In Riverhead is a one-room schoolhouse fitted with desks
carved with initials by students of long ago. Quill pens rest beside inkwells. McGuffey
readers line the bookshelves. A pail of water and a dipper once served all thirsty
students. Several hickory sticks, and in a corner, a dunce cap and stool once warned the
inattentive.
The schoolhouse was built in Baiting Hollow in 1822. In 1918,
having been replaced by a more modern school building, the then 97 year old structure was
moved to the Sabat farm across the street, where it served as housing for migrant workers,
and later as storage for fertilizer.
In 1977 the family of the late George Sabat gave the building
to the Riverhead Preservation and Landmarks Society, who moved it to its present location
and restored it to its 1822 condition. It is a living museum, ready to be experienced,
located at 133 East Main Street, Riverhead.
The Unusual Class Field Trip
Would your class like to take a trip in a time machine - a
device that would transport the children back over more than 160 years, into a one-room
schoolhouse?
The students will march into the classroom in two straight
lines, one for boys and one for girls, as in olden days. They find their places on rough
wooden benches or behind old oak desks, around a wood stove. The focus of their lessons is
history, not only the history of the schoolhouse but also of the whole area - our history.
They might also cipher on a slate, learn arithmetic as it was taught in the 19th Century,
participate in a spelling bee, or stand with their group to recite before the teacher's
raised desk. During recess, there are relay races, blind man's bluff, marbles, hop scotch
and other old time games.
This is no fantasy. This is a real experience, available to
elementary classes. Here students can duplicate what education was like in the early days
of our country. The visit has been called "one of the most uncommon educational
programs in this part of the country." Enthusiastic students have been even more
emphatic. One group recently called it "the best field trip we have ever taken."
- ARRANGING YOUR TRIP
For information or reservations,
write or call:
Cathy Gerardi
133 East Main Street
Riverhead, N.Y. 11901
Phone: (631)727-900
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- SCHOOL GROUP VISITS
The price of the field trip to the one-room
schoolhouse is $30.00 a class. Reservations
must be made in advance. Ample parking is
nearby. The schoolhouse program is available
from September to Thanksgiving, and from
March through June.
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