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When Beattie Hill opened February 9, 1874, pupils who had attended Orchard Street were "assigned generally to the schools to which they live nearest..." As the Board of Education had determined to sell the old school, a Middletown paper editorialized the property should be purchased by the village as a site for a town hali. At a special meeting on February 14, the Board agreed to sell the school to the village.
This, however, was not yet the end for the old school house. In September, 1874, the Board decided to fix-up and use the building to relieve overcrowding of school rooms. When schools re-opened in 1875, it was noted, "The Orchard Street school house has been thoroughly repaired and painted a neat drab color. It is now quite as comfortable as it could well be made." Its intervening history is uncertain, but it was used in 1885 when Cottage Street School was temporarily closed.
The last occupant of the old school house was the City Water Department who used it for a shop and warehouse. Early in 1896, it was reported, "A petition is being actively circulated and enthusiastically signed by many of the city's taxpayers" to demolish the structure. "The building is certainly a detriment to the surrounding property and should be removed," it was added. In March, the Common Council's Building Committee announced the school house, but not the property, would be sold to the highest bidder for scrap. At an auction on the afternoon of March 6, 1896, auctioneer John B. Daily sold the wooden structure to David R. Miller for $16.75. The purchaser evidently intended to use the wood to make animal pens as John T. Ogden lamented, "transforming this historic temple of learning into a shed for beasts of the field and fowls of the air and other z00logical horrors."
The building was torn down June 9, 1896. "The outlook is already an improvement," the paper commented. Thrall Library was later erected on the site.
WALLKILL ACADEMY
A desire to provide a higher level and quality of education than available in the area's public schools led local professional and businessmen to organize an institution of higher learning here in the early 1840s. At a meeting held January 30, 1841, one-hundred-fifteen stockholders subscribed a total of $3,656.75 to establish a private academy. The stockholders met February 27, agreeing to construct a brick building as soon as possible. Meeting March 3, they applied for incorporation of the Wallkill Academy, as the school was to be named. The first board of trustees was elected at this time and a building committee appointed. Stockholders met March 10, 1841 to select a building site. They originally selected a lot on Orchard Street offered by Stacy Beakes, who was one of the Trustees. However, on May 21, they reversed their decision,