Public School 130, ca. 1930. Constructed circa 1903, Public School 130, also called the Parkside School, was constructed during the planning and building of a spate of outer borough schools. At the start of the 20th century tens of thousands of New York school children were only receiving part-time education due to the lack of appropriate educational spaces. P.S 130 was constructed to provide full time schooling to the local neighborhood.

C.B.J. Snyder was an architect and mechanical engineer who served as Superintendent of School Buildings for the New York City Board of Education between 1891 and 1923. During his tenure he was responsible for the design and construction of more than 350 elementary, middle, and high schools in the five boroughs. Snyder is know for innovating the design and construction process. The resulting schools have been praised for their high quality, longevity, and architectural beauty. Snyder worked in a number of styles, favoring Beaux Arts, English Collegiate Gothic, and Renaissance Revival. Another feature of his buildings were their mid-block location, preferring to keep these places of education away from the busy, noisy, and (perceived) pollution of the avenues. He believed that schools were civic monuments that were necessary for a better society and he focused on health and safety issues, improving the fire protection, ventilation, lighting, and classroom size.