District School No. 3
Why it's listed
Standing at a rural crossroads in the town of Lyme, this one-room schoolhouse at Putnam Corners was built about 1875 to replace an earlier school on land donated in 1840 by farmer Asa Richardson. The one-and-one-half story frame building has clapboard siding, a high gable roof and a band of six windows along the east wall. A cloakroom vestibule separates the entrance from the classroom, and the high ceilings and window band follow ideas promoted by educational reformers of the period. A shed-roofed rear addition and a double privy, both from around 1900, reflect later efforts to improve rural schools. After Lyme's school districts were consolidated in 1942, the building sat unused for about ten years. In 1951 it was sold and converted to a seasonal residence, with a kitchenette, bathroom and upstairs bedroom added. It is regarded as the best-preserved of Lyme's seven surviving one-room schoolhouses, and it keeps its original site and much of its original plan.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a largely intact example of the modest one-room schoolhouses built in rural New York after the Civil War. It reflects nineteenth-century educational reform in its window band, high ceilings and cloakroom vestibule plan. Of seven surviving one-room schoolhouses in Lyme, it alone keeps its original site and substantial architectural integrity. Its circa 1900 addition and privy reflect turn-of-the-century concern for rural school environments.
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 90001326, listed September 6, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. NY 3 and County Rd. 57, Putnam Corners, Chaumont |
|---|---|
| County | Jefferson County |
| Listed | September 6, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90001326 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a seasonal residence since 1951; condition rated good, with no known threats. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 44.06909, -76.23798 (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 90001326.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5283375
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.