When
Brookhaven town was divided into school districts in 1813, “Number
12 is to embrace the inhabitants of the lower part of Middle Island
as far west as Isaac Howells, north to James Dayton's and West to James
Barnaby’s.” This locality was first known as “Down-the River” and
later Millville. The name Yaphank was given to this settlement in
1845 when the post-office was established, as there was already
another Millville in New York State.
Yaphank is an
old Indian name given to a small river running into the Connecticut
or Carman’s river near Brookhaven.
Through the
village winds the picturesque river which was originally known as
the Connecticut River, meaning the long river, and having no
connection with the Connecticut River of New England. The name
Carman’s river in later years was used in connection with it on
account of Carman’s mills and tavern at South Haven where the
Montauk highway crosses the river.
Just when the
first schoolhouse was built is not known but it was probably shortly
after the district was formed in 1813, and was located a short
distance north of the corner on the road to Middle Island.
This was a
typical school building of those early days, a small boxlike
structure with a fireplace for heating in one end of the room, and
later a stove. Desks ran around the sides of the room and the seats
were slabs from the local saw mill with pieces of wood stuck in them
for legs. This school took in part of Middle Island and what is now
Yaphank until 1835, when the district lines were changed and the
East Middle Island school district was formed as district 17.
About 1818
the district reported 71 pupils of school age with 65 attending
school, which was taught three months of the year. All the pupils
never attended at one time as it was the custom in those days for
the older boys and girls to attend during the winter when the farm
work was slack, and for the younger ones to attend during the spring
and fall when the roads were open and the weather good.
Beecher
Homan, in his book published in 1875 “Yaphank As It Is,” has the
following to say about the Yaphank school:
“For many
years the young ideas of the past generations struggled to master
the rustic classics in little, red painted, boxed up shanty, bearing
the half admissible name of a school house, that stood alone in an
old field in the most extreme upper part of Upper Yaphank. There
‘Squire Homan’ once ‘ruled up’ the pupils and William C. Booth and
Brewster Saxton explained the mysteries of the half explored globe.
In 1856 the dear old ship that had borne so many minds out of the
breakers of ignorance into the sea of knowledge was abandoned as a
landmark of old times, and a new and very convenient building
erected in Central Yaphank.”
About 1854
the present site was purchased from John and Betsey Owen for $100,
comprising about two acres, a new school house built shortly
afterward with William J. Weeks a prime mover in its erection. A
certain eccentricity of Mr. Weeks’ was reflected in the style of the
building, which was octagonal in shape with a cupola for light and
ventilation. Mr. Weeks’ own residence down the road near the
Episcopal Church was of similar design.
This building served the needs of Yaphank until 1926,
when the present school building was built on the same site, and in
front of the old one. The old building was sold to the Yaphank Fire
department and moved a short distance down the street