Horace Mann School (Craig Street School)

Opened in 1907 as part of an aggressive building campaign to accommodate soaring student enrollment in the Schenectady public schools, the Horace Mann School (referred to as Craig Street School from 1907 - 1911) reveals the era's progressive shift towards emphasizing childhood education. Concurrent industrial and population growth, and an action to assure all kids attended (and remained in) school, put pressure on the city to build schools; the Horace Mann School is one of twenty-three built from 1903 - 1912. 

Schenectady emerged as an industrial city located on the south shore of the Mohawk River and along the Erie Canal (circa 1825). The waterways allowed for substantial trade, commercial, and population growth for the city, expanding from 2,850 residents in 1810 to about 14,000 people in 1886. When the railways arrived, notably Schenectady Locomotive Works in 1848 (which evolved into the American Locomotive Company -- ALCO, the world's largest locomotive manufacturer by 1901) followed by Thomas Edison's Electric company in 1887 (which became General Electric), job creation soared. By the early twentieth century, GE employed thousands of Schenectady residents. Schenectady's population rose from 32,00 in 1900 to more than 72,000 by 1910 (peaking at around 95,000 before the Great Depression arrived). Naturally, the population expansion included families with children, and thus school construction arose as a need for the city. As early as 1854, three years after the New York legislature authorized statewide free schools, Schenectady established its free public school system. By the early twentieth century, the massive population increase put a strain on the school system. The student population swelled from 2,000 students in 1868 to 7,500 pupils in 1905 and then nearly doubled five years later, reaching 13,500 by 1910. 

A struggle existed to keep kids in school during the late nineteenth century as many children took manual labor jobs. However, New York State enacted compulsory education in 1875 and then again in 1894, along with the funds to pay for truant officers. The enforcement of the laws meant more kids in schools, putting pressure on the school system. 

The sixteen-room Horace Mann School (Craig Street School) emerged in 1907 as one of twenty-three new schools constructed between 1903 and 1912. The design of the Horace Mann School mirrored school plans of the period that took into account fire safety, proper lighting, large academic spaces, adequate ventilation, and fresh air (all reflective of early twentieth-century progressive reforms). The plans also included expensive details intended to convey the importance of education, such as large Palladian windows above the main entrances, refined stone and brickwork, and ample decor.  

Just as the construction of the Horace Mann School coincided with Schenectady's rising population and job growth, its decline and changing purpose reflected the city's population and economic trends after World War II. Shrinking job opportunities led to population decline, from roughly 91,000 in 1950 to 81,000 in 1960. By the mid-1970s, The Board of Education began closing schools; the Horace Mann School closed its doors in 1981. By 1986, the school transitioned to a medical clinic before vacating the premises in 2005. By that point, the town's population sunk to roughly 61,000. The school remained vacant for several years before converting to an apartment complex, reflecting yet another shift in population growth -- a positive one during the 2010-2020 period. Its recent changes note the city's evolution since World War II. However, the school ultimately serves as a reminder of the city's influx in population associated with its industrial growth (namely GE and ALCO.). Moreover, Horace Mann embodied the Progressive Era shift towards emphasizing childhood education; the schools were healthy, safe, and conveyed the importance of school to a community. 

"General History: Settlement to 1960." City of Schenectady. cityofschenectady.com. Accessed November 8, 2020. https://www.cityofschenectady.com/248/General-History-Settlement-to-1960

Lopez, Michael. "Nomination Form: Horace Mann School." National Register of Historic Places. nps.gov. November 24, 2015. https://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/places/pdfs/15000824.pdf.

Stambler, Moses. "The Effect of Compulsory Education and Child Labor Laws on High School Attendance in New York City, 1898-1917." History of Education Quarterly 8, no. 2 (1968): 189-214.

Stratton, Brian U. "Community Profile: City of Schenectady Comprehensive Plan 2020." City of Schenectady. cityofschenectady.com. March 25, 2008. http://www.cityofschenectady.com/DocumentCenter/View/215/Community-Profile-PDF.