Suffolk County Historical Society Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Suffolk County Historical Society Building
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | 300 West Main Street, Riverhead, Suffolk County, New York, USA |
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| Built | c.1925-1930 |
| Architect | August Galow |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 94000786 |
| Added to NRHP | July 29, 1994 |
The Suffolk County Historical Society Building is a special place in Riverhead, New York. It's a museum and a library that works to save old items and stories from Suffolk County, New York. It also covers other parts of Long Island. You can find it at 300 West Main Street.
Contents
About the Suffolk County Historical Society
The Suffolk County Historical Society started way back in 1886. Local people wanted to make sure the history of their county was kept safe. They chose Riverhead as the home for the society because it's the main town for Suffolk County. Judge James H. Tuthill became the first leader of the group.
A Growing Collection
The society began collecting items right away. At first, they put their treasures in a small glass case in Judge Tuthill's office. But soon, they had too many things! In 1893, they bought a small building that used to be the County Clerk's Office. This building was at the corner of Griffing Avenue and Main Street in Riverhead. However, their collection of old papers and artifacts kept growing, and they quickly needed even more space.
The Museum Building's Design
The building you see today was designed by an architect named August Galow. It has a style called Colonial Revival, which looks like old American colonial homes. The land for the building was given by Alice O. Perkins. She was the wife of a well-known Riverhead resident, John Perkins. The building was finished in 1930. Later, more parts were added in 1951 and 1964 to make it even bigger. In 1994, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a very important historical site.
What You Can See Inside
The Suffolk County Historical Society is home to many amazing things.
The Museum's Treasures
The museum has a wide variety of items from the past. You can see:
- Things made by Native American people.
- Old tools used on farms.
- Tools used for whaling, which was a big industry long ago.
- Beautiful fine art.
- Antique furniture and old dishes.
- Guns from the Civil War and other times.
- A special "Transport Exhibit" with old ways people used to travel. This includes horse-drawn wagons, sleighs, carriages, bicycles, and even a very old car, a 1905 Curved Dash Oldsmobile.
The Historical Library
The library at the society is also full of history. It has more than 20,000 books! Plus, it holds a huge amount of old papers, like:
- Records and ledgers from businesses.
- Diaries that people wrote long ago.
- Old maps and atlases.
- Postcards and newspapers.
- Many other important documents.
Both the museum and the library are still very important places today. They help anyone who wants to learn about the history of Suffolk County.
