The Belknap School in Johnston is yet another of Rhode Island's surviving one-room schoolhouses. This building was built in 1892 after the original fell into an extreme state of disrepair, and it serviced the Village of Johnston (as it was, then) until the late 1930s. Originally, this was known as a subscription school. It was only available to the students of parents that paid for the upkeep and general maintenance of the school, not unlike the tuition concept in today's private schools. Despite popular belief, there is no "right to education" guaranteed by the Constitution. Also, the US Supreme Court has consistently refused to provide any such guarantee at a federal level. While there is a UN recognized right to an education passed by the UN General Assembly in 1963, that UN resolution does not supersede the Constitution. By the mid-1800s, however, most states in the US provided some form of public education, and most - if not all - states require education in some form for all children between the ages of 6 and 16. The Belknap School shown in this photo followed the pattern established by Rhode Island. It was originally available by subscription only. Then, as public education was established in the state, this became a public school open to all residents.
Post processing started with a brilliant cold filter in Topaz Adjust. The black and white transition was done with a gradient map in color blend mode. I added a deep blue filter to the sky just to enhance the cloud contrast a bit. Levels were adjusted and the contrast was similarly adjusted. A sepia photo filter was added the final layer.
