The Bald Hill School House has long been a Farmingville landmark, its history inseparable from a tradition of community reunions. In 1885, local families gathered for an alumni picnic that led to the creation of the Farmingville Reunion Association, dedicated to preserving the area’s heritage.
“Our family has been connected to the schoolhouse from the very beginning,” said Willard Parker Hough, a descendant of early Farmingville settlers. “That spirit of coming together is what has kept this place alive for generations.”
When the building faced demolition after the district consolidated with Holtsville, the reunion proved decisive. At the 1929 gathering, members launched a fundraising drive that raised $1,975 to purchase the schoolhouse and its 2¼-acre grounds.
“Pauline Dare, one of our relatives, went door to door selling $10 shares,” Hough recalled. “Our family bought some, and it’s because of that effort the schoolhouse still stands.”
The Houghs trace their lineage back to Virginia Dare, the first English child born in an American colony. “That sense of history runs deep within us,” said Hough, a past president of the association. “Protecting the schoolhouse felt like protecting part of our family.”
The Reunion Association’s work continued decades later. In 1985, it helped save the home of Elijah Terry, Farmingville’s first teacher, relocating it next to the schoolhouse on Horseblock Road. Together, the two buildings became a historic pair for the community to cherish as part of Farmingville Hills County Park.
Although fire damaged the schoolhouse in 1992, community fundraising saved it once again. Today, it serves as an educational site, primarily hosting school field trips and the annual reunion.
“Every year since 1939, our family has gathered here,” Hough said. “The schoolhouse is more than a building—it’s a legacy. It represents history, family, community, and that spirit still inspires everyone who visits.”