History of School District No. 7
Originally Part of Blenheim and Jefferson

Luman Lawrence, South Gilboa, has the original lease for the land on which School No. 7 was built. It was given May 18, 1812, by David Stewart, farmer, of the Town of Blenheim, Schoharie County, New York to the Trustees of District No. 7– viz., Aaron Stevens, John Beach, Thomas Maynard and Ariel Wellman and their successors in office. For the sum of one shilling he leased, for the purpose of building a school house, a parcel of land in Blenheim described as follows: “Beginning at the northwest corner of a certain lot of land commonly known as the 5-acre lot on the north line of Lot 52 and adjoining the highway and runs thence south 25 degrees west, 1 chain 50 links to a stake and stones standing on the line of the 5 acre lot and David Jones, Jr., thence north 25 degrees west, 1 chain 50 links to a stake and stones; thence north 25 degrees east, 1 chain 50 links to the centerline of the highway; thence south 55 degrees east along the highway 1 chain 50 links to the point or place of beginning, containing 36 square rods of land, be the same m ore or less.”

The rental, to be paid by the aforesaid trustees and their successors, was “3 pints of good merchantable winter wheat” to be delivered to Daniel Stewart on Feb. 1st of every year at the City of Albany, or to John Lansing or to his heirs or assigns.

The lease is made out exactly as the tenant leases were on the farms, and is duly signed by Daniel Stewart—the earlier use of the name David must have been an error—and the trustees, and is witnessed by Job and Elizabeth Whiting. Diamond-shaped pieces of paper were stuck on with some kind of black glue in lieu of seals. The signature of Thomas Maynard does not appear on the lease. The penmanship is fine and legible.

Bee Mattice passed us a folder relating to the Newsletter's one-room schoolhouse theme. These articles refer to South Gilboa school district 6 (Kemper Mountain Road) and school district 7 (the Fork-in-the-Road schoolhouse) and date from 1813 through 1842

District 6, Report of First Meeting, 6 November, 1813, and School Meetings, 1814–1848
District 6, Number of Children, 21st Feb. 1826, by Horace Lawrence, Clerk

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