A decade of devoted volunteer work and major community support saves building
by Doug Hickerson
After decades as a deserted relic, the 1853 Clarkson Academy building was raised like the Phoenix from ruins to new life. Over the past ten years, starting with a tarpaulin on the leaky roof and two steel beams to right the derelict bell tower, the schoolhouse has been restored to a historic gem in the community. It is not just a monument to the community’s past. It also stands as a tribute to the devoted human endeavor of individual citizens, a church, local government, businesses, tradesmen and grant agencies.
Don LageThe Academy, near Clarkson Community Church just east of Clarkson Corners on Ridge Road, is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a brick, two-story Greek Revival building which was state- of-the-art for its time period and location. The Academy was used as an educational institution of higher learning from 1853 to the late 1800s, then as a local schoolhouse until 1956 when it was abandoned.
The restoration work started in 2003 and was completed this year. The first urgent priorities were the collapsing bell tower and leaking roof. Over the decade, work was done on painting inside and out, brick pointing, plumbing, utilities, electrical, heating and recently, a new fire escape.
Concentrated work on the first floor started around 2007. Renovation included painting walls and the replaced ceiling, new white oak floor, ceramic tiles on the restroom floor, new lighting inside and out, a built-in sound system, and all new utilities. The room is used for meetings such as the Clarkson Historical Society and the Brockport Garden Club. Other functions such as funeral memorial services, fund raising events, and history lectures take place there also.
The Clarkson Historical Society and community members worked steadily to restore the Clarkson Academy. Once shrouded by tarpaulins to ward off further damage to the interior, the Greek Revival style building now stands as a testament to the hard work of many.Around 2010, work started on the second floor, stripping it to the bare wall studs and ceiling rafters and restoring it to its original condition as a classroom. Original bookcases and a table were refurbished and in use again. Thirty-five 19th century desks were donated over the ten year period. The classroom is used now for local 4th grade students coming once a year to learn about school days of the past.
There were many in-kind donations such as a 19th century well water pump and American flag and flagpole, both placed out front. Also donated was the original Morning Star #8 Clarkson School outhouse, yet to be restored and placed in its original location out back.
The ten-year project by the Clarkson Historical Society was methodically designed and directed by Don Lage, a Brockport resident. Lage, going on 80 and prior president of the Society, is a dynamo with dogged determination that kept the project moving. He also proved successful in grant applications.
On August 1 last year, Lage was honored as the Clarkson Academy project coordinator at a gathering to celebrate the restoration. Current CHS president Mary Edwards said the event recognized Lage’s “tireless devotion and constant attention to all the details.” She added, “To say the least, Don was the right person in the right place at the right time.” Over 100 people attended, including members of the Clarkson Town Board, Rep. Steve Hawley, Sen. Joseph Robach, Sen. Charles Nesbitt, and a representative from Sen. George D. Maziarz’s office. A note to Don from Governor Cuomo’s office was read. Each visiting official presented a framed resolution thanking Don Lage for his outstanding contribution to historic preservation in Clarkson.
Lage’s final touch to the project was his January 2, 2013 report to the Clarkson Historical Society, summing up the restoration project and listing the specific tasks achieved in each of the ten years. Outstanding in the report was the grand total cost of the project stated as only $197,000. The sources of support were generous and varied. The Town of Clarkson and Clarkson Community Church donated in-kind services worth $22,000. (The church is adjacent and is leasing the property to the Society at $1 a year for 99 years). Friends and members of the Clarkson Historical Society gave $69,000. Rochester Area Community Foundation and New York State grants totaled $93,000. Contractors and wholesale corporations gave in-kind services valued at $13,000.
Lage concluded his report with: “The unseen contributions that are so necessary in a venture such as this have been from volunteers, whose work has totaled more than 4,500 hours. Also of valuable note were our contractors who donated much of their labor to help bring costs down. The Clarkson Historical Society appreciates all that has been contributed to achieve the end goal. Now, instead of an abandoned old building next to the Clarkson Community Church, we have a fully restored architectural gem, of which we can all be proud.”
(Thanks to Mary Edwards and Don Lage for current information provided.)
