The parish of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs was begun in 1927 by the Rev. William C. Ryder, who started a temporary school in the rectory in 1932. Later plans were made for a four-story school with an auditorium, basement and first floor at the southeast end of the property, the depression interrupted this scheme. Instead a one-story auditorium with temporary classrooms for an eighth grade school was built in 1934. When the increased demand for more classrooms necessitated a larger permanent school building, plans were made and construction began in 1949.

The new school building was opened in September of 1950 and the building was dedicated by Francis Cardinal Spellman on November 7, 1950. The school was originally staffed by the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart. The first principal of the school in 1932 was Sister Marie Joseph Murphy. The last Franciscan Sister on staff was Sister Mary Frances de Chantal Cunningham who was principal up to June 30, 1980. Since 1980, the school has been totally staffed by lay faculty members. The first lay principal was Mr. Albert D’ Angelo who was principal from September 1980 until June 1991.