Public School No. 13
Why it's listed
Public School No. 13 is a brick and granite schoolhouse at the corner of McLean and Park Hill Avenues in Yonkers, New York. Its first section opened in 1900 to designs by New York architect C.C. Chipman, with P.J. Flannery as general contractor. A south wing followed in 1905 and an east wing in 1910. The building rises three and one-half stories above a raised granite basement, topped by pyramidal slate roofs with large dormers. An off-center entry porch with stone arches and Corinthian pilasters gives the facade its Neoclassical character. Inside, wide intersecting corridors, Georgia pine floors, slate chalkboards, cloakrooms and a third-floor auditorium reflect contemporary thinking on school planning, ventilation and fire safety. The property is recognized locally for its largely intact design and for what it shows about Yonkers' rapid population growth around 1900. Vacant for over twenty-five years, it has suffered roof leaks and interior deterioration, though its historic plan survives.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the school is architecturally significant locally as an intact example of early 20th century school design. It reflects fireproofing, heating and ventilation, and room-planning ideas of the Progressive era, and it also reflects Yonkers' rapid growth around 1900. This significance holds despite a long period of vacancy.
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 07000332, listed April 18, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 160 McLean Ave., Yonkers |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | April 18, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000332 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900-1910 |
| Architect / builder | Chipman, C.C., architect; Flannery, P.J., general contractor |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals: Classical Revival (described in the text as Neoclassical) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Vacant for more than twenty-five years; water infiltration from roof failures has damaged historic plasterwork and wood trim, and the slate roof is deteriorated. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.91585, -73.89001 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 07000332.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7257567
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.