Deveaux School Historic District
Encyclopedia
Deveaux School Historic District is a national historic district
located at Niagara Falls
in Niagara County, New York
.
. Samuel DeVeaux was a heavy contributor to the Lockport and Niagara Railroads, also known as the Strap Railroad and was instrumental in the construction of the Whirlpool Suspension Bridge
in 1847. His business dealings resulted in vast purchases of land along the Niagara River
. The entire region still bears his name.
Judge DeVeaux died suddenly on August 3, 1852, and being deeply religious and a sincere believer in the benefit of education, he left a portion of his estate for the benefit of Niagara Falls
and the Episcopal
Diocese to establish DeVeaux College. The college was located at the northern limits of the city and opposite the Whirlpool
.
DeVeaux vision of a preeminent institution
of learning which would train young men in academics, trade professions and to give them an ducation that did not neglect religious training. For nearly 80 years course work included mandatory military training with cadets dressed in uniforms in the tradition of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York
. The last day of military influence on campus came was on Founder’s Day in 1950 when the uniforms were replaced by coats and ties.
The first buildings constructed included Van Rensselaer Hall, built in 1855-57 and dedicated on May 20, 1857 in honor of the Rev. Dr. Maunsell Van Rensselaer, the first president of the school. Designed by Buffalo architect C.H. OtisI, Van Rensselaer Hall referred to as "the college edifice". was the school's first building and consisted of the kitchen
, dining room
, pantries, laundry
, and bathroom
s on the ground level and school rooms, chapel
, hospital
, library
, and president's rooms on the second level. The third floor contained the dormitory
which accommodated about 25 boys. Additional dorms and a play room were in the attic
. In 1866 the building was expanded and a new kitchen, chapel and study hall were added. This expansion was later named Patterson Hall after the second president of the school Rev. Dr. George H. Patterson.
The construction of Munro Hall in 1888 was an indication of expansion and lavish spending at Deveaux School. This new Gothic inspired building cost $18,000 and was attached to Patterson Hall. Munro's major feature was a new and bigger chapel which occupied the entire second floor. "Edgewood", the Chaplain's house, also dates to this era of expansion and was located at the southeast of the complex.
, Niagara University
, Board of Cooperative Educational Services
, Niagara County Community College
and currently New York State Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation who christened the property DeVeaux Woods State Park.
The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1974.
Historic district (United States)
In the United States, a historic district is a group of buildings, properties, or sites that have been designated by one of several entities on different levels as historically or architecturally significant. Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided...
located at Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 50,193, down from the 55,593 recorded in the 2000 census. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario , both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they...
in Niagara County, New York
Niagara County, New York
Niagara County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 216,469. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word Onguiaahra; meaning the strait or thunder of waters. It is the location of Niagara Falls and Fort Niagara, and...
.
Beginnings
The property was deeded in the mid 1850’s as “The DeVeaux College for Orphans and Destitute Children” by Judge Samuel DeVeaux and operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Western New YorkEpiscopal Diocese of Western New York
The Episcopal Diocese of Western New York, is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over the counties of Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming in western New York. It is in Province 2 and its cathedral, St. Paul's...
. Samuel DeVeaux was a heavy contributor to the Lockport and Niagara Railroads, also known as the Strap Railroad and was instrumental in the construction of the Whirlpool Suspension Bridge
Suspension bridge
A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...
in 1847. His business dealings resulted in vast purchases of land along the Niagara River
Niagara River
The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...
. The entire region still bears his name.
Judge DeVeaux died suddenly on August 3, 1852, and being deeply religious and a sincere believer in the benefit of education, he left a portion of his estate for the benefit of Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
and the Episcopal
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
Diocese to establish DeVeaux College. The college was located at the northern limits of the city and opposite the Whirlpool
Whirlpool
A whirlpool is a swirling body of water usually produced by ocean tides. The vast majority of whirlpools are not very powerful. More powerful ones are more properly termed maelstroms. Vortex is the proper term for any whirlpool that has a downdraft...
.
DeVeaux vision of a preeminent institution
Institution
An institution is any structure or mechanism of social order and cooperation governing the behavior of a set of individuals within a given human community...
of learning which would train young men in academics, trade professions and to give them an ducation that did not neglect religious training. For nearly 80 years course work included mandatory military training with cadets dressed in uniforms in the tradition of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York
West Point, New York
West Point is a federal military reservation established by President of the United States Thomas Jefferson in 1802. It is a census-designated place located in Town of Highlands in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 7,138 at the 2000 census...
. The last day of military influence on campus came was on Founder’s Day in 1950 when the uniforms were replaced by coats and ties.
Campus Buildings
Buildings on the property at one time included Van Rensselaer Hall, Monro Hall, Schoellkopf Hall, Edgewood, the Walker Residence, the Buscaglia-Castellani Art Gallery, a carriage house, boiler house and three residential homes. The 51-acre site grew to encompass a campus of nearly a dozen buildings and residences.The first buildings constructed included Van Rensselaer Hall, built in 1855-57 and dedicated on May 20, 1857 in honor of the Rev. Dr. Maunsell Van Rensselaer, the first president of the school. Designed by Buffalo architect C.H. OtisI, Van Rensselaer Hall referred to as "the college edifice". was the school's first building and consisted of the kitchen
Kitchen
A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.In the West, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a...
, dining room
Dining room
A dining room is a room for consuming food. In modern times it is usually adjacent to the kitchen for convenience in serving, although in medieval times it was often on an entirely different floor level...
, pantries, laundry
Laundry
Laundry is a noun that refers to the act of washing clothing and linens, the place where that washing is done, and/or that which needs to be, is being, or has been laundered...
, and bathroom
Bathroom
A bathroom is a room for bathing in containing a bathtub and/or a shower and optionally a toilet, a sink/hand basin/wash basin and possibly also a bidet....
s on the ground level and school rooms, chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
, hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
, library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, and president's rooms on the second level. The third floor contained the dormitory
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
which accommodated about 25 boys. Additional dorms and a play room were in the attic
Attic
An attic is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building . Attic is generally the American/Canadian reference to it...
. In 1866 the building was expanded and a new kitchen, chapel and study hall were added. This expansion was later named Patterson Hall after the second president of the school Rev. Dr. George H. Patterson.
The construction of Munro Hall in 1888 was an indication of expansion and lavish spending at Deveaux School. This new Gothic inspired building cost $18,000 and was attached to Patterson Hall. Munro's major feature was a new and bigger chapel which occupied the entire second floor. "Edgewood", the Chaplain's house, also dates to this era of expansion and was located at the southeast of the complex.
Years of Decline
DeVeaux College fell on hard times as the demand for prep-school education continued to decline in the 20th century and the Episcopal Diocese ceased operations at the school and, in 1971, looked to another organization to accept the burden of taking care of the historic structures. Subsequent property owners or lessees include Niagara County, Niagara FallsNiagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
, Niagara University
Niagara University
Niagara University is a Catholic university in the Vincentian tradition, located in the Town of Lewiston in Niagara County, New York. Originally founded by the Congregation of the Mission in 1856 as Our Lady of Angels Seminary, it became Niagara University in 1883. The University is still run by...
, Board of Cooperative Educational Services
Board of Cooperative Educational Services
In 1948, the New York State Legislature created the Boards of Cooperative Educational Services to provide school districts with a program of shared educational services.-History:...
, Niagara County Community College
Niagara County Community College
Niagara County Community College is located in Sanborn, New York, USA northeast of the City of Niagara Falls. NCCC offers associate's degrees in many programs. Niagara County Community College was founded in 1962 and is sponsored by Niagara County and SUNY. The new campus opened in 1973...
and currently New York State Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation who christened the property DeVeaux Woods State Park.
The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1974.