The Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Building
built 1892

Now Home of the 
Huntington Historical Society’s
History and Decorative Arts Museum
228 Main Street, Huntington, NY 11743​
Open Tuesday through Friday from 12PM to 4PM
Sundays 12-4 PM
​Questions? Contact us at (631) 351-3244
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HISTORY
This building, which you see before you as you leave downtown Huntington going east, was built as the town library in 1892. After the library moved to its current location at the other end of Main Street in 1958, the building, still owned by the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Association, was used by the Huntington school district. From 1969 on it became home to the Town Historian. In 2000, the Association donated the building to the Huntington Historical Society. The Society undertook an ambitious eight year restoration project and re-opened it as a museum in 2008.
 

HUNTINGTON'S HISTORY & DECORATIVE ARTS MUSEUM

Today, the building houses the Society’s History and Decorative Arts Museum and features changing exhibits from the Historical Society’s collection.

Current Exhibit

"From Swamp to Park: the History of Heckscher Park"
Heckscher Park has been a highlight of Huntington Village for over one hundred years. This eighteen acre park has attracted locals and tourists alike, providing space for creation, culture, and relaxation. The park is named after August Heckscher, who purchased the land in 1096 and provided funding for its eventual development into a public park and museum, known as Heckscher Museum of Art. But just who was August Heckscher? How was the area transformed from swampy farmland to the landscaped park we know today? ​

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The Grand Opening of the restored building was held on Sunday afternoon, September 7th 2008.  The participants in the ribbon cutting, all of whom had high praise for the restoration, were, from left to right, :  Legislator Andrew Raia, Town Historian Robert Hughes, Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia, Town Supervisor Frank Petrone, Charla Bolton, HHS Executive Director Carol Maguire, Councilwoman Susan Berland, and Assemblyman James Conti.  Looking on the proceedings is a representative of the next generation of Huntingtonians, Aidan Patrick Brown.
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The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building was completed in 1892 as a memorial to the 40 townsmen who died in the Civil War.  The idea for a memorial was first proposed in 1865.  Huntington’s leading citizens joined together to create The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Association in 1886 and fund raising efforts finally bore fruit when the building was completed in 1892.  The building is the first of several monumental civic structures built in Huntington in the two decades surrounding the turn of the twentieth century.  The Memorial Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and as part of Old Town Hall National Register Historic District.

Located at 228 Main Street, The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Building is open to the public Tuesday through Sundays from 12PM to 4PM and by appointment. Please call 631-351-3244 to confirm docent availability. The building is not open on holidays.