Inside Look of the Liberty Street School After Almost 40 Years of Abandonment

LSS2

Last October the exciting news of the rehabilitation of the Liberty Street School was announced. Ever since then there has been an obvious curiosity to see inside the school. It has been vacant since the last class left almost 40 years ago in 1980. Thomas Burr Dodd of RipRap LLC was kind enough to share photos he took, documenting the monumental task of making this building safe for occupants. As can be seen in the photos entire floors and ceilings are missing. Tours are not being given of the school, nor should you try to gain access.

Before we take a look at the photos, I asked some key questions about the development of the school and the role RipRap hopes in play in the community.

What will the Liberty Street School become?
“RipRap LLC will repair and build out the school building at 1 Liberty and transform it into a multi-use creative space, giving attention to historic preservation as well as modern green building practices. The building will include studios for artists and entrepreneurs, as well as flexible spaces for galleries, classes, and community happenings. RipRap is hoping for a harmonious reinvigoration of the school building and the surrounding community.”

When will the work begin?
“Work has already begun to stabilize the building. Fingers crossed, the school will be operational in three years. The building will be available as a location for film shoots very soon, as we feel the space “as is” is incredibly beautiful.”

What is  RipRap’s commitment to the Newburgh community?
“In New York City, we have seen gentrification neutralize our creative incubators; hard-working artists and other makers continually seek out affordable, struggling neighborhoods and help these communities to thrive, only to find themselves and their neighbors priced out by skyrocketing rents. In Newburgh, RipRap hopes to add to the existing creative community by restoring and “upcycling” dormant infrastructures, like what we have achieved with the Brooklyn Fire Proof complexes in NYC. This time we are putting down deeper roots, and are extremely sensitive to the threat of displacement.

This past fall, RipRap started a community meeting called Navigating Newburgh, which meets on the first Thursday each month at Caffe Macchiato. This meeting pools experiences and resources in hopes of empowering residents and newcomers to buy their homes instead of renting, encouraging owner-occupied ARC-compliant restorations, and focusing on passive and environmentally-conscious building technology. RipRap LLC strives to be a resource and a cheerleader for homesteading hopefuls.”

RipRap has also taken over the Save the Liberty Street School Facebook page. Be sure to follow the page for up to date photos and announcements. All photos below are © Thomas Burr Dodd.

DSC00359-lr

DSC00362-lr

DSC00366-lr

DSC00369-lr

DSC00370-lr

DSC00386-lr

DSC00392-lr

DSC00393-lr

DSC00396-lr

DSC00397-lr

DSC00402-lr

DSC00403-lr

DSC00418-lr

DSC01588-lr

DSC01589-lr

DSC01590-lr

DSC01595-lr

DSC01601-lr

DSC01608-lr

DSC01615-lr

DSC01617-lr

DSC01618-lr

Photos © Thomas Burr Dodd

13 Comment

  • Wow, it’s fully unrecognizable as a school.

  • Good luck Burr! it’s going to be worth the long haul.

  • Fabulous photos, Thomas Burr Dodd! thank you so much, What spaces! what history! how perfectly suited to the use planned for the building! This is exciting I hope you let us see ongoing progress as this moves to completion.

  • Thank you so much for sharing these incredible pictures of the school. I live in the Heights and for years we have hoped that something creative and aesthetic would be done with this historic building. Thomas Burr Dodd sounds like the man who can do it. I look forward to the development. Best of luck with the endeavor.

  • I attended kindergarten and first grade at Liberty Street School from 1946 to 1948

  • I went to school there in the early 60’s had Mr. Lassiter for Gym also remember Mr. Westbrook was a teacher ,as I recall. I think I also remember a Mrs. Goins.

  • I hope ‘alumni’ will be invited to walk through when done. There are memories of my teachers Fitzpatrick, Pizzarro, Pierce, Slaughter, Dineen, Fitzgerald, and Corbett. Plus, violin in the art room, singing in the room to the side of the gym, and hanging out in the girls room (in the stairwell) with JoAnn Beck.

  • I remember Ms. Pizzaro, my second grade teacher at Liberty Street School, who also lived on Renwick Street near the school. She attended St. Francis Church on Sundays and the highlight of my day each Sunday was when Ms. Pizzaro walked by my home on upper Renwick Strret on her way to church each Sunday.

    J. Ricciotti

  • Great! I’m looking forward to critical discussions on a local level regarding the transition to renewable energies., i.e. addressing the energy loss from distribution regardless of supply, the necessary ramp up of select metals mining and their recycling. It seems to me a start would be over coming the current apathy toward recycling in general here in the ‘Burgh. As a smaller energy distribution system is more efficient, the closer to “home” being the most, $ incentives, i.e. credits and or sales tax exemptions, should be geared toward the end consumer. People need to be aware that Wall Street and Big Corp are big drivers behind “green” energy, having already established a financial derivative market for instance, and are influencing its municipalization. Also, vacant property owners need to adhere to a development timeline, as the resulting tax revenues can be used to offset the cost s associated with the “green” energy transition.

  • I had Mrs. Fitzpatrick as my kindergarten teacher. So glad to see the school is being renivated. 1962 I belive was my year. I have a picture with my entire class and Mrs.Fitzpatrick sitting at the piano.

  • I have a picture of my father’s 1925 Liberty School class. True.

  • Ya come in and do you’re gentrefacation.the people that be here there whole life’s are not moving.you know we will cause riots you won’t want to stay.but we will so pack you’re shit up and move you are not from here so get the %duck out!!!! We are not leaving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • I was there from kindergarten through 4th I think. Starting 1966.
    I’m 60 now. Going to be 61 next week. I can still remember so much about that school. I had Mrs Fitzpatrick for kindergarten. I’m happy their doing something with it.