{"nrhp_refnum":"10000135","name":"Willsboro School, The","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"10 Gilliland Lane (formerly 29 School St)","address_restricted":false,"city":"Willsboro","county":"Essex County","state":"NY","lat":44.36680705100008,"lon":-73.38955747999995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2010-03-31","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Education"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story red brick former public school at 10 Gilliland Lane in Willsboro, Essex County, New York, built in 1927 to designs by Walter P. Pember, with a 1952 addition by Benedict, Ryan & Sayer.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the school is significant in education and architecture. It is a largely intact example of a Neoclassical school built to New York's standardized school design rules of the early twentieth century. It also served as the community's K-12 school from 1928 until 2001 and reflects the growth of Willsboro.","narrative":"Overlooking the Boquet River in downtown Willsboro, this three-story red brick building served as the town's school for kindergarten through grade 12 from 1928 until 2001. Walter P. Pember designed it in 1927 in a restrained Neoclassical style, and John McCambly & Son of Plattsburgh built it for about $150,000. Buff cast stone bands, brick pilasters, a stepped parapet and arched entries for boys and girls mark the front. Inside, a central gymnasium/auditorium seating 400 anchors the plan, with classrooms off double-loaded corridors, original chalkboards, wood trim and hardwood floors. A 1952 addition by Benedict, Ryan & Sayer extended the building at the southeast corner while echoing its form. The design follows New York's early twentieth-century rules on light, ventilation, fireproof construction and stair layout, which is a major reason for its recognition. Land for the school was donated by Augustus G. Paine, Jr. The building has been vacant and deteriorating since 2001, yet it keeps much of its original character.","period_of_significance":"1927-1959","architect_builder":"Architect: Walter P. Pember (1927 School); Builder: John McCambly & Son (1927 School); Benedict, Ryan & Sayer Architects (1952 addition)","architectural_style":"Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals/Neoclassical","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Unoccupied since 2001 and in poor, deteriorated condition, though it retains a high degree of original exterior and interior integrity.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:48.032488-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/10000135.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/10000135/84cfb67d3a-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/10000135/84cfb67d3a-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Bryan Nelson Elder","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Former_Willsboro_Central_School_-_Front_Alternate.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Bryan Nelson Elder</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Former_Willsboro_Central_School_-_Front_Alternate.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75317814","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Willsboro_School","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7775023"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/essex-county/willsboro-school-the-10000135/"}