From The Archives

CIRCA 1846 CHURCH AND ANTIQUE SCHOOLHOUSE

COUNTRY SCHOOLHOUSE AND CIRCA 1846 CHURCH: These two buildings won historic preservation awards. Situated on 3 small parcels of land (about 3/4 acre), they will be sold as one unit. The owners painstakingly restored both of them and started a bakery business here in the old one room school. This was run successfully for quite some time until the 45 minute commute from their home took its toll upon the owners, who are seniors. When they retired from that, they removed the commercial kitchen and remodeled that area so the building could be used as a home. It has not been used since. The school’s main room is 25x30’ and it is extremely quaint and original. Years of paint were removed until they reached the original colors, then they were duplicated and new paint was used, inside and out. Layers of wallpaper were peeled until they reached the first layer, then stencils were made which duplicated this. The original doors, floors, 6 over 6 windows (wooden storms were made for them), even the school children’s graffiti – they’re all there - and it is all in great shape. There is a’ modern bath with a corner shower, 2 small bedrooms, and a galley kitchen in the rest of the building (20x20’ plus the bath area), That part is of newer construction and is all brand-new inside. Included with this are the brand-new and unused appliances: stove, refrigerator, washer, drier, and dishwasher + a $4000 commercial air conditioning unit. The roof was new in 2004. Heat is electric (200 amp service) in the apartment area and propane in the school/store area.

The other historic building is a country church. This is roughly 32x38’ and is it ever superlative! All the woodwork is natural. Great old floor, with 10 curved oak pews, 2 of them from 1846, and the rest from the turn of the century. It has all large stained glass windows. Included are the original lectern, organ and piano, brass church bell, and gas lights in the entrance vestibule. Even the indoor one-holer is still there (and clean). It has a 100 amp electric entrance, a new roof in 2004, and water lines and septic were run to it (but not connected). A good 40’ well provides clean water - no sulfur.


Some notes: This is in a little hamlet along a State Route with moderate traffic at best. It would lend itself well to many uses, including but hardly limited to, a country or other store, restaurant, church with hall and pastor’s home in the school, dance studio, professional office... It is 10 miles to Cooperstown. It makes no sense to divide the 3 parcels as they have inter-related water, septic and parking, so don’t think about that. All rot was removed from the foundations and the restoration job done here has been top notch, the stuff you see on the surface and what remains hidden underneath.