A Brief History A Brief History | Mission | Credo
Bank Street was settled in the early 1800s, when Greenwich Village was in fact a small village north of the bustling Lower Manhattan commercial district. The street today looks much like it did a century ago. It is tree-lined and quaint. Many of its federal-style townhouses are landmarks. But Bank Street is far more than a picturesque few blocks in Greenwich Village. For nearly forty years, an educational institution was located at 69 Bank Street, and it gave "Bank Street" another meaning. Indeed, early childhood professionals the world over know of Bank Street as a particular approach to the education of children--a way of learning that emphasizes child development and interaction. They know of Bank Street as a tutorial method of educating teachers. And they know of Bank Street as a philosophy that emphasizes humane and social values.
	Bank Street, the street, gave its name to this influential strand of the progressive movement in 20th century education. But the story of Bank Street, the institution, began fifteen years before its association with the street. Read our complete history in PDF format: A Brief History of Bank Street College.