Boy's High School
Why it's listed
Boys' High School fills a full block on the west side of Marcy Avenue in Brooklyn's Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood. It was built in three phases. The Romanesque main building of 1891 faces Marcy Avenue and ends in two corner towers, one round with a conical roof and one square with a pyramidal roof. An auditorium wing was added in 1911, and a plain cafeteria wing followed in 1955. James W. Naughton, Superintendent of Buildings for the Brooklyn Board of Education, designed the original building in the manner of Richardsonian Romanesque, a style then at its height in Brooklyn. It is regarded as his most powerful design and as one of the city's most imposing Romanesque Revival buildings. C.B.J. Snyder, a later Board of Education architect, designed the 1911 wing in the earlier Rundbogenstil, which harmonizes with the main block. The 1955 cafeteria wing is considered out of keeping with its neighbors. The building continues to serve as a school.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as one of Brooklyn's most important academic institutions of the nineteenth century and one of the most imposing institutional buildings in New York City. The 1891 main building is called a monumental example of mature Romanesque Revival and one of James W. Naughton's finest works. The 1911 wing by C.B.J. Snyder is described as a distinguished addition in the earlier Rundbogenstil.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 82003361, listed February 25, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 832 Marcy Ave., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Brooklyn |
| Listed | February 25, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003361 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific dates 1891, 1911, 1955) |
| Architect / builder | James W. Naughton, C.B.J. Snyder |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival (Richardsonian Romanesque); 1911 wing in Rundbogenstil |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still functions as a school; described as in excellent condition and occupied. The 1955 cafeteria wing is a non-contributing addition. |
| Acreage | 1.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.68465, -73.94780 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 82003361.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4952658
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.