District No. 6 Schoolhouse
Why it's listed
Standing at a rural crossroads in Brunswick, Rensselaer County, this one-room brick schoolhouse dates to about 1837. It measures 24 by 32 feet, with common-bond brick walls, a fieldstone foundation, a gable roof with the short end facing the road, and six-over-six double-hung windows under bluestone lintels. Inside are a small cloakroom and a single classroom with a raised teacher's platform. A wooden privy on the lot dates to the late nineteenth century. The school was first known as District #11, and the lot was conveyed to the district in 1838. It served pupils until about 1952, then was used for garage and storage space by the school district. Restoration work began in the early 1970s and was completed in 2007. It is recognized for architecture because it remains an intact example of early rural school design, is one of few such buildings left in the county, and is rare locally for its brick construction. It now serves as a museum.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an intact, representative example of a rural one-room schoolhouse from the first half of the nineteenth century, with a one-story rectangular form, gable-end entrance, six-over-six windows and simple Greek Revival trim. It is one of a handful of intact one-room schoolhouses in Rensselaer County and is unusual locally for being built of brick. It is believed to be one of the oldest surviving schoolhouses in the county.
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 08000582, listed July 3, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Brick Church Rd and Buck Rd, Brunswick |
|---|---|
| County | Rensselaer County |
| Listed | July 3, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000582 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1837-c. 1952 |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century: Greek Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Now used as a museum; restored in the early 1970s and again in 2007, and visited by school district children in the warmer months. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 42.75304, -73.57417 (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 08000582.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q1865764
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.