A few months ago, I was scouting out in Flatbush, Brooklyn, when I happened to walk by Erasmus Hall High School.
I’d driven by a bunch of times in the past, but this was my first time on foot. As I stopped to admire its castle-like facade, I suddenly noticed something…
Just through the gates…
…in what appeared to be a courtyard…
What the heck was that in the middle of a New York City public school??
When I saw the Erasmus Hall High School was on the list for a Partners in Preservation grant (the ONLY New York Public School, in fact – click here to vote now!), I jumped at the chance to go beyond the gate.
As it turns out, this was once Erasmus Hall Academy, the oldest chartered high school in New York. Built in 1786, the building today is in decent shape considering its age and neglect…
…though the surrounding neighborhood has changed quite a bit!
Erasmus Hall Academy in 1820
Land for the building was donated by the Flatbush Dutch Church, which still stands across the street. This is one of my favorite churches in New York simply because of how easy it is to picture a time when it was surrounded by farmland.
With Alexander Hamilton and Arron Burr among its early benefactors, Erasmus Hall Academy first opened its doors in 1787 with a class of 26. The school began accepting female students in 1801, when enrollment numbered over 100. Below, a picture taken in 1940:
Ultimately, Erasmus Hall Academy found itself competing with the New York City public school system, to which it eventually donated its land in 1896.
Sadly, the building was looking quite a lot better in 1940:
Left to decay for decades, Erasmus Hall Academy appears to finally be on the path toward restoration thanks to various preservation grants awarded to it in the last year.
Erasmus Hall Academy is just one of the many gems to be found hidden on the Erasmus Hall High School campus.
Designed by architect and Superintendent of School Buildings C. B. J. Snyder, the Erasmus Hall campus was built on land surrounding the old Academy structure in four phases, beginning in 1905.
Essentially, the school grew from a small building on Flatbush…
…into a much wider building on Flatbush…
…until finally, the quadrangle to Bedford Ave was completed.
While building details become more sparse as you move beyond the Flatbush facade (a cost-cutting technique), there are still some great bits to be found, like this odd fellow wrapped up in a ball and holding a cog of some sort (anyone know?).
I love these enormous lanterns, which can be found all over the street side of the building:
Meanwhile, a pair of serious looking owls adorn the main entrance:
However, as you may have noticed, the Partners in Preservation grant is not for statuary or old clapboard school buildings, but for the “restoration of four stained glass artwork.”
Because as it turns out, Erasmus Hall High School has quite a bit of stained glass…
…including one of the coolest stained glass windows I’ve ever seen:
Ha, OK, before we move on, can someone please explain this one to me?? I get the others – chemistry, for example…
…Architecture and design…
…Earth sciences…
…and astronomy…
But what is this one?? The symbol for Slytherin?? Either way, it’s one of my all time favorites (anyone looking for a new tattoo?).
One of the true gems of the school’s stained-glass window collection is a five-paneled Tiffany set, pictured here above the front entrance.
Originally, this was centerpiece of the school’s library…which of course was later chopped up into smaller classrooms, completely obscuring the Tiffany windows.
Installed in 1919 to pay tribute to Walter B. Gunnison, the school’s first principal, today you can admire them only at the most irritating angle imaginable.
The central crowned figure is the personification of knowledge, garbed in Greek and Roman garb.
If there’s a centerpiece to the school’s stained glass collection, it’s to be found at the front of the recently restored auditorium…
Seriously – this is in a public school:
At first, I was surprised that Biblical imagery was allowed into the decor of a public school. Then I realized these were actually depictions from the life of Erasmas, the Dutch Renaissance theologist, teacher, and priest for whom the school is named.
The work is epic, yet was added to the building by Snyder at very little extra cost:
Meanwhile, on both sides of the auditorium…
…are additional stained glass windows, spanning all three floors:
One great non-window detail…
…pairs of red-eyed owls lining the auditorium’s columns:
The final stained glass art to be restored can be found at one of the school’s entrances…
Here, each panel depicts elements of America’s growth. In particular, I love the skyscrapers rising out of the log cabin:
Below, Commerce and Transportation (also love the train!).
Finally, Letters and Communication:
The preservation work is being carried out by Public Art For Public Schools, a group devoted to saving artwork found in public schools throughout the five boroughs. As you can imagine, there’s very little money for this sort of thing, so every penny counts. Unfortunately, Erasmus Hall High School is currently at the bottom of the voting list, and today’s the last day…
-SCOUT
