§10 The Schoolhouse Today

This schoolhouse is located 500 feet southeast of the bridge over the Roeliff Jansen Kill. The building is approximately 36 feet long and 24 feet wide. Inside, the ceiling is about 18 feet high. From the floor level to the peak of the roof, overall the building is about 28 feet tall. The top of the bell tower is approximately 42 feet above ground level. The bell is attached to a wheel which causes it to roll when a rope is pulled from below. It was made by Clinton H. Maneeley Bell Company, Troy New York AD 1881, and presented by Henry Bentley. It measures 22 inches high, 16 inches wide at the top and 30 inches wide at the bottom. It is approximately 2 inches thick.

His and Hers twin outhouses at the rear of the building remain but have collapsed. A coal furnace in the basement was made by Co-Op Foundry Co, Rochester , N.Y. Items now remaining from the building are 5 students desks in good condition, the teacher’s desk and chair , the black chalkboard, a bookcase, about 50 books, a globe of the earth, and written records for 13 years of operation at the school. Some details included in the records are the names and salaries of teachers, names, ages, grade, and number of students attending, number of days classes were held, officials of the school, and some financial reports.

On April 28,1944, a special meeting was held for the purpose of disposing of the property of District No 6. One person attending wanted the building for his coal fuel business, possibly to store coal in. My grandfather, J.A.Kullmann, took possesion of the deed on Aug 10, 1945. His intentions were to preserve the building as much as possible by using it as a recreation room (for a bungalow colony he had hoped to build some day) where people could read, sing, or play card or board games. Although his plans never materialized, he continued to maintain the building and painted the roof regularly until 1959. For many years at midnight, on New Year’s eve, he would ring the school bell for several minutes to help the community celebrate the coming new year.

On February 6, 1982, the building became the property of Theodore J.Kullmann and Dorothy R.(Kullmann) Popp. After 1960 the building started to deteriorate and fall victim to vandalism. One night someone managed to climb the bell tower, without a ladder, and hacksawed off the weathervane. None of the items were ever recovered. An attempt was made to protect the building and to prevent further abuse and access by boarding up the windows and the bell tower, and to allow trees to grow. Over the years many people have made inquiries regarding purchasing the building and converting it to other uses such as a house or antique store. All were declined as inappropriate for the historic nature of the building.

Carl J. Popp acquired the property on December 30 1993, with the hope of someday restoring and operating it as a museum, in its former glory. Members of the Little Nine Partners Historical Society have been collecting its history, including information obtained from a teacher and some students who attended the school.

On July 10, 2002 Tom Odak of the Dutchess County Fair Association, suggested that the building could be moved to the Dutchess County Fair, Rhinebeck, New York. It would be completely restored to its historical significance as a permanent display, a part of the Century Museum Village and Collectors Association exhibit which is frequently open to the public.

Mount Ross School	Table of Contents		The Huckleberry Line
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