It opened in March 1825 under the leadership of educator John Griscom, and was modeled on Edinburgh high school in Scotland.

[1] In addition to Griscom, educator and Baptist minister Daniel H. Barnes (1785-1828) was a key instructor.

[3][4][5][6] The boys' building was sold to the Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen, which moved its headquarters and school on Chambers Street to the new location.

[7][8] In 1845, the Society purchased an adjoining narrow lot fronting Broadway, upon which it built the entrance corridor of what became Mechanic's Hall, a popular home for minstrel performances, with the former high school lot serving as the performance space.

[9] In 1835, the College of Physicians and Surgeons purchased the girls' high school building, and opened in the new location in 1837, and remained there until 1856.