7. A local high school is an official NYC landmark due to its Flemish Renaissance Revival-style construction

newtown high school in elmhurst
Newtown High School with its clock tower in view

Newtown High School, located between 48th and 50th Avenues and 90th and 91st Streets, was designed by architect C. B. J. Snyder in the early 1900s. A larger building replaced the small wooden schoolhouse that existed on the property until 1897. The building was made with materials such as terra cotta and limestone and features an array of corbelled cornices, a 169-foot tower with turrets and a cupola, beige bricks for its outer facade, multi-shoulder flat arch lintels, and many other distinct features.

Snyder’s intentions were to replicate the building style from the neighborhood’s time as a Dutch colony in the 17th century. A few other additions were put in place to accommodate the growing school population while maintaining the architectural style that Snyder had in mind. The architect served as the Superintendent of School Buildings for the Department of Education from 1891 to 1923, contributing to the structural development of over 400 different schools across the city.