In 1800 there were three ways open to the children of New York City by which to procure an education, by means of schools maintained by the different religious denominations, private schools and charity schools, but as all combined were inadequate to meet the demands made upon them, certain prominent citizens organized The Free School Society of New York in 1805, with De Witt Clinton, then Mayor of the City and afterwards Governor of New York, as President, and in May, 1806, it established Free School No. 1 and on November 13th, 1811, it opened Free School No. 2 in Henry Street.

Early in 1818 the Trustees of the Free School Society saw the importance of establishing a school in the north-western part of the City and having received information that a room in the building corner of Grove and Hudson Streets could be procured from the City for school purposes, appointed a committee consisting of Thomas C. Taylor, Najah Taylor and John R. Murray, to make application for the premises, and if found suitable, to prepare them for the reception of pupils. On May 1st it reported that arrangements had been made and shepherd Johnson, who had been trained in Free School No. 1, was appointed teacher at a salary of $500 per year. He was the pioneer of a large number of teachers who were trained under the direction of the Society and he continued in its employ until 1825.

Grammar School No. 3 was therefore opened on May 25th, 1818, with 51 pupils. It increased in numbers so rapidly that at the meeting of the Board held on June 23rd, it reported that 216 scholars had been admitted with a regular attendance of over 200. The room not being large enough, application was made for the use of another apartment in the same building and it was granted. On December 4th the Board of Trustees took the following action: "Resolved, that, on account of the increased size of Shepherd Johnson's School, and the satisfactory discharge of duty on his part, his salary be increased to $800.00 to date from the 1st of November last."

The great increase in the number of pupils at No. 3 rendered additional apartments necessary. A committee was appointed and in December a report was submitted recommending that a new building be erected on the lots granted by Trinity Church at the corner of Grove and Hudson Streets and at the same time plans and estimates were submitted for it, the estimated cost being $8,500. The recommendations were adopted.

The tenure of the ground, as granted by the Corporation of Trinity Church, did not secure it absolutely to the Free School Society, and at the following meeting the matter was reconsidered and a committee consisting of John R. Murray, William Torrey and Benjamin Clark was appointed to consult the Vestry of Trinity Church to ascertain if the privilege desired could not be obtained. This conference resulted in a proposition that if the Society would release a certain portion of the property on Hudson Street the Vestry would convey the title of the remainder in fee simple to the Society. These terms were deemed favorable and the committee was directed to consummate the arrangement. The negotiation was terminated, however, by the payment of $1,250 on the part of the Society as purchase money for the whole of the lots.

In May, 1821, the Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Free School Society showed as follows: "School No. 3-Shepherd Johnson, 540 Boys; Sarah F. Field, 289 Girls." The first school building of old No. 3 was a wooden structure erected in 1828 on its present site in the heart of Old Greenwich Village, corner of Grove and Hudson streets, and after having been altered and repaired many times, it was finally replaced in 1860 by the handsome brick and stone structure, which, with an annex built in 1888, was destroyed by fire on February 14th, 1905. In its place has been erected a somewhat smaller building which shelters a Girls' Grammar School which, until October 19th, 196, was presided over by Miss Mary Frances Maguire, Principal, who was graduated from old No. 3 in 1882.

In this school's earlier days it was celebrated for its "sand system" which was a table provided for the youngest scholars. It was 15 feet long and 6 inches wide and was divided longitudinally into two parts, one half being set off so as to form a shallow tray, with an enclosing rail or ledge about one inch thick. The bottom of the tray was stained or painted black and over it was spread a thin coating of sand. The table was provided with a "sand-smoother" made of sole leather into the edge of which three notches were cut so that, when used, it left three ridges or rules the entire length of the table. In the sand thus ruled the beginners were taught to form letters, using a stick about as thick as a quill, and four inches long.

In its day this sand system was considered a great improvement and so remarkable that when General Lafayette was invited to inspect the work accomplished by the schools of The Free School Society, he was escorted, on September 10th, 1824, to School No. 3 where a certificate of membership in the Society was presented to him by Vice-President Bleecker in the Girls' Room in the presence of many of the Trustees, the Mayor, several Aldermen and a large assemblage of ladies and gentlemen. A pretty little poetic address to the General was then spoken in concert by a number of the girls. In the Boys' Room an address written for the occasion was delivered by a small lad on behalf of his fellows. About 500 boys and 300 girls were in attendance. This important event in the school's history is now marked by a bronze tablet, the gift of a former graduate, Charles Rollinson Lamb (of the firm of J.&R. Lamb), who also designed it. Its inscription reads as follows:

"On September 10th, 1824, MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE, Major-General in the American Army during the War of the Revolution, visited Public School No. 3 which was selected as the best example of the Public School System established by The Free School Society of the City of New York. In memory of that event This Tablet is erected by a former pupil of the school under the direction of the Board of Education A.D. 1911."

The following excerpts from the minutes of the Board of Trustees may be of interest:

November 5th 1824

Crackers and cheese for children and carriage hire attending Gen. La Fayette $10.60 and $27.43 (Total: $38.03)

November 2nd, 1825

"A handsome specimen of needlework executed and presented to the Trustees by Elizabeth Onderdonk, a pupil in No. 3, was ordered to be framed under the direction of the Committee of Supplies, and hung in the Session Room (which was located in Public School No. 1)."

January 6th, 1826

"The Trustees directed the Committee of Supplies to present Elizabeth Onderdonk, who worked the La Fayette sampler, with a Plaid Cloak or other suitable reward."

Old No. 3 was long regarded as one of the best conducted and equipped schools in the city. As early as 1880, before electricity was even dreamed to be the force it has since proved itself to be, this school possessed quite a large electrical outfit. Teachers have served longer and with fewer changes than in any other school in New York City.

Mr. Benjamin De Lamater Southerland, for whom the school is named, became a pupil of No. 3 in 1838, at the age of 24 he was appointed Principal of a school in Flushing, L.I., but returned to New York City in 1867 at which time, succeeding the celebrated Dr. David Patterson, he became Principal of Grammar School No. 3, a position he voluntarily relinquished on account of failing health, on June 30th, 1902. He passed away on December 1st, 1905. Mr. Southerland was greatly beloved by his boys, he was a Christian gentleman possessed of those qualifications which are essential to the successful instructor, he loved his boys and worked indefatigably for their interests, often far into the night and although the strictest of disciplinarians, his efforts on their behalf were finally appreciated by them and his affection reciprocated. It can be truthfully stated that no one ever heard a No.2 boy speak disrespectfully of his Principal or refer to him in any other terms than those of the highest respect and esteem.

His talented assistant was Mr. Andrew J. Whiteside, the teacher of the graduating class, having been appointed thereto September 1st, 1873 and resigned that position on September 12th, 1892 to become Principal of School No. 8 in King Street.

Among its graduates who have attained distinction in their respective lines of work were:

Stanleyetta Titus, one of the first woman lawyers to be admitted to the Bar.
Miss Mary Frances Maguire, Principal of Grammar School No. 3
Major, George W. Debevoise, Class of '49 (still living), Hawkins Zouaves, '61-65.
Rear-Admiral George W. Melville (of Arctic Fame).
Rear-Admiral James H. Chasmer, U.S.N.
Henry R. Carse, Vice-President, Guaranty Trust Co.
Alfred C. Andrews, Cashier, Chase National Bank
William H. Rose, Secretary, Broadway Savings Institution.
William V. Hudson, Secretary-Treasurer, West Side Savings Bank.
Augustus V. Heely, Asst. Secretary, Farmers Loan & Trust Co., N.Y., and Vice-President, Plainfield Trust Co., Plainfield, N.J.
Hon. William F. Schneider, County Clerk of New York County for eight years.
Hon. William J.A. Caffrey, State Senator from Old School District.
Hon. George W. Olvany, Deputy Fire Commissioner under Mayor Gaynor, and Counsel to the Sheriff of New York.
Arthur T. Billings, Assistant Secretary, North British & Mercantile Ins. Co.
John E. Wade, Principal of Grammar School No. 95
Hon. Isidor Sobel, Postmaster of Erie, Pa., and President of Postmasters' Association of First Class Cities of the U.S.
Joseph Kronacher, Manager, Hamburg-American S.S. Co., Baltimore, Md.
Charles R. Lamb, with J. & R. Lamb, Ecclesiastical Art Manufacturers.
William J. Dixon, of W.J. Dixon & Co., Hat Manufacturers
James R. McAfee, President, George Hayes Co.
John H. Hudson, Jr., Certified Public Accountant

Artists:

William S. Eddy

Physicians:

Dr. Alvah H. Newman, Walter B. Brouner, Harry J. Spalding

Ministers of the Gospel:

Rev. Jacob Probst, Rev. Frederick H. Knubel, Rev. George W. Grinton, Rev. Charles H. Cookman and Rev. William J. Lockhart

Charles A. Hale, Historian of the B.D.L. Southerland Alumni Association of Old School No. 3. And many others too numerous to mention.

In 1918 the one hundredth anniversary of the School will be celebrated and a tablet will be erected in memory of Mr. Southerland by members of the School Alumni Association, of which there is a membership at present of about 300, formed to perpetuate the memory of the old school and its illustrious Principal B.D.L. Southerland, after whom the Association is named.