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Tuckahoe High School

Introduction

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Tuckahoe High School has been viewed as the physical and symbolic center of the community since its inception in the early 1930s. It is significant for the emphasis it placed on the importance of education amidst the suffering in the Depression Era. The architects’ departure from the typical Colonial Revival school design of that time and their decision for the building to embody Art-deco architecture and ornamentation make Tuckahoe High School distinctive amongst other schools in the area.

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Building, Cloud, Plant, Window

Plant, Sky, Tree, Facade

Backstory and Context

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Tuckahoe High School was built between 1930-31 and is composed of brick with a light gray trim. The building was designed by architects Knappe & Morris, who designed over thirty New York school buildings, including the Van Cortlandtville School and Dobbs Ferry High School in Westchester County. Some of their works were financed by the Public Works Administration, established by the New Deal. This program invested in new schools in order to promote education and health in these areas. Tuckahoe High School is arguably the most memorable of the schools designed by Knappe & Morris because it is the only one that utilizes the Art-deco style.

The stylized foliage, rosettes, and geometric forms that decorate the stone trim of the Tuckahoe High School derive from the Aztecs and are one form of Art-deco style ornament. Other Art-deco features are prevalent in large interior spaces, such as the lobby, auditorium, and main halls; where Aztec-inspired arches can be seen over doors together with brightly colored plaques with foliage. The floors of the building are terrazzo, and the walls are covered in colored tiles. Throughout the school, there are zigzag, geometric, and streamlined patterns noticeable on walls, doors, and arches. This type of décor was very uncommon at the time, especially for a school building, which made it particularly unique.

Sources

1.    Barden, J.C. “A Small Village Celebrates 2 Anniversaries.” The New York Times. November 1, 1981, sec. 11. https://www.nytimes.com/1981/11/01/nyregion/a-small-village-celebrates-2.html

2.    National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records. “New York SP Tuckahoe High School,” February 24, 2010. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75323269

3.    “Designer: Knappe & Morris.” Living New Deal. Accessed April 14, 2021. https://livingnewdeal.org/designers/knappe-morris/.

Additional Information