Huntington to dedicate Colonial-era arsenal

A workingman's home-turned-arsenal will be the focus of a dedication ceremony in the Town of Huntington on Sunday, as history buffs join with town officials to mark the restoration of what's believed to be the only known Colonial-era arsenal left on Long Island.

The arsenal was originally built in 1740 as a granary before transitioning into a house. In 1775, the structure was converted to a storage facility and used for military supplies for the Suffolk County Militia. A year later, the arsenal was the place where revolutionaries picked up munitions for the ill-fated Battle of Long Island.

The $179,705 restoration of the arsenal was recently completed using money from the town and a state historic-preservation grant, town spokesman A.J. Carter said.

Al Kachic, a member of the Ancient and Honorable Huntington Militia, which was formed in 1974 as the country prepared for its bicentennial, said the structure's role in the Revolutionary War isn't the only thing notable about it.

"It's really a picture of a workingman's house" in the 18th century, Kachic said. "A lot of the surviving houses that you see now have been [those of] people of wealth whose houses were big and not of the type most people lived in."

Under the restoration, the cedar-shingle roof was replaced and the back of the building was restored and made wheelchair-accessible.

The dedication ceremony, which coincides with the militia's annual Muster Day activities, will take place at noon at the arsenal at 425 Park Ave., and will conclude with public tours of the building.

It is "interesting to see how something like this building has lasted so long," Kachic said. "It looks great."