Following our successful Fall 2023 sponsorship drive, The Longwood Alliance began a multi-phased renovation project of the beloved 1835 East Middle Island School No.17. The exterior walls needed thorough scraping and mold remediation, some of the window frames and shutters were water damaged, and the roof sported a wonderful — and growing — moss collection. Paint removal and reapplication became a long labor of love, with master carpenter Clyde McGhee and local historian Paul Infranco leading the way for much of 2024. Many volunteers assisted.
By Spring 2025, it was clear too many roof shingles needed replacing, and a new roof was installed, along with new stairs and a handrail. The windows were repaired and the interior was finally painted, in colors selected by historical society members back in 2019 — before Covid forced a full stop to our efforts. Kudos to Bob Kessler and Kory MacDonald for their outstanding work. We still have more interior work ahead, such as staining the desks and hanging blackboards, but we’re on track to welcome regular monthly visitors for the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding. Until then, park visitors can still take a min-visit/peek inside, as they have been doing during each of our four annual ceremonies at Bartlett — Memorial Day, Gold Star Families Day, Veterans Day and Pearl Harbor Day.
The 1835 school building once rested near the southwest corner of the intersection of Middle Country Road and Yaphank-Middle Island Road — the crossroads of our Middle Island hamlet. Formal schooling there ended in 1928, with the completion of the larger East Middle Island School about a quarter mile south, on the east side of Yaphank-Middle Island Road. This “newer” school remains intact at its original site in front of the Longwood Central School District administration building. It will under go renovations soon, thanks to a capital improvement bond issue approved by residents in 2024.
Our 1835 school and property, however, was sold to landowner Walter Zebrowski and his wife. They built a private home there, using the school initially as a storage shed and then eventually incorporating it into the floor plan of their expanding home. The Longwood Public Library, built nearby in 1988, acquired the property as part of its future expansion plans. In 1995, the 1835 East Middle Island School was carefully disengaged from the Zebrowski home and moved about a mile west, to its current home at the Town of Brookhaven’s Bartlett Pond Park on the south side of Middle Country Road. The move was orchestrated by the Longwood Central School District, Longwood Public Library and many volunteers; it was placed on a cinder block foundation provided by the Town of Brookhaven.
Post relocation, restoration plans were drawn by Port Jefferson architect Ken Babits, and funds were secured by Suffolk County, Town of Brookhaven, the Longwood Society for Historic Preservation, the Longwood Alliance and the Middle Island Civic Association. The original cedar shingles on 3 sides were preserved where possible, and the building received a new roof. An original window and shutter were retained and became the patterns for new ones. The entrance was rebuilt, and the building was first re-painted by Ralf Petersen in 2002. Many volunteers worked over the years to return the school to its present glory, including Connie and Andy Kepert, Doris and Frank Frisenda, Suzanne Johnson, Ellen Grimes, Paul Infranco, Tom Talbot, Frank and Gail Bailey, Bob Kessler and more.
Several Boy Scouts supervised Eagle Scout projects connected with the school. Troop 433’s Michael Lynch created a field stone facade covering the cinder block foundation; Matt Stein installed new wood flooring; Robert Andersen built the wall- mounted student desks and finished the interior walls, and Brendan Bailey built a replica of the bell tower and installed the bell. Tim Hryvniak of Troop 244 erected the entrance platform and installed a gravel walkway, and Troop 560’s Robert Wright installed the wainscotting in the vestibule.
