Traveling down New York State Route #8 approximately four miles north of South New Berlin at an area that was created when the New Berlin branch of the New York Ontario & Western rail line was constructed from Sidney to Edmeston. This area, once a thriving hamlet, now there is no trace with the exception of possible homes, etc.! The historian’s grapevine related that there was possibly a railroad station building located there, however the 1875 map of Chenango County only shows the rail line, the old Route 8 (school house located on that route) and the Unadilla River. However, from map information, forwarded to this writers attention by the Town of Butternuts historian, Leigh Eckmair gives us the information that District #4 was established at an early date as it is documented on the 1785-1813 map, which was extracted from the Town of Butternuts School Commission Minutes. How very fortunate to have this historical information survive to the present age.

The photo(s) of the school house and pupils is documentation not only of the building itself, but the students who attended this school. The Nathan Taylor Yorker’s Club documented in their research that in approximately 1940 the school was converted to a private dwelling, the only exterior changes being changing the location of the doorway and the addition of a window.