Capturing Seaford history

The Seaford Library has embarked on an oral history project that will provide residents with an opportunity to share their recollections of Seaford.

The program, inspired by StoryCorp, hopes to capture the voice of Seaford — the seemingly ordinary stories of its people — who can bring to life “our rich heritage,” said Ida Zaharopoulos, reference librarian for the Seaford Library. “There are people out there with a wealth of memories that we want to preserve for future generations.”

While there isn’t anyone who can recall the Hempstead Patent Peace between the Native Americans (Tackapausha, the Massapequa Sachem representing all tribes west of Oyster Bay) and the Dutch in 1656, there are Seafordites who may recall the first brick school on Jackson Avenue in 1921 or the construction of Sunrise Highway in 1928.

The idea of recording voices, instead of relying upon written accounts, is a tradition tied to radio and oral history projects that began with the New Deal. And hearing a human voice tell a story helps to ground the listener in a specific time and place.

“It ’s so interesting to hear about someone’s life, and to hear them talk about what life was like back then, about how things have changed,” Zaharopoulos said. “It feels so immediate.”

Seaford, originally a fishing and farming community, saw big changes after World War II. There was an exodus of people who left New York City to settle in communities like Seaford, thereby causing a population explosion. In 1940, Seaford’s population was 2,216; in 1955 it was 11,288.

“There are all kinds of stories out there,” said Frank McKenna, director of the Seaford Library. “We hope people will be willing to share their experiences, and their memories with us.”