Herman details Naughton's career and PS 15 Annex construction history
Herman describes Naughton as an Irish immigrant who built over 100 schools, the original PS 15 built in 1859 on farmland, and the 1889 annex construction to address overcrowding with distinctive architectural massing.
The architect James Naughton was an Irish immigrant who came to New York as a child in 1848.
He held various city positions until he became superintendent of schools for the Brooklyn Board of Education.
In this position, he constructed over 100 schools.
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The old school building of Public School 15 was constructed in 1859 on what was previously farmland.
In the 1880s, the school became overcrowded, and in 1889, it was enlarged with the construction of this distinctively designed annex building.
Naughton articulated the elevation of the school through varied materials and sculptural massing, emphasizing a central vertical element that lifts the composition upward.
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