Footnotes to Long Island History
Center Moriches Pupils Sat Around
Stove
by
Thomas R. Bayles
Nineteenth century schools serving the Moriches were a far cry from
today’s modern buildings.
According to an article in the Brooklyn Eagle of February
23, 1897, the dedication of a fine new school in Center Moriches took
place on that day. This was a building costing $7,000, and was
considered a decided asset to the village. It contained four large
rooms heated by steam, and also a reading room, library, principal’s
room, teacher’s room and a bicycle room. The basement was finished off
as a play room.
The first school in Center Moriches of which there is any
record was built in 1820 and occupied the site of the Methodist church.
When the Methodists purchased the ground, the little schoolhouse was
moved to East Moriches.
The next schoolhouse was built in 1830 on a site at the
southwest corner of Main Street and Union avenue. This was a small
building 16 by 25 feet and the furniture in the room was very crude.
Long boards fastened to the wall in slanting position around the sides
of the room served as desks at which the older pupils of the school
worked. The stove was placed in the center of the room and benches were
arranged around it for the smaller children. This school registered 35
pupils, more than half of whom left in the spring to work on the bay or
to engage in farm work.
Union Avenue, at that time, was a one track lane passing
through the fields from Main Street to the bay. To reach the bay, one
had to “lower the bars” as he went from one field to another.
The salary of the teacher was paid by the parents of the
children who sent children to school; according to the number sent. The
teacher was expected to “board around” with each family who sent pupils,
and this was considered part of his pay.
This building soon became too small as the community grew.
In 1838, a new one was built on the southwest corner of the ground
belonging to the Presbyterian Church. This was a better-built
structure, but the furniture was much the same. In 1870, a building
costing $900 was built by Joshua Penney and John Bishop. It contained
the latest improvements up to that time and served until the new one was
built in 1897.