St. Walburga's Academy, Gothic Revival school building on Riverside Drive, Manhattan, US
St. Walburga's Academy is a Gothic Revival school building located on Riverside Drive in Manhattan's Upper West Side. The main structure spans three and a half stories with a distinctive five-story tower constructed from schist rock excavated during New York City's first subway construction.
The academy was founded in 1911 by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus as a Catholic boarding and day school for girls. Operations ceased in 1957 when the institution relocated to Rye, New York.
The building's transformation from a Catholic girls' school to the Fortune Academy represents changing social priorities in urban education and rehabilitation programs.
The building is situated at the corner of Riverside Drive and 140th Street in Manhattan. Today it serves the Fortune Society, providing residential units and support services for formerly incarcerated individuals.
The schist used to construct the building came from excavations for New York City's first subway line, directly linking the school to one of the city's greatest infrastructure projects. This material gives the structure a hidden historical connection to Manhattan's modern development.
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