Mayor Eric Adams also announced he will provide $6 million in funds to rehabilitate the site.
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The schoolhouse, at 128 West 17th Street, was renamed Grammar School No. 81 in 1884 when the city's Board of Education stopped using the term "colored" in the names of public schools. The school continued to serve Black children exclusively until the public school system closed segregated school 10 years later.
"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," Mayor Adams said.
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The school was most recently used by the Department of Sanitation, before it was vacated.
"Landmark designation will ensure that the building will be protected from demolition or significant alterations, preserving its architectural features and historic character for future generations," Councilmember Erik Bottcher said.
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