Walt Whitman's name endures on Long Island

The Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site and Interpretive Center in South Huntington on Feb. 23, 2012. The site welcomes more than 16,000 visitors each year,

In 2011, this statue of Walt Whitman with a butterfly was unveiled on the lawn of the poet's boyhood home, now part of the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association. The bronze statue was a gift of the lay Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai International-USA. The statue is shown on Feb. 23, 2012.

An aerial photograph gives a view of the northwest corner of Walt Whitman Road (Route 110) and the Northern State Parkway as seen on Aug. 14, 2006.

This undated photo shows a building on Old Walt Whitman Road in Melville.

Shawn Foster of Aquebogue and her sister Tanya Bissell of Kings Park take a break from hiking next to a plaque with a quote from "Leaves of Grass" by Walt Whitman, on Aug. 11, 2002. The plaque is at the end of a hiking trail in West Hills Park in South Huntington. The poet was born in West Hills in 1819.

Kindergarten children on their first day of school at Walt Whitman Elementary School in Woodbury on Sept. 4, 2002. Whitman taught nearby for three months at a one-room schoolhouse, the Woodbury School, near what is now the intersection of Jericho Turnpike and Woodbury Road. In 1840, the poet voiced his dislike for Woodbury in a letter to a friend, calling the townspeople unsophisticated, clowns and country bumpkins.

Kiandre Wright, 15, and the Walt Whitman High School Marching Band from Huntington Station photographed before the start of the 78th annual parade run by the Huntington Ancient Order of Hibernians on March 11, 2012.

The Walt Whitman Mall, now called the Walt Whitman Shops, in Huntington Station, on Oct. 18, 2002. The mall is near the Whitman birthplace.

A marker for the birthplace of Walt Whitman in Huntington off Route 110.

A hiker on the Walt Whitman Trail on Aug. 11, 2002.The trail is located in the eastern section of West Hills County Park in South Huntington. The 7.5-mile trail leads to Jayne's Hill, the tallest point on Long Island (400.9 feet). In 2007, the trail, which begins at the Walt Whitman's birthplace, was designated a National Recreational Trail by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Richard Robbins poses with his dogs, Gina Marie, Reno and Yummie on July 16, 2003, at Whitman Park in Melville.