PS 54 is named after Samuel C. Barnes, a teacher, community advisor and incorporator of the East Brooklyn Savings Bank. He was a teacher in New York City public schools for more than 30 years and "an efficient actor in all efforts of their improvement".
Mr. Barnes set sail for the West Indies from his home country of Ireland in 1834 but never reached his final destination after deciding to remain in Brooklyn, New York. He taught for over 30 years in a little red school house that was located on the corner of Bedford and Flushing Avenues in Brooklyn. He was known to teach the importance of saving and money management in the classroom, and in the community he was a revered leader.
East Brooklyn Savings Bank opened for business on April 11, 1861. Despite the tumultuous times in our country's history, East Brooklyn Savings Bank thrived due to the exceptional management by Mr. Barnes and the other bank Trustees. The building dedicated solely to East Brooklyn Savings was erected on Franklin and Myrtle Avenues in 1873, the same year Mr. Barnes died.
Hilton Manning, James. Century of American Savings Banks. New York: B.F. Buck & Co., 1917.