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Landmarks Preservation Commission September 19, 1995; Designation List 266
LP-1895

Constructed in 1895-97, Public School 27 is one of the earliest buildings produced by C.B,J. Snyder during his long career as Superintendent of School Buildings for the Board of Education of New York City. Snyder became Superintendent as huge waves of immigrant children were flooding New York schools, and shortly before consolidation of the city. Each of the city's five boroughs needed many new school buildings, and Snyder was responsible for the design and construction of them all. At first Snyder continued many of the stylistic traditions of his predecessor, George W. Debevoise, as seen in the massive rectangular shapes of his early schools and his emphasis on a central entrance tower. In P.S. 27, as well as other of his schools from this period, Snyder used such design elements from New York's Dutch and Federal periods as the stepped gables and polygonal tower.

P.S. 27 represents Snyder's successful effort to create a school building that would be an important and imposing neighborhood structure while meeting the requirements of the Board and the children who would use it.

Development of the Area

From 1639 -- when the Dutch West India Company put-chased from the Mohegan Indians all the land that falls within the boundaries of the present borough — through the mid-nineteenth century, the Bronx retained its rural character. However, as massive immigration and industrialization began to alter the character of New York City to the south, it was inevitable that the northward march of urbanization would eventually engulf the Bronx as well. The first immigrants to come to the Bronx were the Irish who arrived after 1840 and settled primarily in Mott Haven, adjacent to the Harlem River. This area, within the section called Morrisania, was named for Jordan L. Mott, inventor of the coal burning stove and founder, in 1828, of the Mott Iron Works on East 134th Street. Beginning in 1842, the Irish participated in the construction of the Harlem and Hudson River railroads and the Croton Aqueduct, and they were joined after 1848 by an influx of Germans.

The new railroads opened up great potential for industrial development, and during the second half of the century factories were erected along the Harlem and East River waterfronts. The population of the Bronx rose from 28,981 in 1870, to 81,255 in 1890, and further to 200,507 in 1900, with even greater increases in the following years.

Politically, the Bronx remained a part of Westchester County from 1683 until the area was annexed to the City of New York. This change occurred in two stages, with the western section being joined to New York in 1874 and the remainder in 1895. In 1898 the Charter of the City of Greater New York was implemented, creating the five boroughs, including the Borough of the Bronx.

Schools in Greater New York

A major effect of the new charter was to create a unified educational system out of numerous independently administered school districts with a variety of curricula, grade divisions, educational policies, and standards for personnel selection. This endeavor was hindered initially by a tremendous shortage of existing school buildings, which was created primarily by two factors: new laws establishing mandatory education for children, and huge waves of immigration at the end of the nineteenth century which increased the population density of many areas of the city.

The problem was noted even before consolidation, in 1896, in the Board of Education's

Annual Report:

Insufficient school accommodations have furnished cause for very general complaint on the part of the citizens of New York during the past ten years. The unprecedented growth of the city, together with unexpected movements of population, rendered it almost impossible to keep pace with the demands in given localities or to anticipate the needs of certain sections of the city that speedily outgrew the accommodations that were provided. During the past year... the question of increased and improved school accommodations was kept constantly in mind?

Between 1884 and 1897, the Board of Education acquired 125 new sites for school buildings in Manhattan and the Bronx, providing space for more than 132,000 new students. However, this new construction was still not enough. By July 1899, schools in Manhattan and the Bronx could accommodate 232,931 students, many in half-day sessions, but many more children had to be turned away for lack of space.

C.B.J. Snyder and His Work The architect who planned and was responsible for the design and building of all the new and expanded schools was the Board of Education's Superintendent of School Buildings, C.B.J. Snyder (1860-1945). Little is known of Snyder's background.

He was born in Stillwater, New York, and studied architecture with William Bishop. Snyder was appointed as Superintendent of School Buildings in 1891 when the Board oversaw only Manhattan an

In Santos, whilst driving towards Sao Vicente I saw this
very old House. Perhaps over 100 years of unaltered
History. Everyone seems to want an Apartment close
to the Beach. Well, this House was exactly 100 mts.
from the Beach and abandoned. So I searched out the
legal owner and bought this beauty. To enter the living
quarters, you had to climb the marble stairs that I am
standing on to take this photo. Upstairs was the old
Lord's Quarters, downstairs there was the same room
space but with a lower ceiling. I will explain, at the
turn of last century (1800/1900) the wealthy lived in
town near the docks, and had a beach House for
weekends and keeping their boats. Labour was cheap,
so the lower quarters that you see here were for the
many servants. The upper floor was for the owners,
marble all over, imported stained glass windows sided
the solid Russian Pine (also imported) double Venizian
windows. The whole house was Russian Pine, ceiling,
roofing the lot. Woodworms did not like this noble wood
for it's acidity. I have a photo of the outside building and
the stained glass windows, but must find these to upload.
The basement had a 2mt. ceiling and upstairs 4mt.
This photo was taken when arriving from the office, the entrance was via the upper floor. Since I always carried
a camera and saw this flower sprouting from the roots of
the front tree. I decided to register it's beauty.