{"nrhp_refnum":"83003931","name":"Clermont Academy","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"US 9","address_restricted":false,"city":"Clermont","county":"Columbia County","state":"NY","lat":42.08682951500003,"lon":-73.82556389199993,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-10-07","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Education","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story, five-bay Federal style frame school building on the west side of Route 9 in the hamlet of Clermont, Columbia County, New York, built about 1834 by Philip S. Staats on land donated by Edward P. Livingston.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it a rare example of a large-scale Federal style educational building that keeps distinctive original details. It is also the earliest extant public building in the town and reflects Clermont's social and institutional development. It is tied to Edward P. Livingston and the Livingston family.","narrative":"Clermont Academy is a two-story, five-bay frame building on the west side of Route 9 in the hamlet of Clermont, Columbia County. Built about 1834 by Philip S. Staats on land donated by Edward P. Livingston, it has a gable roof with an octagonal cupola, pedimented gable ends with oval louvred vents, and a central doorway framed by sidelights and pilasters. Inside, a central hall serves a classroom and smaller rooms on the first floor, and an open meeting hall occupies the second floor. The school began as a private secondary school supported by tuition, with the Rev. Augustus Wackerhagen as first principal. In 1855 it became a public school and later a community center, which it remains today under town ownership. Although Greek Revival was becoming fashionable for public buildings, the academy was designed in the Federal style. It is considered the earliest surviving public building in the town and retains its original architectural integrity.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":"Architect unknown; builder Philip S. Staats","architectural_style":"Federal","criteria":[],"status_note":"Owned by the town and used as a community center; condition listed as excellent, with no known threats.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:50:42.646401-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/83003931.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83003931/ba1fb95e25-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83003931/ba1fb95e25-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Daniel Case","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Clermont_Academy,_Clermont,_NY.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Daniel Case</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:Clermont_Academy,_Clermont,_NY.jpg"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"03000604","name":"Clermont Civic Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/new-york/clermont-civic-historic-district-03000604/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75312419","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clermont_Academy","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5131915"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/columbia-county/clermont-academy-83003931/"}