Wednesday, February 12, 2025
The Franklin Square Historical Society hosted their monthly open house at the Franklin Square Historical Museum on Naple Avenue last Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. During the event, the society displayed a poster board that detailed plans for a $450,000 expansion to the museum building.
Pat Galaskas, who is currently a volunteer at the museum, said plans for the expansion include additional space to store artifacts, as well as a large classroom area that can be used for school field trips. The classroom is planned to include a large screen for showing movies, as well as seating and tables for lectures, meetings and activities.
Galaskas, 82, who has been involved in the historical society for over 30 years, and served as the museum’s director until 2020, moved to Franklin Square in 1942 when she was six months old. She lived there until about 2020, when she moved to Setauket for an apartment that better suited her needs. However, she remained committed to the museum and continues to make the hour and a half commute to assist the historical society with their mission. She currently gives tours of the museum, educating visitors about their collection of artifacts and Franklin Square history.
The historical society began collecting artifacts in 1976, Galaskas recalled, after a bicentennial committee was formed around the 200-year anniversary of the United States. At that point, the museum was storing their artifacts in a room at John Street School, and eventually in a room at Washington Street School.
However, the schools needed the space for their own purposes, and many of the artifacts were moved to peoples’ garages and other temporary storage spaces. The society soon realized a need for space dedicated to their growing collection of artifacts. By 2005, construction officially began on the museum.
Construction was completed in 2017, and the museum was formally dedicated in September of that year. From there, Galaskas helped move boxes of artifacts to the museum showroom, where she took pictures of items to be labeled by historians. However, the museum did not open to the public until 2023, in part due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Once the museum was open, Galaskas said the historical society quickly noticed the space was too small for all their artifacts, and it was particularly obvious how crowded it was when school classes came to visit with large groups of students. She said this is why the society is looking to expand the museum. “We desperately need the extension,” she said.
As of now, $183,000 of funds has been raised for the project, which includes grants and individual donations. However, their goal is $450,000. To help raise more funds, the society is sending out 163 letters to businesses across Franklin Square to request additional donations for their project.
Galaskas said she would remain devoted to the museum, and refuses to abandon the cause despite her long commute. She said those involved in the museum love history, herself included, and the historical society wants to share it with as many others in the community as they can.
To learn more about the Franklin Square Historical Society, how to become a member and how to donate to their project, visit their website, FSHistoricalSociety.org. The society publishes a monthly newsletter on the website with meeting dates and other important information.
