Mott Haven school building crumbles
Photo by Maria Clark
The facade of the former PS 31 facing E. 144 Street

Mott Haven school building crumbles

'Castle on Concourse' languishes in neighborhood poised for growth

Posted on 17. Oct, 2009 in Education, Government

By Maria Clark | maria.clark@motthavenherald.com

By Maria Clark
maria.clark@motthavenherald.com

The passage of time has not been kind to the former school building nicknamed the “Castle on the Concourse.”

Entire sections of the roof have collapsed. Plastic tarps cover the holes. Rotted wooden planks shield the windows and cover gaping holes in the walls.

PS 31 was once one the top schools in the city and was housed in a building that was judged worthy to be a New York City landmark. Now it is a wreck.

Removing asbestos and modernizing its facilities wasn’t worth the price, the Board of Education decided 15 years ago. The “Castle on the Concourse” has steadily crumbled since the decision was made.

“We didn’t only lose a beautiful building. We lost a great school,” said Grizel Cabrera, a former school aide who worked at PS 31 from 1989 to 1997.

Despite plans to rezone the area to invite thousands of new residents, officials from the Department of Education have no plans to restore the treasured building that still stands on 144th street and the Grand Concourse.

“We are not currently doing any construction and there are no plans for reconstruction in the near future,” said Department of Education spokesman William Havemann.

The scaffolding and supportive beams wrapped around the building are in place to prevent it from collapsing, according to Wilhelm Ronda, the director of planning at the Bronx Borough President’s Office. When Ronda toured the building over a year ago, he noted extensive water damage and found that the facade on the North end of the building had crumbled.

“Clearly there is a need for funds to do more than just prevent it from collapsing,” he said. Emergency repairs would cost up to $30 million according to Ronda.

Ronda hopes the building can be adapted for a new public use, such as a performing art space or even a children’s art museum.

“I would like to use up as much of the building as possible. I hope at some point the administration will provide additional funding to do so,” Ronda said.

PS 31, named the William Llloyd Garrison School in honor of the great opponent of slavery, was designed and built over 100 years ago by architect Charles B.J. Snyder, the superintendent of school buildings who presided over the city’s Golden Age of school construction. It was designated a New York City landmark in 1986.

Under the careful watch of retired principal Carol Russo, PS 31 had blossomed into one of the top performing schools in the city. A New York Times article from 1987, headlined “Bronx School Excels Academically, Despite the Odds,” reported that 61 percent of students from kindergarten to sixth grade tested at or above their grade level in mathematics. Almost 88 percent tested at or above their grade level in reading.

“It was a wonderful school. They were given little in terms of resources, but Carol tapped into the enthusiasm of the teachers. She was a diamond of an educator,” said Irving Gikofsky, the television personality widely known as “Mr. G.”

A former teacher, “Mr. G” sent his daughter to PS 31 and took part in 28 consecutive graduations.

“When Carol retired, nobody could take her place. The giant left and nobody could fill her shoes,” he said.

The Department of Education closed the school soon after Russo retired in the mid- 1990s. PS 31 and its students were transferred to a new building on E. 156th Street near Morris Avenue.

Students and teachers still refer to the school’s former home building as the “Castle on the Concourse” because of its size and design.

“I loved everything about that school. I remember on rainy days when we couldn’t go outside, we got to watch cartoons or educational movies in the auditorium,” said E’Toyi Lucas, 29, a former student.

Lucas, like many of his fellow alumni fondly remembers the sheer size of the building, its winding stairs and long hallways.

“I always thought that it was so big and scary at times. It really saddens me that they allowed such a historic place to deteriorate. I pray that they would rebuild so that other children can experience the beauty of PS 31,” wrote Shemeka Gibbs in an email about her time as a student at PS 31 in 1983.

Herman Francis, a member of Community Board 1’s Municipal Services Committee, said that in light of city plans to rezone the Grand Concourse, the area needs a new school.

“We don’t have enough schools as it is, and what we have there is a beautiful empty building that should be a school again,” Francis said.

The “Castle on the Concourse” remains under the jurisdiction of the Department of Education and will not be opening its doors to greet eager students next fall or anytime soon. Shingles will crumble and water damage will continue its destructive march through the once stately walls.

The city’s Economic Development Corporation, which is responsible for promoting economic growth throughout New York City, has promised to “evaluate the feasibility of an adaptive reuse of PS 31” as part of the lower Grand Concourse zoning plan. It offered no timetable.

“I think we all have a connection and a passion for PS 31 and we would all hate for that school to disappear,” said E’Toyi Lucas.

A version of this article appeared in the Fall 2009 issue of the Mott Haven Herald.

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8 Responses to “Mott Haven school building crumbles”

  1. Saira

    09. Jan, 2010

    I attended P.S.31 once, long ago, and the memories are as vivid as if I been there a year ago. I wish I could visit the school once more and remember my old teachers – who meant so much to me. I am beyond disappointment with the decline of the re-construction of the school. Now the playgrounds are homes to homeless people and the building itself, is a constant sad reminder of what could have been. The spirit that the school gave me is still in me because every time that I have to look at the school, I remember. How many schools can do what P.S. 31, the “Castle on the Concourse” has done for years and is now a legacy – that literally still stands?

  2. rosanna petrossi

    12. Jan, 2010

    can you help me? I am trying to find any information that I can. I believe that my mother went to this school. is there any way to find information on school records names or any help that you can give me. please email me rpetrossi@gmail.com . thank you rosanna

  3. Jessica

    15. Feb, 2010

    It saddens me to hear what has become of my former elementary school. I attended the William Lloyd Garrison school for grades 3-6 and these were some of the best years growing up. Remembering the celebration around our school being declared a landmark made me think the building would still be a beautiful site. Although I no longer live in New York, I love to take my son to visit places from my childhood and this was definitely a location on my list of places to go until recently. My memories of my teachers, friends, and Principal Russo will live forever in my mind.

  4. Iliana Correa (formerly Rivera)

    30. Mar, 2010

    How terribly sad that my former elementary school is no longer a place for children to make memories. I attended P.S. 31 from 4th to 6th grade. The memories of this school will forever be in my heart. My teachers. were Mrs. Gross, Mrs. Goldfinger and Mrs. Weaver during the great years of 1969-1972. There was also our gym teacher Ms. Gilman and Mr. Lewis who I remeber fondly too. As a matter of fact my sixth grade class along with Ms. Gilman put on our very own production of The Me Nobody Knows. There were also my wonderful friends, Persida Rosa, Maritza Cruz, Denise Redd, Ruth Pagett, Bobo Chin to name a few. I hope others shared very special moments at this landmark too.

  5. Jose Martinez

    15. May, 2010

    My god who could ever forget how safe and loved you felt when you were there! Truly simpler times! miss atlas was my kindergarden teacher miss gilman my drama miss johnson my home room 6th grade teacher and of course the king Mr lewis with his bull horn in the auditorium and playground. I used to walk 4 blocks to the school. I remember kicking thruogh the leaves in the fall and watching the squirles collect there nuts. playing tag in the playground and runnin up and down the various stairs throughout the school. How about the fire drills we practiced! You know you loved a school when you can still sing your graduation song ” Thanks for the memories, the days at 31, the teachers and the fun, the children and the moments on the concourse in the sun, how lovely it was….”
    And as it continues to say in the song. ” We say good bye with a sad look, we feel so lonely and blue, but we are intelligent children no tears no fuss, hooray for us! So thanks for the memmories I,ll always love you P.S 31

  6. Rachel

    20. Jul, 2010

    My mother went to this school in the mid to late 1930′s, it had nuns as teachers if I am correct? I have her autograph book with the list of teachers. She went onto Evander Childs for high school. I plan on visiting this school when I am in town in 2 weeks, what a shame it looks like this. My mother only had the best words and fondest memories of this school. I hope it gets restored. I wish I could have access to find her school pictures as I do not have any of her as a child, would anyone know? thanks

  7. Elliot

    28. Jul, 2010

    I remember attending PS 31 when i was younger, back in the mid 80′s. At the time it was a school for students who needed to be challenged more. I remember without warning one day being taken out of class at PS 157, and was told i was chosen to go to PS 31. Although i was scared, i went anyway, and really liked the school. It really was challenging like they said, I remember having a class where i has a book report due every 2 weeks; believe me, i hated that lol. I remember having to meet in the cafeteria every morning, having the dean Mr. Lewis get us all in order to go up to our class rooms. We had to stay perfectly still in order to get these things called “diamonds” for our class, and at the end of the month the class with the most diamonds won a prize, usually it was interchangeable lead pencils. I remember us playing outside, and when it rained, just like it said up above, us watching cartoons and educational movies during lunch. I have so many memories, and i was glad i had the chance to attend the school, it was a great time in my life. I attended there until the 6th grade then moved to Florida for 7th grade, but i will never forget it. I even remember the theme song we had when Mrs. Stomburg played the piano, and Mr.G the weather man would always come for graduations and or just visit. William Bennett, a member of the US Cabinet would also come see us, and also visit. I’m so happy i had this chance to let out my experiences. Hopefully more people will post a lot more.

  8. Del

    03. Aug, 2010

    Man I love this school and I wish that funds would go through to preserve it. me and my friends are on facebook talking about all our old memories. Man my childhood was great and part of it was due to the school. i wish that kids these days had what we had back then.

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