The Long Island History Project

Episode 216: Battle of Long Island with Dan Davis of the American Battlefield Trust

The Battle of Long Island went down in history as a major defeat for the fledgling American army and George Washington. The fighting in late August 1776 focused around the Gowanus Heights in Brooklyn and saw the patriots outflanked on their left, routed by Hessians in the center, and hunted down across the marshy Gowanus Creek. Washington did manage to evacuate most of his troops but the fight for survival over the coming crucial months left Long Island a bitter memory best left forgotten. But today we remember with our guide Dan Davis, Senior Education Associate at the American Battlefield Trust. In this 250th anniversary year of the American Revolution, we look back at this pivotal battle. Although a definite military defeat, it produced heroes like William Alexander, Lord Sterling and the men of the 1st Maryland Regiment. And the battle is a great opportunity to discuss the meaning of these sites in the history of America and the importance of preserving them for future generations. Further Research American Battlefield Trust Green-Wood Cemetery Prospect Park American Veterans Archaeological Recovery Intro Music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

Episode 215: The Carnegie Library of Patchogue

The story of the Carnegie Library in Patchogue is a great case study in library history. The village started with an association library in the late 1800s, a subscription-based collection of books that floated between stores and offices and languished for lack of funds. Then the women's suffragist organization Sorosis spearheaded the effort to turn the neglected collection into a New York State-chartered public library by 1900. The next leap was a $10,000 donation (later raised to $15,000) from steel magnate and library philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The money funded the construction of a neo-classical building on Lake St. that brought state-of-the-art library service to the people of Patchogue. However, by the end of the 20th century the public library had moved down the block, Briarcliff College had come and gone, and the Carnegie building sat empty, soon endangered by looming development. The story has a happy ending as the building now sits at the corner of West Main St. and West Ave, serving as a vibrant teen center and a museum for the Greater Patchogue Historical Society. How did that happen? Listen to Patchogue librarians Jessi Bouchelle and Gary Lutz, along with the Historical Society's Steve Lucas, tell the tale. Further Research Teen Center at the Patchogue Carnegie Library Patchogue Medford Library History Greater Patchogue Historical Society Carnegie Libraries Across America Van Slyck, Abigail A. "" The Utmost Amount of Effectiv [sic] Accommodation": Andrew Carnegie and the Reform of the American Library." The Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians 50, no. 4 (1991): 359-383. Intro Music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

Episode 214: Occupied Long Island: Voices from the American Revolution

Today's episode is a recording of a panel discussion hosted on January 15, 2026 by the Long Island Library Resources Council. The panelists, all notable historians who have researched the Revolutionary War period on Long Island, give their insights into what life was like in the area from 1776-1783. This time of British occupation saw the inhabitants of Kings, Queens, and Suffolk counties suffer depredations brought on by British and Hessian troops as well as by Patriot attacks from across Long Island Sound. You'll hear about the enslaved Black woman Liss from Oyster Bay, about the activities of the Culper Spy Ring, and the experiences of others ranging from British officer John Simcoe to Elizabeth Lewis, wife of Declaration signatory Francis Lewis. The panel itself was funded by a WETA grant awarded to LILRC in support of programming related to the PBS documentary The American Revolution by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt. Further Research The American Revolution (PBS) Dr. Joanne Grasso The American Revolution on Long Island. (Find in a library via WorldCat) George Washington's 1790 Grand Tour of Long Island. (Find in a Library via WorldCat) Dr. Natalie Naylor Women in Long Island's Past: A History of Eminent Ladies and Everyday Lives. (Find in a library via WorldCat) Long Island Studies Institute Claire Bellerjeau Remember Liss.org Espionage and Enslavement in the Revolution: the True Story of Robert Townsend and Elizabeth. (Find in a library via WorldCat) Long Island Library Resources Council Feature image from the New York Public Library Intro Music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

Episode 213: Historic Schoolhouses of Long Island w Zach Studenroth

Today we come to praise the one-room schoolhouse of the 19th century (and some of its earlier forebears). Humble in appearance, these buildings might be easy to overlook but their existence hints at a broader social, cultural, and educational history across Long Island. Zach Studenroth, architectural historian and preservationist, documents this history in Historic Schoolhouses of Long Island from Arcadia Publishing (compiled with his co-author, the late Kurt Kahofer). On today's episode, Zach elaborates on the role of New York State in establishing schools in the 1800s, Walt Whitman's brief foray into teaching, and the surprising afterlife of school buildings as churches, fire houses, and storage sheds. Further Research Historic Schoolhouses of Long Island (Arcadia Publishing) Schoolteaching Years (Walt Whitman Archive) George Bradford Brainerd (Brooklyn Museum) Audio Footnotes Episode 89: Walt Whitman's Birthplace Intro Music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0

Episode 212: For Nothing is Hidden with John Valenti

Steven Damman disappeared from outside a supermarket in East Meadow on Halloween day, 1955. He was not yet three years old. Still unsolved, the case has intrigued many over the ensuing years - none more so than Newsday journalist John Valenti. For Nothing is Hidden, Valenti's new novel, is the culmination of his meticulous research into the case mixed with his years of observations covering Long Island. He presents a fictional version of the disappearance, substituting the Goodson family for the Dammans, while hewing close to the facts. His book is also populated with events of the day, from the habitual airplane crashes around Mitchel field to the notorious high society shooting of Bobby Woodward that dominated the headlines (and police attention). On today's episode you'll hear about Valenti's direct ties to the case, his decisions about constructing the narrative, and tales of Newsday legends like Dick Estrin and Bob Waters. You'll also get a journalist's perspective on history, stories, and human nature. Further Research For Nothing is Hidden by John Valenti Mitchel Field (AAFHA) "Turfman Killed by Wife in Dark." New York Times 10/31/1955 Leon Errol (IMDB) Intro Music: https://homegrownstringband.com/ Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0