District School No. 3
Also known as: Clove Road School
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Why it's listed
Built around 1870 at the corner of South Schodack Road and Clove Road, District School No. 3 is a one-room brick schoolhouse that served a farming community south of the hamlet of South Schodack. The one-story building has common-bond brick walls, a rubble stone foundation, a gable roof with broad eaves, segmentally arched windows, and a three-bay front with brick pilasters and recessed panels. Inside, a vestibule and coatroom lead to a single large classroom with beaded board and a slate blackboard. A wood shed, a 1931 garage and a stone-capped well stand on the 0.6-acre lot, shaded by mature maples. The school is notable for its high integrity and its vernacular Italianate styling, and it reflects nineteenth-century ideas about ventilation, light and separate cloakrooms. Trustees' minutes document its upkeep from 1855 to 1951. Students moved to Castleton in 1948, after which community groups and church services used the building. The Town of Schodack has owned it since 1975.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is an outstanding, well-preserved example of a one-room rural schoolhouse with vernacular Italianate styling, retaining its original form, setting and much of its interior. It is also significant for its link to the growth of education and the farming community of South Schodack. The school served the district until 1948-1951 and later hosted community gatherings.
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 98001116, listed August 28, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1125 S. Schodack Rd., Castleton-on-Hudson |
|---|---|
| County | Rensselaer County |
| Listed | August 28, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98001116 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1870-1948 |
| Architectural style | Italianate (vernacular) |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the Town of Schodack, which maintains it; current function is listed as museum. Interior floor work was in progress at the time of the form, and the building was designated a local landmark in 1992. |
| Acreage | 0.6 |
| Coordinates | 42.50270, -73.70674 (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 98001116.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5283374
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.