To honor the heroes who helped found the nation, the Jerusalem Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution hung a banner at the Wantagh Museum on Sept. 20 — a year before America celebrates its 250th anniversary.
The banner is meant to raise awareness of the approaching milestone in the country’s history.
“We’ve got to remind people about that, because we forget from day-to-day that that’s coming up,” Matt Susco, president of the Wantagh Preservation Society, said.
Joining members of the Jerusalem chapter — serving the Wantagh area — during the banner ceremony were local officials, including Town of Hempstead Councilman Chris Schneider and State Sen. Steve Rhoads, and members of the preservation society, which helps maintain the museum grounds, on Wantagh Avenue.
Wantagh’s Boy Scout Troop 96 also took part, helping to hang the banner on the fence in front of the museum.
The event opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of the national anthem, followed by remarks from Kay Kenney, regent of the Jerusalem chapter. She said the nation’s founding was a time when brave men and women stood up for freedom to create a new nation, believing that people should have the right to choose their leaders and live with liberty and justice.
The Daughters of the American Revolution, a national nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., is a non-political women’s service organization dedicated to historic preservation, education and patriotism. According to Kenney, education is key to remembering those who helped found the country.
“We honor those heroes by keeping those stories alive,” Kenney said. “We work to protect history, teach others about it and serve our communities just as they did. This anniversary reminds us how important it is to stay true to our values.”
The organization also promotes education through essay contests that encourage students to explore American history. Wantagh has seen several local students excel in these competitions, including Giada Petrillo, who won a state-level essay contest on the Boston Tea Party in the eighth-grade category earlier this year, and her friend, Kate Stivali, who won at the state level in the seventh-grade category last year.
Thomas Watson, a trustee of the preservation society, said the banner is important not only to remind people of the upcoming anniversary but also to encourage reflection on what the nation’s history means to them.
“It makes people think about our history and when this all started, but it’s up to them to bubble it in their mind and think about what it means,” Watson said. “It’s not up to me to tell them what it means.”
The museum offers a hands-on look at the town’s history through three historic structures: the 1885 Wantagh Railroad Station, the 1912 parlor car and a recreated 1904 post office. The railroad station, restored to its 1904 appearance, features turn-of-the-century photographs and memorabilia. The parlor car showcases the elegance of early 20th-century rail travel, while the post office provides a glimpse into daily life in rural Wantagh. Together, the buildings preserve the community’s past and provide visitors of all ages with a tangible connection to the town’s heritage.
Kenney said the banner serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who fought to establish the nation, hoping it will inspire people passing by to take greater interest in American history. She added that partnering with the preservation society to display it at the museum makes the effort especially meaningful, because both groups share a mission of keeping the past alive for the community.
“Freedom, fairness and unity are not just ideas from the past — they’re goals we still work for,” Kenney said. “Let’s continue to share their legacy, lead with kindness and make sure future generations understand how much was sacrificed to give us the lives we have today.”
