Main School in Hillburn Nominated for Historic Register

The Main School in Hillburn is significant as the focus of a prominent school desegregation battle in 1943.

Children of color in Hillburn had to attend the Brook School—which didn’t have indoor bathrooms, a gym or a library.

The Main School had all the amenities the taxpayers could provide.

Then a coalition of black parents joined with the NAACP to successfully gain black students’ admittance to the new and improved school facilities they were excluded from.

Thurgood Marshall fought and won that battle 11 years before his victory in Brown v Board of Education of Topeka, in which the Supreme Court decision formed the legal basis to fight segregation across the United States.

Now the school building, used as the Central Ramapo school district’s administrative offices, is one of 26 properties recommended for inclusion on the state and national registers of historic places.

“New York has a rich heritage, and important events in the history of this state and this nation have occurred in virtually every corner of it,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a prepared statement. “By placing these sites on the State and National Registers of Historic Places, we can ensure that they will be preserved and enjoyed by New Yorkers and visitors for years to come.”

LEARN MORE: Visit the museum at the Rockland African Diaspora Heritage Center in Pomona. The RADHC is a collaborative effort of The African American Historical Society of Rockland County, The Spring Valley NAACP, and the CEJJES Institute. It is primarily dedicated to the preservation and understanding of the experiences of Black people in Rockland County and New York State.

State and National Register listing can assist property owners in revitalizing buildings, making them eligible for various public preservation programs and services, such as matching state grants and state and federal historic rehabilitation tax credits. Spurred by the state and federal historic rehabilitation commercial tax credits administered by the State Historic Preservation Office, developers invested $500 million statewide in 2014 to revitalize properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Homeowners using the state historic homeowner rehabilitation tax credit invested more than $9.8 million statewide on home improvements to help revitalize historic neighborhoods.

The State and National Registers are the official lists of buildings, structures, districts, landscapes, objects and sites significant in the history, architecture, archeology and culture of New York State and the nation. There are more than 120,000 historic buildings, structures and sites throughout the state listed on the National Register of Historic Places, individually or as components of historic districts. Property owners, municipalities and organizations from communities throughout the state sponsored the nominations.

Commissioner of the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Rose Harvey said, “These sites are the physical reminders of the incredible scope of architectural vision, craftsmanship, innovation and history across New York State. Listing these landmarks will give them the recognition and support they deserve.”

Once the recommendations are approved by the state historic preservation officer, the properties are listed on the New York State Register of Historic Places and then nominated to the National Register of Historic Places, where they are reviewed and, once approved, entered on the National Register. More information and photos of the nominations is available on the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation website.

PHOTO: Dr. Travis Jackson speaking about Hillburn’s history. Dr. Jackson was entering the fourth grade when Thurgood Marshall came to Rockland County to help desegregate the Hillburn schools/Historical Society of Rockland County