In the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, a modest brick building stands as a silent witness to nearly two centuries of Black American history. Once known as Colored School No 4, this unassuming structure was designated a landmark in 2023, sparking conversations about both its past and future.
The school, which served as a beacon of education for Black children in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is now at the center of efforts to preserve and celebrate the contributions of Black Americans to New York City’s cultural and historical fabric. That preservation comes at a time when diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, which seek to promote the fair treatment and full participation of all people, are under attack at all levels of government.
Colored School No 4 was built in 1850, before slavery was abolished and during a time when segregation severely limited the educational opportunities available to Black children. The school served elementary school-aged children, typically between six and 14 years old, which was common for public education at the time. Subjects included reading, writing, arithmetic and history.
Among its notable alumni was James H Williams, the subject of the historian Eric K Washington’s 2019 book, Boss of the Grips: The Life of James H Williams and the Red Caps of Grand Central Terminal. Washington, an independent scholar, stumbled upon the school while researching Williams’s life. Despite having passed the building several times, he was unaware of its historical significance until his research revealed its connection to Williams and other prominent Black Americans.
“I was surprised to discover while I was researching his story that the building was still there,” Washington said. “I had passed it a thousand times because I would go to a thrift shop across the street from it for the past 20 years or so. If you blink, you miss it.”
Recognizing the building’s cultural significance, Washington filed a “request for evaluation” with the New York City landmarks preservation commission in 2018, hoping to secure the site as a local landmark. After a four-and-a-half-year process and a petition with more than 2,800 signatures, the school was granted landmark status in 2023, protecting it from potential demolition or redevelopment.
Washington said that the efforts of the city council member Erik Bottcher, who represents Chelsea, had been “crucial” to getting the mayor’s attention in the fight for preservation.
“I believe this effort demonstrates the good that can come of New Yorkers embracing their history and ensuring its lessons are carried on into the future,” Bottcher told the Guardian.“We look forward to working with local preservationists and the community board to ensure this site remains a public asset, continuing to serve the cause of civil rights for generations to come.”
But two years later, it is still not completely clear what the city plans to do with it, even after Eric Adams, the mayor, pledged $6m towards restoration efforts.
New York’s department of sanitation (DSNY), which now has ownership of the site, confirmed that they are currently in the process of restoring the building, but extensive damage likely means it will be a lengthy process.
“The building is in very poor condition due to long-term exposure to water infiltration through the roof,” said Joshua Goodman, the deputy commissioner for public affairs at DSNY. “The masonry is very badly damaged, as are the wooden windows, joists, fixtures, walls and flooring.”
If it were up to Washington, the building wouldn’t become just another of New York City’s many museums. Rather, it would also serve as a cultural center where residents and tourists could continue the sort of education the school was built to offer.
“I think it would be great if it had a performance space,” Washington said. “It’s bigger than it looks from the outside because it goes deep into the block. … I think it would be wonderful if it had an AV setup or something like that, so you could do podcasts and teach some basic broadcasting.”
Arts education, which today faces constant funding and program cuts, and Black advancement were two intrinsic values of the former Colored School No 4 and many of the people who taught there. Someone who embodied these values throughout her life was Sarah J Tompkins Garnet, an activist who served as the principal of Colored School No 4 from 1866 to 1900, and who quickly became the face of the institution.
Garnet made a name for herself within the first few months of her 34 years as principal. During New York’s infamous draft riots in July 1863, a racist white mob attacked the schoolhouse, and Garnet shielded the doors and protected all her students. Since that day, she was known as a pillar of the Black community.
Among the many other notable Black figures produced by the school were Joan Imogen Howard, the only African American to serve on a state board for the Columbian exposition, a world fair held in Chicago in 1863; and the musician and educator William Appo, who was described by peers as “the most learned musician of the race”.
Born in Philadelphia around 1808, Appo was a member of Frank Johnson’s band, one of the first African American musical ensembles to perform internationally, including for Queen Victoria in 1837. He was close with the abolitionist John Brown, performing at Brown’s funeral in 1859.
Appo also left behind an impressive familial legacy: his daughter, Helen Appo Cook, was an activist who helped found what became the National Association of Colored Women (NACW), one of the oldest and most significant organizations dedicated to the advancement of Black women, which is still active today.
And Appo’s great-grandson, Julian Abele, was a prominent Black American architect who contributed to the design of more than 400 buildings, including the Widener Memorial Library at Harvard University and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He was also the primary designer of the west campus of Duke University.
Susan Cook, the great-great-great granddaughter of Appo, has been instrumental in sharing her family’s story, but even she was unaware of Appo’s connection to the former Colored School No 4, a testament to how much New York has neglected the building.
Cook echoes Washington’s sentiments that the building should be dedicated to continuing culture. “I think the best way to continue and to honor what happened before is to bring people who are under-resourced into this area,” she said. “We should be finding ways to continue that spirit of educating kids in arts programs that are getting slashed. … How do we make more William Appos out there?”
Cook, who works as a senior exhibit specialist with a county parks department in Maryland, believes that it was largely because of the accomplishments William Appo made in his time that his descendants were able to have the opportunities they had.
“He was exposed to so much and I think that that knowledge and worldview had to have had an impact on his children,” said Cook. “Our parents were born here, and we’ve built this country. His contributions made the family feel very much rooted here and feel like they don’t have to be in a subservient role.”
A representative from the DSNY said it is currently in the final stages of design and estimated construction will begin in the 2026 fiscal year, which runs 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026.
The department plans to preserve the historic nature of the building by procuring replacement structural materials, such as bricks, that match the originals in size and color, as well as attempting to salvage at least one historic window for display.
“The intention is to make this building safe for public use while maintaining as much of its historic character as possible,” Goodman, of DSNY, said.
For both Cook and Washington, there are concerns that the current political climate and incessant attacks on DEI could not only hinder restoration efforts, but also potentially leave similar historical structures unable to achieve the same protections.
“The fact that it’s now designated a landmark is more than a great honor. I think it’s important to the time we’re living in where the powers that be and the powers that want to be are trying to change the narrative of the city we live in,” Washington said.
“Everyone was really happy when it became a landmark,” he added. “But becoming a landmark is really just the first step.”