James Naughton
Girls High School
Boys High School
P.S 110
Irish immigrant James Naughton had a huge influence on Brooklyn’s architecture. in 1887 he became Superintendent of Buildings for the City of Brooklyn, a position that involved designing and overseeing the building of schools in the rapidly expanding city. He held the position for just under twenty-one years. In that time he built a hundred schools, many of which are still standing and some of which are so beautiful that they are landmarked. Some of his buildings are still public schools, others are now charter schools and some became private religious schools. Some of his finest school buildings have been repurposed as condos, or as community and art centers. One of his most beautiful buildings is the former Girl’s High School at 475 Nostrand Avenue in Bedford Stuyvesant. Completed in 1886, the structure is considered a “masterpiece” of Victorian Gothic style, blending Gothic Revival and French Second Empire styles. The mansard roof and the in the pointed arch windows identify the building a French Second Empire style. There are some strong North Brooklyn connections to the school. Its second Principal was Dr. William Felter who wrote the book Historic Greenpoint. Betty Smith, the author of A Tree grows in Brooklyn was one of the students when he was there. Naughton a few years later built Boys High School, which is also a landmark. Located on Marcy Avenue in Bedford Stuyvesant, it is a masterpiece of Romanesque Revival architecture. The structure features Romanesque characteristics such as a round corner tower, gables, dormers, and terra-cotta ornament. It produced many famous graduates including Norman Mailer, Drummer Max Roach and science fiction writer Isaac Asimov. Closer to home, Nauthon also built PS 110 The Monitor School on McGolrick Park, which is still in use today.
I wish we knew more about Naughton’s Irish roots. Born in Ireland, in 1840, he came to Brooklyn as an eight-year-old with his parents who were famine refugees. He was educated in Brooklyn public and private schools, and at 15 he moved to Milwaukee to apprentice to architects J&A Douglas. In 1859 he enrolled in the University of Wisconsin for two years, then finished his architectural schooling at Cooper Union in Manhattan. He was very active in Brooklyn politics, and from 1874-76 he served as the Superintendent of Buildings for the City of Brooklyn.
In 1878 he took over from Samuel Leonard and held his position until his death in 1898. He was the last man to hold the job before it was eliminated in the consolidation of New York City.