St. Patrick's Old Cathedral School, at 32 Prince Street between Mulberry and Mott Streets in the

Nolita Nolita, sometimes written as NoLIta and deriving from "North of Little Italy",Roberts, Sam"New York’s Little Italy, Littler by the Year"''New York Times'' (February 21, 2011) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. No ...

neighborhood of

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

, was a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

Pre-K through 8th grade school. It was one of the oldest schools in the

Archdiocese of New York The Archdiocese of New York ( la, Archidiœcesis Neo-Eboracensis) is an ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church ( particularly the Roman Catholic or Latin Church) located in the State of New York. It encompasses the borough ...

and in the city. It was founded by the

Sisters of Charity Many religious communities have the term Sisters of Charity in their name. Some ''Sisters of Charity'' communities refer to the Vincentian tradition, or in America to the tradition of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, but others are unrelated. The ...

and had a peak enrollment of approximately 500 students, Catholics and non-Catholics alike. The

Federal-style Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the newly founded United States between 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815, which was heavily based on the works of Andrea Palladio with several in ...

building has been a

New York City landmark The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and cu ...

since 1966 and, as part of the

St. Patrick's Old Cathedral The Basilica of Saint Patrick's Old Cathedral, sometimes shortened to St. Patrick's Old Cathedral or simply Old St. Patrick's, is a Catholic parish church, basilica, and the former cathedral of the Archdiocese of New York, located in the Nolita ...

complex, was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

in 1977. It has been described as "the most significant institutional building in the Federal style surviving in New York City.", p.42 The school closed in June 2010 due to low enrollment, and is slated to be turned into luxury townhouses, condominiums, and office space.

History

The brick building which the school occupied was built in 1825–1826 for the Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum, which had been founded in 1822 in a wooden building on the same site by three

sent by St.

Elizabeth Ann Seton Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton (August 28, 1774 – January 4, 1821) was a Catholic religious sister in the United States and an educator, known as a founder of the country's parochial school system. After her death, she became the first person bo ...

., p.503 In 1851, the asylum became for girls only, and in 1886 was turned into St. Patrick's Convent and Girls' School, New York's first and oldest parochial school. Beginning with the city's Irish, French, and German Catholic communities, the school served successive generations of immigrant children. Film director

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, incl ...

was a notable alumnus from the school's

Little Italy Little Italy is a general name for an ethnic enclave populated primarily by Italians or people of Italian ancestry, usually in an urban neighborhood. The concept of "Little Italy" holds many different aspects of the Italian culture. There are ...

generations, during the early and middle 1900s. Even in the 21st century, the school's population included a diverse mix of immigrants from many races and ethnic communities; school notices were routinely printed in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Over 90% of students came from families below the national poverty level.

Closure

The

closed Saint Patrick's Old Cathedral School in June 2010, due to low enrollment. Parents of the final 129 students in Pre-K through eighth grade were given the opportunity to enroll them in the nearby Immaculate Conception School, St. Brigid School, or Our Lady of Sorrows School.

References

Notes Bibliography *Staff (June 21, 1966)
"Old St. Patrick's Convent and Girls' School Designation Report"

New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and cu ...

{{Nolita, state=collapsed Defunct schools in New York City New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan Defunct Catholic schools in the United States Private K–8 schools in Manhattan Nolita