Buttermilk Flat Schoolhouse No. 22
Why it's listed
Buttermilk Flat Schoolhouse No. 22 is a small clapboard one-room school built around 1850 along a rural road in the Town of Orleans, Jefferson County. The 1-1/2 story building is about 20 by 30 feet, with a seamed metal roof, a stone foundation, and a gable-front entrance. The front third holds a cloak room, central hall and woodroom, while the schoolroom has a hardwood floor, plank walls painted to imitate wainscoting, and a checkerboard wood-paneled ceiling. No windows face south, probably because of strong winds off Lake Ontario. It appears on an 1855 county map and is labeled Schoolhouse No. 22 on an 1888 map. After township schools were consolidated in 1932, it was sold at auction and later used as a granary and for storage. It was listed as the only intact wooden one-room schoolhouse in the town still at its original site, and for its education history and its simple, classically inspired vernacular design.
Significance in brief: It is the only intact wooden one-room schoolhouse in the Town of Orleans still at its original location. It retains an unusually high degree of architectural integrity, with an original floor plan and nearly all original interior finishes. Rural schoolhouses like this were focal points of community life, also used for evening and prayer meetings.
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 96000671, listed June 28, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | S side of Buttermilk Flat Rd., E of jct. with Carter St. Rd.,, Orleans |
|---|---|
| County | Jefferson County |
| Listed | June 28, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000671 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1850-1932 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th century; classically inspired vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Education |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant/not in use; used as a granary after 1932 and now for storage. Described as in fairly good structural condition, though its original stairs are missing. |
| Acreage | 9.7 |
| Coordinates | 44.17303, -75.94881 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 96000671.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5003013
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.