My family were not natives to Stony Point or Rockland County. I was the first of my siblings to be born here. My parents moved to Stony Point in 1968 and at that time my brother was just entering grade school and my sister was still a toddler. Even back then the old high school for the North Rockland School District wasn’t used as school but it still had a presence.
Growing up it never fit my description of what I thought a school was supposed to look like. From elementary school to middle school to high school all of them had a similar design and color for that matter. I watched Little House on the Prairie with my family so I got the concept of a little school house but the old school didn’t fit into any of those boxes. Even compared to the rest of the town it was foreign but always there and yet inaccessible. Though I’m sure plenty of teens had broken in over the years.
It wasn’t until I went away to Oswego that I realized what design the old high school had. Most of the buildings on campus used for classes had a mid 20th century school design but a historical building remained and that was Sheldon Hall. I had visited Cornell University since I was a freshman in high school through a 4H program but I never made the connection because Cornell was just so massive to me. Now when I compare the old school to my high school I can see there has been a shift in purpose. NRHS could pass for a prison and many times it felt like one. The old high school still has a sense of awe about it. Someone would enter unlearned but curious and they would leave enlightened.
The building is up for sale now and according to my mom the local library wants to purchase it but the town has rejected the offer so there is a pending lawsuit. I wouldn’t mind that instead of turning it into a bunch offices. I often envision what I would do with the building. First thought was the family entertainment center idea but that would increase the amount of traffic in town and the intersection of 9W & Main St. is already a nightmare because of the traffic light. I also considered the idea of a museum and gallery but the cost of operation would be too high while not bringing in enough funds. The most recent plan I had for it was converting it to a restaurant and reception hall called The Academy. Italian is done to death in the area along with Americana so I would aim for 3 star English cuisine. Make people feel like they were dining at Downton Abbey. Since it’s all hypothetical I don’t have to worry about smoking laws there should be a cigar bar as well.
