In the late 1871, the Trinity School House, or simply Trinity School, was erected at 90 Trinity Place, on the southwest corner of Thames Street. Architect Richard Upjohn (1802-1878) designed the building with four stories and basement, and a bell tower in the Gothic style. The building was intended to house all the parish, industrial schools, offices for the clergy, practicing-room for the choir.
The first Trinity School opened in 1709 and was housed in the tower of the first temple of Trinity Church. In 1749, the old English Free School opened on the south side of Trinity Church, near the present Rector Street. This charity school was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1776, during the Independence War. A new charity school house was built on Trinity Place about 1800 and it became a public school by the mid-19th century.
In 1886, the Trinity School Building housed the office of the Down-Town Relief Bureau, organized about 1882. In 1884, the new headquarters of the American Bank Note Company was completed at 86 Trinity Place, adjacent to the Trinity School Building. The American Bank Note Company building was demolished in 1920 to make way for the New York Curb Exchange Building.
On October 1, 1900, the Trinity Church Evening School reopened at 90 Trinity Place. Free instruction was given, for several years, in stenography, typewriting, bookkeeping, arithmetic and penmanship.
In 1913, the venue at 90 Trinity Place was home to the Trinity School of Church Music, a training school for organists, choirmasters and choristers. The office of the secretary of the Trinity School of Church Music was at 14 West 12th Street. In 1915, the American Guild of Organists was housed at 90 Trinity Pl.
In September, 1918, the Trinity Community House at 90 Trinity Place was turned over to the government for the housing of the Department of War Camp Activities. In 1919, the building housed the Trinity Service Club, which provided shelter and was tasked with finding jobs for soldiers and sailors.
In September, 1919, the Trinity Church parish house at 88 and 90 Trinity Place was sold to William D. Kilpatrick. A week later, it was resold to Henry Meyers, president of the Hamilton Press, which intended to occupy the building after extensive alterations.
In November, 1919, the New York University bought the building at 90 Trinity Place from Trinity Corporation in order to house the Wall Street Division of the School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance, an offshoot of the New York University, at Washington Square. The building was remodeled and the School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance opened on February 3, 1920, on the premises, with about 1400 students. The classes were originally conducted in the evening from 5 o'clock on. The courses included accounting, economics, English, finance, banking and other business subjects. W.A. Taylor was the director.
On
September 27, 1920, the N.Y.U. Graduate School of Business Administration opened
at 90 Trinity Place. In 1921, a new department of the University opened on the
venue, called Division of Oriental Commerce and Politics. In 1924, the course of
Problems and Politics of International Banking and Finance was announced to open
in the same building. In 1959, the Graduate School moved to a new 10-story
building at 100 Trinity Place. In 1968, the New York University announced that a
new building would replace the old School at 90 Trinity Place. A 15-story
building designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and built at 90 Trinity Place,
in 1973, for the New York University Stern School of Business.
