towels and cups for hot lunches, buying 18 aluminum plates and an electric hot plate for the hot lunches, buying soup during the winter, awarding honor students with cash prizes, buying ice cream for field day in 1931, getting the Automobile Club to put up road signs to warn drivers on each side of the school, share expense of cost of doctor for Health Week in June. Archaeological Significance Since patterns of ancient Native American settlement in Richmond are poorly understood, any surviving sites could be significant. Ancient sites in this area have the potential to contribute information towards a better understanding of Native American settlement and subsistence in the Berkshire uplands of Western Massachusetts.
Potential sites may also contribute information that documents the importance of the Housatonic River drainage to Native peoples in the area and their relationship with other Native socio political groups to the south in the Connecticut area, to the west towards the Hudson River drainage in New York or eastward to the Connecticut River locale. (end) IPS Form 1 10-900 pproval No. 1024-001 (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number_2 Page1 OMB Northeast School, District #1 Richmond, Berkshire County, MA BIBLIOGRAPHY: Published Sources: Annin, Katherine Huntington. Richmond Massachusetts: The Story of a Berkshire Town and Its People 1795-1965. Richmond Civic Association, Richmond, Massachusetts, 1964. Berkshire County Eagle. Microfilm on file: Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
1852-60. Child, Hamilton. Gazetteer of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, 1725-1885. Syracuse, New York: Journal Office, 1885. Clippings files of the Berkshire Evening Eagle, Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield, Mass. Fennelly, Catherine. Town Schooling in Early New England 1790-1840. Old Sturbridge Village Booklet Series. Meriden, Conn.: Meriden Gravure Company, 1968. Field, David Dudley. A History of Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Pittsfield, Mass., 1829. Holland, Josiah Gilbert. History of Western Massachusetts. Springfield: Samuel Bowles and Company, 1855, pp. 561-569. Pittsfield Sun, 1852-60. Microfilm at Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield. Smith, J. E. A., editor. The History of Berkshire County, Massachusetts. New York: J. B. Beers & Co., 1885. William R. Stevens obituary, Berkshire Evening Eagle, January 30, 1909. Wood, Frederic J. The Turnpikes of New England.
Boston: Marshall Jones Company, 1919. Unpublished Sources: Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. Local Preservation Activities: A Status Report. Pittsfield, Massachusetts, February, 1979. (continued) NPS Form 1 10-900-a 8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 2 Page_2 Northeast School, District #1 Richmond, Berkshire County, MA Deeds on various properties at Stevens' Corners, including William J. Nichols to Henry B. Stevens, April 3, 1856, Book 145, page 220. Middle Berkshire Registry of Deeds, Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Holmes, et. al. "Archaeological Site Examinations of Two Historic Sites in Segment 7, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, UM-124." On file: Massachusetts Historical Commission, Boston, MA. Knurow, Edward R., Collection.
Book 9 "Turnpikes, Taverns and Town Histories." On file: Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Minutes and Accounts of the Northeast School House P.T.A. Meetings, 1924-1931. From the Estate of Cora Stevens. Given to the Richmond Historical Society by her grandchildren, Stedman and Carol Stevens. On File: Richmond Historical Society, Richmond, Massachusetts. Town of Richmond Records: Annual Reports, 1867-1918, and School Committee Reports, 1873-1883. Town of Richmond, Massachusetts. On file: Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Richmond School Committee Records, Minutes, etc. 1883-1887, 1891-1893, 1894-1911, 1912-1925. On file: Richmond Town Hall. Richmond School Committee Minutes, 1926-1956. On file: Richmond Town Hall. Richmond School Register, Enrollment, Attendance, 1889-1899, 1909-1910. On file: Richmond Town Hall.
Richmond School Deeds, Center School, Northeast School, Miscellaneous Papers, 1830, 1828. On file: Richmond Town Hall. "School Committee Meeting Minutes, Town of Richmond, 1789-1808. Typescript transcribed and in the possession of Bill Edwards, Chair, Richmond Historical Commission. Seymour Documents, Roll 3 of Town of Richmond (records), Massachusetts Historical Documents. On file: Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield, Massachusetts. (continued) (VPS Form 1 10-900-2 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OMB Approval No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number_2 Page_3 Northeast School, District #1 Richmond, Berkshire County, MA Town meeting records, 1810-1824, Book D, Roll 3, and 1824-1840, Book E, Roll 3, Town of Richmond. On file: Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
Town School files for 1936 or 1937, "Sale of Rural School Houses," in envelope, "Correspondence on proposed school and other letters, 1935-1939," in Town Library Vault, Richmond, Massachusetts. Maps: Map of Richmond. State Archives Series #1055, March 30, 1795. Map of Richmond. State Archives Series #1871, 1830. "Map of Richmond, July 15th, 1857." From Richmond Iron Works, Doomsday Book, Pittsfield Registry, Map of Richmond, page 12, July 15, 1857. In Knurow Collection, Book 9, p. 15, Berkshire Athenaeum, Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Walling, Henry F. Map of the County of Berkshire, Massachusetts. New York: Smith, Gallup & Co., 1858. Beers, F. W. County Atlas of Berkshire, Massachusetts. New York: R. T. White & Co., 1876. Barnes & Farnham, compilers. Atlas of Berkshire County, Massachusetts. Pittsfield, Mass.: Barnes & Farnham, 1904.
(end) NORTHEAST SCHOOL, DISTRICT #1 Name of Property BERKSHIRE, MA County, State 10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property _ 3.17 acres JTM References See continuation sheet Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheel "Zone 18 Easting 637300 Northing 4695330 * Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting *Zone Easting _ See continuation sheet Northing Northing Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.) Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.) 11.
Form Prepared By Norene Roberts, Consultant, Gloria Morse, and Bill Edwards, Richmond Historical Commission, name/title_with Betsy Friedberg, NR Director, MHC organization_Massachusetts Historical Commission street & number 220 Morrissey Boulevard city or town Boston state Massachusetts date_July, 2002 _telephone (617) 727-8470 _ zip code_02125-3314 Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form: Continuation Sheets Maps A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location. A sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Photographs Representative black and white photographs of the property.
Additional items (Check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items) Property Owner (Complete this item at the request of the SHPO or FPO.) name RICHMOND HISTORICAL SOCIETY c/o William Sexton, President street & number P. O. Box 428 _ telephone (413) 698-3247 city or town RICHMOND state MA _ zip code 01254 Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.).
Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18.1 hours per response including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Chief, Administrative Services Division, National Park Service, P.O. Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013-7127; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Project (1024-0018), Washington, DC 20503. NPS Form 1 10-900-a (8-86) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number 10 Page1 OMB Approval No.
1024-0018 Northeast School, District #1 Richmond, Berkshire County, MA VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION: he parcel shown outlined in pencil on the accompanying plat map entitled Lot 1, consisting of 3. res, being a portion of current tax map 404. Lot 18. in the Town of Richmon BOUNDARY JUSTIFICATION: The legal parcel mentioned above consisting of the school house moved thereon in 1993. (end) PHOTOGRAPHS Photographs 1-2: taken by William Edwards, 1993. Negatives with Richmond Historical Commission Photographs 3-4: taken by Norene A. Roberts, May 2001. Negatives with Richmond Hist. Comm. 1. View facing NW 2. 3. View facing SE View facing NW 4. View facing NE OMB Approval No.
1024-0018 NPS.Form 10-900- United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number - Page SUPPLEMENTARY LISTING RECORD NRIS Reference Number: 02000902 Date Listed: 8/30/2002 Property Name: Northeast School County: Berkshire State: MA Multiple Name This property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places in accordance with the attached nomination documentation subject to the following exceptions, exclusions, or amendments, notwithstanding the National Park Service certification included in the nomination documentation. Patuick Anduus Signature of the Keeper 9/9/2002 Date of Action Amended Items in Nomination: This building is nominated under National Register Criteria A and C, but only Education is selected as an Area of Significance.
This SLR makes a technical correction to the form by adding Architecture as an Area of Significance to reflect the building's architectural importance. DISTRIBUTION: National Register property file Vominating Authority (without nomination attachment Northeast School, District #, 981 Summit Road, Richmond Berkshire County, Massachuetl Photoarapher! William Edwards Date: Fall, 1993 Negative:Richmand Historical commission View: Facing northwest Photograph #1 Northeast School, District #1 981 Summit Road, Richmond Berkshire County, Massachusett Photographer: Willam Edwarks Date: Fall, 1993 Negatwio: Richmnnd Historicue Commission View: facing southeast Photo araph #2 9811 worheasr Schoy 1856-1937 Last of Richmond's O Northeast Schod, Districh #1 981 Summit Road, Richmond (Berkshire County) 11 Photoqrapher: Noreue A. Roberts May 14,2001 negatue: Richmond Historial Society.
Vlew facing Morthuert Photograph #3 Mortheast Schaol, Districk #1 98.1 Summit Road, Richmond (Berkshire County) 1 photo grapher: Norene A. Robeto may 14,2001 negatiue: Richmond Hestorieal Socety View facing northeast Photo avaph # 4 Richmond Historical Society Post Office Box 428 Richmond MA 01254-0428 BF RECEIVED MAR 1 6 2001 March 14, M2OOS. HIST.COMM NR dile Betsy Friedberg Massachusetts Historical Commission 220 Morrissey Blvd Boston - MA 02125 Re: National Register Nomination, Northeast Schoolhouse, Richmond Dear Ms. Friedberg: In the interest of making the file as complete as possible, I would like to affirm the Richmond Historical Society's support of the referenced application. We have a very concrete interest in this.
It was this society that rescued the demolition, acquired ownership, carried restoration, created substantial endowment for future maintenance, and in fact has funded otherwise supported the National Register proceedings. me take this opportunity to thank information on consultants that you provided You for the during conversation at the Lowell meeting last year. That got the application underway at long last. Sincerely, Tausextr William C. Sexton President BF TOWN OF RICHMOND Town Hall 1529 State Road Richmond, Massachusetts 01254 NRpe RECEIVED MAR 2 6 2001 MASS. HIST. COMM * SEAL * BOARD OF SELECTMEN TEL: (413) 698-3882 FAX: (413) 698-3272 Betsy Friedberg National Register Coordinator Massachusetts Historical Commission 22 Morrissey Blvd. Boston, MA 02125 March 22, 2001 Re: Nomination of the Northeast Schoolhouse for the National Register of Historic Places Dear Ms.
Friedberg, The Selectmen are writing to express their strong support for the nomination of the Northeast Schoolhouse for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. We were pleased and surprised to learn that the schoolhouse is considerably older than we had believed and we think that it is an excellent candidate for this designation. The schoolhouse has been an important project of the Richmond Historical Society for several years and, along with the previously designated historic Furnace District, it ranks as one of the town's principal historic sites. Thanks to the etforts of the historical society and many volunteers, the schoolhouse has been restored as a usable building and has been used as a meeting place and as a center of historic and municipal activities.
One of the most interesting and rewarding occurrences in recent years was that our school department actually used the schoolhouse for regular summer classes while our consolidated school was renovated in the summer of 2000. It was a pleasure to have "modern day" students experience the joys and challenges of that now rarified environment of a single classroom for students of varying ages and abilities. In addition, we are pleased to report that several graduates of the schoolhouse still reside in Richmond and in surrounding communities and that these graduates have generously shared their schoolhouse experiences at historical functions and with our consolidated school students. We warmly recommend that the schoolhouse receive this important designation and we would be happy to answer any questions or provide additional information. Sincerely, ALAN B. HANSON ROGER W.
MANZOLINI BOARD OF SELECTMEN suelarer Bruce Garlow Town Administrative Assistant CC William Sexton, Richmond Historical Society RECEIVED 2280 JUL 1 8 2002 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts NAT. RIATTONAL PARIK SERVCPLACES William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth Massachusetts Historical Commission July 11, 2002 Ms. Carol Shull National Register of Historic Places Department of the Interior National Park Service Mail Stop 2280, Suite 400 1849 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20240 Dear Ms. Shull: Enclosed please find the following nomination form: Northeast School, Richmond (Berkshire), MA The nomination has been voted eligible by the State Review Board and has been signed by the State Historic Preservation Officer. The owners of the properties were notified of pending State Review Board consideration 30 to 45 days before the meeting and were afforded the opportunity to comment.
One letter of support has been received. Sincerely, Betay Friedkieg Betsy Friedberg National Register Director Massachusetts Historical Commission enclosure cc: Norene Roberts, consultant Mary Blair, President, Richmond Historical Society, 2533 Swamp Road William F. Edwards, Richmond Historical Commission John Hanson, Richmond Planning Board Marguerite Rawson, Chairperson, Board of Selectmen 220 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02125 (617) 727-8470 - Fax: (617) 727-5128 www.state.ma.us/sec/mhc
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