At long last, the hamlet of Manhasset has finally followed the footsteps of its neighboring communities in creating a Historical Society. On September 26th, the Manhasset Historical Society website was launched, giving citizens of Manhasset easy accessibility to various artifacts, documents, and articles about the town they live in and its rich history. A launching event was held at the library in Manhasset Middle School, and students of all ages attended to celebrate this important milestone for the community. Mr. Howard Kroplick, Town Historian of Manhasset and accredited author of numerous books, was also in attendance.
Typically, Historical Societies are founded and managed by accomplished and experienced members of their respective towns, but Manhasset is unique in that its historical society was established by four high school students. Ryan Chung, now a senior at Manhasset High School, first had the idea of forming a historical society as a teen scholar at the New York Historical Society in summer of 2016. He noted that the experience made him realize that, “History [is] alive.” After discovering the true importance of preserving history and educating the public, Chung approached fellow students Emily Cruz, Ryan Thorpe, and Jeffrey Torborg. Their combined effort and enthusiasm for antiquities allowed them to formally develop a recognized Historical Society.
Preservation, for these four founders, is a top priority. As stated on the website, the primary goal of the Manhasset Historical Society is to “preserve our town’s heritage and, in turn, our town’s future”. Manhasset is a community with rich history and abundant historic landmarks. With the help of older generations, the society aims to educate younger generations on the neighborhood that they call home, as well as show them what they can do to keep the history of that neighborhood alive.
The Manhasset Historical Society prides itself in that it is completely run by its four student founders; nevertheless, they showed clear gratitude towards Manhasset High School educators, principal of Manhasset High School Dr. Dean Schlanger, and town historian Howard Kroplick for their assistance throughout the year long process of forming the society. “We don’t particularly have the time or the faculties to do it but we do have the singular advantage of being connected with the student body, and that’s where we would like to thank the social studies department for helping us,” co-founder Jeffrey Torborg remarked during a presentation at the launch party. This support from the student body was well demonstrated, as over 50 students of the secondary school came together to celebrate the launching of this important aspect of the historical society. Another valuable resource for the historical society is the Manhasset Public Library and its history center.

On the website itself, users are able to explore the history of Manhasset in multifarious forms. There is a tab for Opinion Editorials, in which townspeople of Manhasset will be able to submit articles, which have been approved by the board, pertaining to our community and its past. Manhasset residents will also find important documents from the history of their town, as well as notable landmarks, geography, and literature. A compilation of the historical society’s events is also included, so the community can be sure to take advantage of the opportunities that the Manhasset Historical Society has to offer.

For more information, and to learn more about the town that you call home, visit manhassethistoricalsociety.org.