School Heritage Museum Seeks Donations of Artifacts
Please don't throw that piece of history away. Once it is in the back of a garbage truck, a valuable artifact is lost forever. The Huntington School District is one of the oldest in the state and one of its crown jewels is the School Heritage Museum, which is once again seeking to add to its already impressive collection.
Items earmarked for the museum routinely arrive from alumni all over the world. Widows, widowers, sons and daughters and retired teachers and coaches have been known to write a letter, send an e-mail or make a phone call offering to donate prized materials to the museum, which never fails to gratefully add the artifacts to its collection.
The School Heritage Museum's collection includes thousands of old photos, every yearbook ever published by the high school, old diplomas, books, awards, letters, graduation programs and even school cornerstones and their contents.
The museum is located in Room 140 at Huntington High School. It contains a fascinating array of memorabilia on display, including a 110 year old water fountain and century old furniture, books, equipment, photos, original school building blueprints and student work through the years.
The current museum location opened in 2003 when then Huntington School Board member Lynn Kaufman presented founding curator Jack Abrams with a symbolic key to the room. Since then the collection has continued to grow and there are even displays in the ground level high school hallways. A large bell that once rang out atop district schools 150 years ago sits near a row of guidance offices, complete with written information about its significance.
The museum complex includes display areas, a workroom to catalog and prepare artifacts for public viewing, several hundred tiered cushioned seats, a small stage for instructional programs, multi-media equipment and areas for students, teachers and community members to conduct research into the rich history of the district.
There are several showcases in the hallways outside the museum's doors that are also used to display part interesting artifacts. Some are permanently mounted on nearby walls.
To arrange a donation of school related items send an e-mail to the district at contactus@hufsd.edu or call the superintendent's office at (631) 673-2038.