Nursery School History
The Columbia Greenhouse Nursery School, one of the oldest nursery schools in the country, was founded in 1919 by Marion M. Crampton (Tully) the wife of a Columbia Zoology professor to meet the needs of young academic families. The program was run for many years in apartments as a play group until she and Kate Butler (La Montagne), the wife of Columbia’s president, Nicholas Murray Butler, found an abandoned greenhouse behind Johnson Hall and convinced the University to renovate it and bankroll its initial operation costs. Thus began a mutually beneficial relationship between Columbia Greenhouse and Columbia University. In 1958 Columbia removed the greenhouse to make way for its new Law School. The University offered Greenhouse classroom and office space at 424 West 116th Street and later at 404 West 116th Street as the school expanded to include additional classrooms. We have since proudly provided superlative educational services to both Columbia families and the local community.
The University has worked with several local, independently-operated Early Learning Centers for many years and highly values these important members of our community. While we work closely together to support families, Columbia plays no role in their governance and does not operate, manage, or supervise the Centers.