P.S. 159

1931 - present

P.S. 159 was constructed in 1931 during the Great Depression as a part of the New Deal. As the Bayside area was developing and its population was increasing, there became a need for additional Elementary schools in the neighborhood. The city received $210,000 to fund the project under the Public Works Administration (PWA) and funded the remaining of the project using city funding. According to a New York Times article published on May 29, 1938, “...preference will be given to projects in which the community offers to supply its own money to the extent of 55 per cent of the total...” Thus, it seems as if P.S. 159 was granted PWA funding because it was willing to use community taxpayer money to fund the rest of the project. Moreover, the school was built to have 3 stories in a U-shaped structure. Today, P.S. 159 serves about 650 students in PreK- 5th grade.

Street-view image of P.S. 159
View Gallery

Details

Category
School
Instructional Level
Elementary/Grammar School
Audience
Children
Corporate Body
New York City Board of Education
Tags
BoardofEducation, GreatDepression, NewDeal

Location

  • 205-1 33rd Ave, Queens, NY 11361, USA
    ? - ?

References

  1. “PWA Gets City Bid for Funds to Begin $130,000,000 Works.” New York Times, May 29, 1938. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1938/05/29/96821431.pdf
  2. “P.S. 159.” NYC Public Schools. New York City of Education. Accessed April 24, 2023. https://www.schools.nyc.gov/schools/Q159.