LUNCH & LEARN

Thursday, March 19th, 2026
12 PM – 2:30 PM
Presented by Zach Studenroth
Cefalu Restaurant 
​138 E. Main Street, Huntington

Celebrated for their simple form and association with early American values, no other historic building type evokes such strong emotions as the schoolhouse. Hundreds were built across Long Island and many survive, either adapted to new uses or restored and open for public access. From the simplest, pre–Revolutionary War period “Town House” in East Hampton to the trendy, octagonal schoolhouses constructed in Brentwood and Yaphank in the 1850s, Long Island saw the greatest variety of these distinctive structures built anywhere. Responding to an 1812 New York State law requiring towns to lay out school districts within walking distance of its younger residents, many early population centers received schoolhouses by the 1820s. Even a handful of Long Island’s schoolhouses are associated with the great American poet Walt Whitman, who taught school as a young man in the 1830s and later shared his concerns about the teaching methods then in vogue. But by the end of the 1800s, one-room schoolhouses became outdated and no longer accommodated the growing population. Many were saved, however, and repurposed as sheds, workshops, and even seasonal dwellings.

Pricing: Members: $45 Non-Members: $55  
Price includes family style appetizers, an entree, and, dessert

Sponsored by: National Grid

The program begins at 12 pm and runs for approximately two and a half hours.