Manhattan's Last-Standing Segregated School Earns NYC Landmark Status — and a $6M Reno

The last remaining example of a racially segregated school in Manhattan is now a New York City landmark, officials announced Tuesday, and they hope preserving that building will preserve Black history, too.

(Former) Colored School No. 4 exclusively served the Black community on the West Side for decades until it closed in 1894. It was initially built between 1849 and 1850 on West 17th Street in Chelsea, and became a "colored" school in 1860. It's the only relic of its kind left in the city's most densely populated borough.

Many of the school's Black leaders, teachers and students rose to prominence in an array of fields following their time at No. 4. Among others, they include principal Sarah J.S. (Tompkins) Garnet, an ardent suffragist and social justice champion who became one of the city's first Black female public school principals.

A former student, Susan Elizabeth Frazier, challenged city edicts requiring Black educators to teach only in segregated schools. She went on to become the first Black teacher assigned to an integrated public school.

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

"As the second Black mayor in New York City history, the significance of this landmark designation is not lost on me, and I am proud we are investing $6 million to rehabilitate (Former) Colored School No. 4 so that this painful, yet important, piece of history is preserved," 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 becoming the incredible city we are today. We stand on the shoulders of the young men and women that attended this school, and while they may be gone, I am honored to ensure they will never be forgotten."

The full rehabilitation should be completed by 2027. No long-term use for it has been set at this point, but the sanitation department is working with other city agencies to identify one before the renovation is complete.

Though the school closed in 1894, (Former) Colored School No. 4 stayed a city-owned property and was used for various purposes, including by the sanitation department as a satellite office and locker facility, since the mid-1930s.

While it's the only building left of its kind in Manhattan, Brooklyn has one too -- and its (Former) Colored School No. 3 also has landmark status. Learn more about New York City landmarks and Black history here.

"(Former) Colored School No. 4 represents a difficult, and often overlooked, period in our city’s history, and in the ongoing pursuit of equity and social justice here in New York City," Landmarks Preservation Commission Chair Sarah Carroll said 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 to the importance of preserving the sites that tell the complete, and sometimes challenging, story of our city."