Program

NYS Historic

Subject

Education, Government

Location

6067 NY-82, Stanfordville, NY 12581, USA

Lat/Long

41.870503925914, -73.705044278811

Grant Recipient

Stanford Historical Society

Located in Dutchess County, New York, the Stanford Union Free School District No. 2 was established when two pre-existing districts, Stanford District 2 and Bangall District 10, decided to combine in 1922.

After the new district was formed, the next step was constructing a school building. $33,000 was allotted for the project. Three possible locations were selected by an appointed committee charged with finding suitable property for the building, from which the final choice was selected. Ground was broken for the new school in 1924, and construction continued throughout that year. When the building was done, the two-room public school opened and began holding classes for the school-aged children of the community.

Perched high on a hill, the school’s setting inspired the formation of a book club in the fifth and sixth grade classroom called “The Hill Top club,” according to the April 20, 1933, edition of the Pine Plains Register Herald. The same article mentions the recent expansion of the school, which was enlarged to include six classrooms total.

Eventually, the Stanford School would become the Stanfordville Elementary School, which continued to operate into the 1970s until another elementary school was constructed by the district. At this point the building became the Stanford Town Hall.

This marker commemorates the history of the structure and its continued service as both a school and Town Hall for the community of Stanford.