P.S. 001 Alfred E. Smith Elementary School

1898 - present

P.S. 001 Alfred E. Smith Elementary School, located at 8 Henry Street, was built in 1898 and designed by Charles B.J. Snyder, New York City’s Superintendent of School Buildings from 1891 to 1923. The school is named after Alfred E. Smith, a prominent Lower East Side native who rose to become governor of New York, and is one of the four public schools in New York City that have used the name“P.S. 1.” Snyder’s designs, including early versions of the “H-plan,” prioritized light, ventilation, and sanitation to improve learning conditions for children living in crowded Lower East Side tenements. P.S. 1 served generations of immigrant families, including Jewish, Irish, Italian, Chinese, and Puerto Rican communities, reflecting the shifting demographics of the neighborhood. It is believed that this school had the very first rooftop playground. Today, P.S. 1 offers dual-language programs in Chinese and Spanish to serve the needs of its diverse student body.

Nursing class; Public School #1, New York City, n.d.
Manhattan: Henry Street - Oliver Street
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Details

Category
School
Instructional Level
Elementary/Grammar School
Audience
Children
Corporate Body
New York City Board of Education
Tags
coeducational, public, progressiveera

Location

  • 8 Henry St, New York, NY 10038, USA
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References

  1. The New York Times. “Why New York School Numbers Don’t Quite Add Up,” accessed April 26, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/08/education/08numbers.html?mcubz=1.
  2. Arrington, Jean. From Factories to Palaces: Architect Charles B. J. Snyder and the New York City Public Schools. Fordham University Press, 2022.
  3. New York Daily News. “PS 1 Celebrates Century of Teaching Newcomers.”, January 12, 2019. https://www.nydailynews.com/1997/05/21/ps-1-celebrates-century-of-teaching-newcomers/.
  4. P.S. 1 Manhattan Alfred E. Smith Elementary School. “P.S. 1 Manhattan Alfred E. Smith Elementary School,” accessed April 26, 2025. https://ps1m.org/.