District 10 School, school building
District 10 School is a one-room stone schoolhouse in Middletown, New York, dating from the 19th century. The building sits on wooded land near the East Branch of the Delaware River and was one of the few structures from that period to survive in the area after a large reservoir project was built nearby.
The school was built in 1860 from local stone after an earlier wooden schoolhouse in the area was torn down. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998 and was one of the few buildings to escape demolition when the Pepacton Reservoir was created nearby.
The school reflects how rural communities organized education together, with its name tied to the original school district. The simple stone building with its bell tower shows how local efforts brought children together in one space for learning, making the school a gathering point for the neighborhood.
The building has a front entrance with stone steps and a modern ramp for wheelchair access, making it accessible for different visitors. The setting is quiet and somewhat remote, so it helps to check opening times in advance and plan your route to get there.
The schoolhouse nearly escaped destruction from the Pepacton Reservoir project, with the reservoir's construction in the 1960s destroying nearly all other period structures in the area. Small details like the separate privy with two rooms show how everyday aspects of the school's past were preserved.
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