The Long Island
Rail Road was extended through to Greenport in July 1844 and a
station was established at Medford, which was then an unbroken
wilderness. This stop was made for the convenience of the people of
Patchogue and Port Jefferson and stages met the trains at Medford
for those villages, as the railroad was not opened to Patchogue
until 1868 and to Port Jefferson in 1872, so the Medford station was
an important stop on the railroad.
The first settler
in Medford was John Smith, who built his home on the land north of
the track near the station, and lived there until he died in 1858.
In 1896 an eight-acre tract of land was purchased by Jacob Beck who
built a small house for his family and began clearing his little
farm. From this flattering start the growth of Medford continued
and in a few years a school district was organized, taking part of
its territory from Holtsville, Farmingville, Coram, West Yaphank,
Swan River and Patchogue districts. The growth of the school from
that time on was rapid.
This district was
formed as No. 36 but soon changed to No. 20, and was made by order
of Commissioner M. H. Packer on June 16, 1903, “in order that the
school children living in the vicinity of Medford Station might have
better school accommodations.”
The following
trustees were elected in August 1903; George Erhardt, Jacob Beck and
John H. Wright. Miss Jessie O. Walker was engaged as teacher and
the school opened October 19, 1903, in a small private house north
of the Medford station with 14 pupils.
That year a gift
of a site for a school building was received from O. L. Schwenke,
which was located at the intersection of Peconic and New Medford
Avenues. A building was erected at a coast of $600.
In March 1908 all
that portion of district No. 26 and 27 lying north of Woodside
Avenue was added to this district, and the school house enlarged to
twice its original size at a cost of $650.
On September 17,
1921, the Medford district became a Union Free School, and on Labor
Day 1923, the dedication of a new school building on the east side
of Medford Avenue was held. The program was in charge of Adolph
Hoffman, president of the board of education, who had been
enthusiastic in his support of the new building. Many speakers were
on the program, including town officers, the district
superintendent, and prominent neighbors from surrounding districts.
This school building coast $32,000, and was designed by Edward Rose,
Sr., of Medford. Four years after its dedication the building was
overcrowded, and one class was placed in the old school house.
One of the earlier
trustees who spent much energy for the welfare of the school was
Peter Hoffman, and his daughter, Mrs. Ernest A. Theis was elected to
the board of education in 1925. She was the first woman thus
honored in the district.