“Last Remaining Segregated School in Manhattan Designated New York City Landmark to Preserve Black History”

NEW YORK — The last remaining example of a racially segregated school in Manhattan is now a New York City landmark, officials announced Tuesday, hoping the preservation of that building will also preserve Black history.

The (former) No. 4 Colored School exclusively served the black community on the West Side for decades until it closed in 1894. It was initially built between 1849 and 1850 in West 17th Street in Chelsea and became a ‘coloured’ school in 1860. It is the only such relic remaining in the city’s most densely populated borough.

Many of the school’s black leaders, teachers, and students rose to prominence in a variety of fields after their time at No. 4. Among others, they include Principal Sarah JS (Tompkins) Garnet, a fervent suffragist and advocate for social justice who became one of the city’s first black public school principals.

One former student, Susan Elizabeth Frazier, challenged city edicts requiring black educators to teach only in segregated schools. She later became the first black teacher assigned to an integrated public school.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to designate it as an individual monument ahead of a ceremony where Mayor Eric Adams and others announced $6 million in funding to stabilize and rehabilitate the building to ensure it remains protected for the future. The work will address water and general age-related deterioration issues.

“As the second African-American mayor in New York City history, the importance of this historic designation is not lost on me, and I am proud that we are investing $6 million to rehabilitate the (former) Black School No. 4 so that This painful, but important, piece of history remains,” Adams, a Democrat, said in a statement. “Historic sites like this are crucial reminders of those who came before us, whose courage and ambition helped shape our city and chart the course to make us the incredible city we are today. We stand on the shoulders of young men and women who attended this school, and even though they are gone, I am honored to say that they will never be forgotten.”

Full rehabilitation should be completed by 2027. A long-term use has not been established at this time, but the sanitation department is working with other city agencies to identify one before the renovation is complete.

Although the school closed in 1894, the (former) No. 4 Colored School remained city property and was used for various purposes, including by the sanitation department as a satellite office and locker facility, from the mid-1990s. 1930’s

While it’s the only such building left in Manhattan, Brooklyn also has one, and its (former) Colored School No. 3 also has historic status. Learn more about New York City landmarks and black history here.

“The (former) School for People of Color No. 4 represents a difficult, and often overlooked, period in our city’s history and in the continuing search for equity and social justice here in New York City,” he said. Landmarks Preservation Commission President Sarah Carroll in a statement. Tuesday. “With today’s vote, LPC reaffirms its commitment to ensuring diversity in its designations as part of our equity framework and the importance of preserving sites that tell the full and sometimes challenging story of our city.”