Lancaster District School No. 6
Also known as: Little Red Schoolhouse
Why it's listed
Built in 1868, the Little Red Schoolhouse on Bowen Road in Lancaster, New York, is a single-story, T-shaped brick building in the Italianate style. It follows New York State standardized plans and sits on a high limestone foundation, with round-arched windows on the front and a limestone plaque reading "Dist No. 6 / Built 1868." One teacher taught grades one through eight here from 1869 until the school closed in 1948 as Lancaster consolidated its schools. Later it served as a polling place. A fire in 1967 destroyed the roof and interior, and plans to demolish it for a gas station were dropped. The Lancaster Historical Society restored it in 1977, guided by two former teachers, and furnished it with period desks, slates, textbooks and the original bell. It now works as a museum for local schoolchildren. It is significant for its role in local education and as a rare surviving rural one-room brick schoolhouse in Erie County.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is significant for its link to local and regional educational development in Lancaster and as a surviving example of a rural one-room brick Italianate schoolhouse. Most such schoolhouses in Erie County were demolished or converted to homes, which adds to its rarity. Its high ceilings, evenly spaced windows and separate boys' and girls' coatrooms reflect mid-nineteenth-century school reform ideals.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 08001076, listed November 18, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 3703 Bowen Rd., Lancaster |
|---|---|
| County | Erie County |
| Listed | November 18, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08001076 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1868-1949 |
| Architect / builder | New York State Standardized Plans; builder unknown |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian/Italianate |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Restored in 1977 after a 1967 fire and currently used as a museum and historical association meeting space. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 42.88354, -78.63980 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 08001076.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14706761
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.