Valley Stream Historical Society

If you're looking for a place that will give you an experience unlike any other, look no further than the Valley Stream Historical Society. This nonprofit organization is dedicated to providing people with an understanding of how life has changed in the village of Valley Stream over the years.

In the late 1830s, Robert Pagan and Ellen Pagan emigrated from Scotland to Village of Valley Stream. Being a devout Methodist, Ellen was troubled by her last name. Thus, the family took the name Payan. They then had to come up with another name. Robert was told to name his town when Ellen's husband asked to establish a post office in the community. 

Considering the topography of the area, he chose Valley Stream. The city has been known by that name since 1843. Valley Stream, as it is known today, was incorporated in January 1925.

Even though the Valley Stream Historical Society was formed in 1973, it has been preserving the area's history since 1958. Artifacts were to be housed in a museum under the organization's direction. A goal for which the village achieved success in 1977 was to take title to the Pagan homestead on Hendrickson Avenue and lease it to the Valley Stream Historical Society. 

A Restoration Committee worked from 1977 through 1992 to bring the house up to code. New York's State Historical Commission designated the building as a historic landmark in 1983. As of September 8, 1983, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Prior owners had expanded the house over the years, and the Valley Stream Historical Society chose not to remove those additions. A restoration process eventually restored it to its original appearance from the 1900s to the 1920s. Furthermore, the organization chose to return the last name originally associated with the house's first owners. 

Today, the Pagan-Fletcher restoration is also known as Pagan-Fletcher House. Around 1847, one of the Pagan daughters had married a Fletcher. The addition of a second floor to the house was probably a wedding present, which is why the museum is named after Fletcher.

Also published by the Valley Stream Historical Society is a monthly newsletter, Panorama, which includes news about upcoming general meetings and articles about topics of interest to members. Among its recent achievements is the erection of a historic sign commemorating Curtiss Field and its significance to early aviation, near Home Depot in Green Acres.

Ellis Carpet Cleaning Valley Stream

Read Next: Pagan-Fletcher Restoration