Thursday, October 1, 2026
Q: What is your earliest memory of growing up in Franklin Square?
A: I grew up in Franklin Square. I’ve lived here all my life, and I guess my earliest memory would be just a great neighborhood and great friends and a community that was always together. It was just a great childhood memory. Kids went out and played, very different than today a little bit because of the way things are, but it was just a great place to grow up.
Q: How did you first become involved with the Franklin Square Historical Society?
A: I taught in Franklin Square. I worked at the Franklin Square School District. I taught at John Street and Washington Street, and Paul van Wie had contacted me at some point. I had gone to several meetings, and he asked if, when the museum was open and ready, if I would be interested in being a docent. And I said yes, I definitely would, because I just love working with children, and I knew there were plans to have classes come in from the elementary school and high school to visit.
Q: What made you decide to take on the role of co-president?
A: I am the president, co-president. Paul and I are co-presidents. There was an opening. We had an unexpected opening, and someone needed to take over. And I said I would do it with a lot of help because there was a lot I did not know. We have a great board and people with great experience, and new members that have come on the board have just been supportive and working hard together to keep the museum running and continuing our programs, especially the program with the schools.
Q: Is there a particular piece of local history or artifact at the museum that has stood out to you?
A: Of course, I definitely love everything about the school. When the kids come in, when the classes come in, I’m usually involved in the school part of it. Certainly, I went to John Street and I taught there, and I taught at Washington Street.
The schools and the history from the schools, the bank, Franklin Bank, which I remember going to as a child, and with my mother walking into town and going to the bank, and just everything about it. The fire department memorabilia, the artifacts we have from the fire department, certainly what we have from 9/11 is very touching and important to me. But just everything, seeing all these things and saying, ‘Oh, I remember doing that. I remember going there.’ It’s kind of fun.
Q: Why is preserving Franklin Square’s history important to you personally?
A: It’s exciting seeing people that have lived here a long time come in and see things and say, ‘Oh, I remember that.’ But I think the most important thing is sharing that with the young members of our community and seeing their faces. They really are interested.
When they see those typewriters, to them it’s like, ‘Wow, what is this?’ It’s just exciting to share with them how they were used, how the schools, the desks that we had are different today. We always talk about how this looks like your classroom, or how this looks like your kitchen, and trying to make that connection between then and now. We have a very rich history.
Q: If you could go back in time, is there a particular part of your Franklin Square childhood that you would want to experience again?
A: Well, certainly, I had a great school experience. I guess that’s why I wanted to be a teacher. And teaching in Franklin Square was like the dream job because I taught at John Street first, where I went, and that was like being home. Then I went over to Washington Street, where my kids went, and I was involved there as a parent before a teacher, so that was important.”
I have great memories from Carey. My husband and I met there, and I was involved there in many activities as a student, and it was just a great, great time.”
Q: What are some of the things the Historical Society is working on and looking forward to?
A: We’re actually getting ready in September to have a display of school artifacts. It’s Carey’s 70th birthday this year. So we are having a display of Carey items, the artifacts that we own, and we will be having that on display for the month of September. We were able to purchase a class set of iPads through a grant from Assemblywoman Solages’ office, which was wonderful, and we will be putting those to work because the fourth graders that are coming this year were there as first graders. We needed to change things up a little bit and give them a little bit of a different perspective on what they were doing there. We’re going to use those iPads, and it’s exciting.
