Lenox Academy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Lenox Academy
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 Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Location | 65 Main St., Lenox, Massachusetts |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1802 |
| Architect | Lewis, Eldad |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 82001895 |
| Added to NRHP | September 30, 1982 |
The Lenox Academy is a very old school building located at 65 Main Street in Lenox, Massachusetts. It was built in 1802-1803 as a special private school. This was the first high school to open in Berkshire County. Over the years, it was also used as the town's public high school. Today, the building holds offices. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. This means it is recognized as an important historical place.
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About the Lenox Academy Building
The old Lenox Academy building is on the west side of Main Street in Lenox. It is a two-story building made of wood. The outside is covered with horizontal wooden boards called clapboards. The roof is shaped like a pyramid, called a hip roof. On top of the roof, there is a two-part tower where a bell would have been.
The front of the building has five sections. The windows on the sides can slide up and down. The main entrance is in the middle. It has wide windows on either side of the door. There are tall, flat columns, called pilasters, between the windows and the door. These columns go up to a decorative border and a roof-like edge. Above the entrance, there is a special three-part window called a Palladian window.
History of the Lenox Academy
The Lenox Academy building was finished in 1803. The school itself became an official organization in the same year.
Early Years as a Private School
From 1803 until 1866, the building was home to a private school. This means students paid to attend. It was a place where young people could get an education.
Serving as the Town's High School
Later, the building became the public high school for the town of Lenox. It served in this role from 1869 to 1879. Then, it closed for a while to get repairs and updates. In 1888, it opened again as the high school. It continued to be the high school until 1908.
Later Uses and Preservation
After 1908, a private school called the Trinity School used the building. This was from 1911 until the 1920s. After that, the building was empty for some time. It started to fall apart.
To save the building from being torn down, the town took it over. Now, the old Lenox Academy building is used for offices by local community groups. It stands as an important part of Lenox's history.
