Gillibrand Calls for Hillburn Main School to be Placed On The National Register of Historic Places

Press Release

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today urged the National Park Service to place Hillburn Main School on the National Register of Historic Places. This designation would recognize the school's history during New York State's desegregation movement. The national register also expands opportunities for federal historic tax credits and other resources to support future preservation and development initiatives. The Hillburn Main School in Rockland County was a focal point of school desegregation in New York State during the early 1940s.

"The desegregation of the Hillburn Main School in 1943 was a significant moment in the history of Hudson Valley and New York State," said Senator Gillibrand. "Hillburn Main School deserves a place on the National Register of Historic Places. This site is a historic reminder of the sacrifice previous generations made in the pursuit of equality and to progress civil rights. I am pushing for this important designation so Hillburn Main School can secure national recognition of its important role in desegregation efforts."

"We are deeply honored by the efforts to ensure that the Brook School will be etched in the annals of American History," said Willie Trotman, President Spring Valley NAACP. "Names like Thurgood Marshall, Marion Van Dunk, Thomas Alexander and Allen Morgan Jr. can now be remembered also. We would like to acknowledge the work of so many, including Senator Gillibrand, Assembly Member Jaffee and Congresswoman Lowey."

The Hillburn Main School was one of the last formally segregated schools in New York State. In 1943, Thurgood Marshall, head of the NAACP's legal department, led the community petition against the Ramapo Central School District board and appeal to the New York State Board of Education. This resulted in the commissioner ruling that Brook School should be closed and that all students, regardless of race, should attend Main School.

The Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case was decided eleven years later in 1954.

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