Public School 108
Why it's listed
Built in 1895 at 200 Linwood Street in Brooklyn's Cypress Hills neighborhood, Public School 108 is a Romanesque Revival school of brick and Lake Superior sandstone. It rises three stories above a rough-faced stone basement, with a dormered attic floor, and is arranged symmetrically around a seven-bay central entrance section flanked by recessed wings and three-bay end pavilions. Round-arched third-floor windows, quoins, a stone cornice, and a skyline of dormers, a tall chimney and hipped roofs give it a picturesque profile. Inside, original moldings, enframements and doors remain. James W. Naughton, Superintendent of Buildings for Brooklyn's Board of Education, designed it, drawing on the Richardsonian Romanesque style that was then at its peak in Brooklyn. It was listed because it is one of few handsome nineteenth-century Brooklyn school buildings that survives and still functions as a school, reflecting the area's long commitment to public education.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that P.S. 108 is one of the few nineteenth-century Brooklyn school buildings that survives and still serves as a school. It is an imposing example of the mature Richardsonian-influenced Romanesque Revival style, which was at its height in Brooklyn in 1895. It also represents the work of Naughton, who designed all Brooklyn school buildings in the twenty years before 1898.
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 82003363, listed December 10, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 200 Lindwood St., New York |
|---|---|
| County | Brooklyn |
| Listed | December 10, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003363 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 (specific date 1895) |
| Architect / builder | James W. Naughton |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival (Richardsonian Romanesque influence) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as in excellent condition and unaltered, occupied and in educational use as a public school; the interior retains many original moldings, enframements and doors. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.68135, -73.88443 (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 82003363.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7257548
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.