One-room schoolhouses have lost their purpose in modern society; however, they've also been known to be salvaged as historic souvenirs, cleaned up and given new identities. Located in Millbrook, New York, this rustic schoolhouse is vintage 1865. Initials on the original wainscoting attest to its pedagogic past, which included a half-century of obsolescence. Architects Mac Clapp and Jimmy Crisp bought a sorry case complete with a rotted belfry tilted like a cockeyed hat. Nevertheless, the structure gave them a rare opportunity to reinvent stylish one-room living. What they devised makes active use of the 800-square-foot space, including sleeping lofts in the rafters. They preserved the outware charm of the original building, but with creative interior design, gave a historic American souvenir new purpose.

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