Eighty-four years ago, Automotive, then known as the Williamsburg Continuation School, opened its doors at South 4th and Havemeyer Streets, Brooklyn. The faculty consisted of two teachers and one clerk under the supervision of George F. Pigott Jr., who later became the first principal of Automotive and Associate Superintendent of Schools. The enrollment of the school when it opened was 450 continuation schoolboys.
In February 1927, to take care of its increased enrollment, the Williamsburg Continuation School obtained the use of the old 32nd Regiment Armory on Ten Eyck Street and Bushwick Avenue, Brooklyn. The school now was a co-educational institution giving instruction in auto mechanics, machine shop, electric wiring, printing, woodworking, drawing, dressmaking, beauty culture, typewriting, bookkeeping, and office practice. Students attended classes four hours a day, one day a week.
Williamsburg Continuation School started full-time instruction in 1932. Approximately 200 students were enrolled for instruction in auto mechanics, machine shop, electric wiring, and printing. Upon the successful completion of one year’s work, pupils in courses other than auto mechanics and machine shop transferred to schools specializing in courses of their choice. There were 13 graduates in our first class to complete the two-year course.
As our student body increased it became necessary to seek larger and larger quarters. We moved from the old 32nd Regiment Armory to P.S. 43 on Boerum Street. Shops were opened in the Gretsch Building on Broadway and later we obtained additional facilities in Jr. H.S. 147. At this time we became known as the Williamsburg Vocational High School. Our two-year course became a three-year course and our organization consisted of three units with girls attending P.S. 43, boys receiving academic and pre-vocational shop instruction at Jr. H.S. 147, and full-time shop training in the Gretsch Building.
In October 1937, the cornerstone was laid for our present building, first called the Brooklyn High School of Automotive Trades, now called Automotive High School, located at 50 Bedford Avenue, across the street from McCarren Park. Our new building was opened in September 1938 with an enrollment of 1542 boys, and an additional register of 601 ninth-year pupils at Jr. H.S. 147, which became our annex. In October 1938, the girls annex at P.S. 43 became a part of the Brooklyn High School for Homemaking.
Our school currently has 1200 students and included in that are 62 trend-setting female students. The building still contains automotive workshops and is current with new technologies. Automotive High School remains an important building in the Williamsburg community and will continue to evolve and offer a quality education to all of its students.
