Local Resident Donates 19th Century Schoolhouse to Amagansett School District

Members of the Amagansett Union Free School District Board of Education, along with students, staff and visiting community members, will be celebrating the ribbon cutting ceremony for the recently donated Amagansett Schoolhouse this week.

The celebration will take place on Friday, Oct. 2 starting at 9:15 a.m.

The 19th century schoolhouse was recently donated by local resident Dr. Huntington Sheldon.

The District plans to have the schoolhouse serve as a historical museum for local children.

The one-room building was built in 1802 by Samuel Schellinger and is believed to be the oldest schoolhouse on Eastern Long Island.

The Board of Education accepted a letter of donation on Jan. 13, 2015 to welcome the original schoolhouse to the district site.

After more than 200 years and several relocations, the schoolhouse has taken its final resting place in front of the school at the corner of Main Street and Miankoma Lane.

“The district is very thankful for this generous donation, and we are excited that our children will be able to explore this piece of Amagansett history,” Superintendent Eleanor Tritt said. “Dr. Sheldon’s donation will enable today’s children to appreciate the historical significance of this schoolhouse for years to come.”

The first schoolhouse for Amagansett was built for a group of shareholders on Amagansett Street (Main Street), opposite to where the grade school sits today.

In 1864, it was moved to what is now the south part of the East End Cemetery on Atlantic Avenue, where it remained until 1881.

Then it was auctioned off to Marcus Hand for $212, and he eventually sold it to Captain Joshua B. Edwards, who moved it to his property, which is now part of the Sheldon property.

When Schellinger operated the schoolhouse, children studied reading, writing and arithmetic.

Throughout the years, the schoolhouse has been used for a multitude of purposes.

“Although my family has enjoyed having the schoolhouse as an integral part of our property for eight decades, we feel it is time to share this historic piece of Amagansett history with the future generations of Amagansett students and residents,” Sheldon said. “We would be pleased to see the original Amagansett schoolhouse on Main Street for all to enjoy in perpetuity.”

Photo: Google Maps