Lee School
Why it's listed
Built in 1884 beside NYS Route 14 south of Montour Falls, Lee School is a plain, gable-roofed, one-room frame schoolhouse on a low dry-laid stone foundation. It has novelty siding, a centered plank door with a transom and pent-roofed hood, and six-over-six windows along the sides. It replaced an earlier log schoolhouse thought to date from before 1829, on land donated by a descendant of early settler David Lee, which gave the school its name. It served as Montour District #1 School until 1937, sat unused until 1960, and was then given to the local historical society. Inside, the blackboards, beaded paneling, wide-board flooring, cast-iron wood stove, and original student and teacher desks survive. The building is considered the only intact school of its type in Schuyler County and a clear reminder of how rural children of all ages once learned together in one room. Its roadside setting has changed with modern development.
Significance in brief: It is argued to be a substantially intact, representative example of a late nineteenth century one-room schoolhouse in Schuyler County, and the only intact school of its type in the county. Its original interior furnishings illustrate the tradition of teaching children of all grades together before centralized school systems. It is also a prominent local landmark.
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 98000572, listed May 20, 1998. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | NY 14, Montour |
|---|---|
| County | Schuyler County |
| Listed | May 20, 1998 |
| Reference number | 98000572 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1884 |
| Architectural style | Late nineteenth century: Vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a district schoolhouse until 1937, mothballed until 1960, then turned over to the local historical society; currently serves as a museum. |
| Acreage | 0.4 |
| Coordinates | 42.32797, -76.84085 (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 98000572.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6514965
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.