American Legion Post 1766 ready for its makeover
Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) has been active in the community for years as a past president of the Three Village Civic Association and a member of the school district’s board of education. However, after being elected into office last year, he had the opportunity to learn even more about the Three Village area.
When he had the opportunity to visit the American Legion Irving Hart Post 1766 in Setauket, he realized the post members needed help with repairs, starting with the roof. Knowing people in the home improvement industry and also the ins and outs of fundraising, Kornreich made a promise to the post members that he would get the roof repaired.
The councilman took the job on as a personal mission and said it wouldn’t require any financial help from the town. The roof was repaired in December with materials donated by Home Depot and anonymous donors sending in money to honor post members including Capt. Hugh P. Sheppard and Korean War veteran Carlton “Hub” Edwards who is treasurer of the post. Thanks to the donations, workers were paid to replace the roof which is just the first step of the post being restored.
Joe Bova, the post’s community liaison, said he was grateful for Kornreich following through on the project and that he never met someone that showed so much kindness and respect.
“I never met someone who says something and actually does it,” Bova said.
Kornreich said he has been intrigued for years by the history of the American Legion post, which was established after World War II by members of the mixed-heritage Black and Native American community who lived in the Bethel-Christian Avenue-Laurel Hill Historic District area. The residents built the post from community members’ contributions including the land donated by Irving Hart’s sister, Rachel.
The councilman said the stories of those who have belonged to the post over the years are also interesting to learn. “When you walk into the post, on the wall, there are maybe 100 photographs of men and women in uniform who were stationed all over the world,” he said.
According to Kornreich and Edwards, a fundraiser will be established in the future for additional interior renovations. Edwards said the post members are grateful for the roof replacement.
“We’d like to thank everyone who took part in the donations for the roof to be completed,” Edwards said.
Kornreich echoed the sentiment.
“I’m so proud to see that Three Village recognizes the cultural and historical importance of this structure, and the people who have been using it for almost 75 years,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the time when this will once again be a thriving and active place our community can enjoy.”
