Baltic and Butler Street Campus (1884–1963) In 1858, John McMahon and Vincent Hayes, Franciscan priests from the Roundstone Monastery in Ireland came to the United States to begin work on establishing an academy dedicated to educating underprivileged youth in the
Brooklyn diocese. This was done at the request of the Bishop of Brooklyn, Reverend John Loughlin. In 1859, St. Francis College was founded as the St. Francis Academy, the first Catholic school in
Brooklyn. St. Francis Academy opened in a building on 300 Baltic Street in
Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, with 30 students and six Franciscan priests. The first president was John McMahon, one of the founders. The academy expanded and grew to encompass six
row houses, with of frontage, and a former
Methodist Church on Baltic Street. In June 1892, the college conferred it first
Bachelor of Science degree. In 1896, St. Francis fielded the first collegiate men's basketball team in New York City. Then, in May 1902, St. Francis received its charter from the State of New York. From this time on, the college's curriculum offered only a post-secondary course of study. By 1917, the college's enrollment dropped to half, due to students enlisting in the military as the United States entered
World War I. In 1926, the Franciscan Brothers opened a new facility on Butler Street, after raising US$250,000 through a fundraising campaign dubbed the "Great Drive." About 10 years later, its preparatory school moved out and eventually became a legally separate institution,
St. Francis Preparatory School, which is located in
Queens. As the U.S. moved closer to its entrance into World War II, 240 students were enrolled at St. Francis. In 1961, the college purchased the
Herman Behr Mansion in Brooklyn Heights to serve as a residence for the Franciscan Brothers, signaling the move from
Cobble Hill to
Brooklyn Heights.
Remsen Street Campus (1963–2022) in Brooklyn Heights In 1963, the college relocated to Remsen Street in
Brooklyn Heights, where it had purchased five office buildings from the
Brooklyn Union Gas Company, allowing it to double its enrollment. One of the office buildings, at
176 Remsen Street, became SFC's Administration Building; that structure was constructed in 1914 by Brooklyn architect
Frank Freeman. The college started the expansion of its facilities with the construction of the Science and Technology Building in 1968, the Generoso Pope Athletic Complex in 1971, and the Student Services Building, which also had housing to accommodate the
Franciscan Brothers and provided space for faculty. In 1969, the college became a co-educational institution, and additional property was purchased on both Remsen and Joralemon Streets, allowing enrollment to exceed 3,000 students. In 2003, St. Francis College completed a new athletic and event facility atop the college's basketball court: the Anthony J. Genovesi Center. In fall 2005, the Frank and Mary Macchiarola Academic Center opened, which included the new St. Francis College Library, classrooms equipped with wireless internet access,
smart boards, and multimedia technology, a theater/lecture hall, updated facilities for the Communication Arts department, gathering spaces such as a lounge with
Wi-Fi for students, and office space for several academic departments. The Frank and Mary Macchiarola Academic Center was built where the old McGarry Library once stood. The old library was housed in "a little 1857 palazzo a half-block from Brooklyn's Borough Hall" and was part of the original purchase made from the
Brooklyn Union Gas Company in 1960.
Livingston Street Campus (2022–present) In the summer of 2022, after nearly 60 years at Remsen Street, St. Francis College moved to a new facility at 179 Livingston Street in Downtown Brooklyn. Key features of the new campus include a 260-seat cafeteria; a 50-seat outdoor terrace for use by SFC students, faculty, and staff; a 38-seat chapel; a 300-seat auditorium; a 32-seat tiered screening room; a 6,600-square-foot library; two art galleries; and space for student gatherings. ==Campus==