Welcome to the Huntington African American Museum
Where Culture & Community Thrive
Welcome to the Huntington African American Museum
Where Culture & Community Thrive
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Honor History. Inspire the Future
“Legacy is not what’s left tomorrow when you’re gone. It’s what you give, create, impact and contribute today while you’re here that then happens to live on.”
Rasheed Ogunlaru
AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY IS AMERICAN HISTORY. IT BELONGS TO ALL OF US.
Our Mission
The Huntington African American Museum advances the understanding of African American history, culture, and art through thoughtful stewardship, interpretation, and public engagement. Rooted in Huntington, the Museum elevates local, regional, and national stories and connects them to the broader American experience – bringing forward voices past and present to inspire learning, foster empathy, and strengthen civic connection.
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Huntington African American Museum
Huntington, New York, is a town located on Long Island, and like many communities across the United States, it is characterized by its diversity. African Americans in Huntington contribute to the town’s rich cultural tapestry and have played a significant role in shaping its history and community life.
Exhibitions
Visitors
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Huntington's African American
Huntington's Outstanding Individuals
Alice Coltrane
1937-2007
Alice Coltrane stands as one of this country’s leading women in jazz. A skilled pianist and one of the rare jazz harpists in history, Alice Coltrane lived in Huntington with her husband, John, as an accomplished American musician, composer, bandleader, and Hindu spiritual leader.
Source: Photo by Echoes/Redferns
Booker T. Washington
1856-1915
An American educator, author, and orator, served as the predominant leader in the African American community and contemporary Black elite from 1890 to 1915. For many years, Huntington was Mr. Washington’s summer home.
Source: Getty Image
Samuel Ballton
1838 -1917
An enslaved person-turned Union Army veteran, Samuel Ballton traveled north to Huntington and made it his home. As a real estate developer in the Greenlawn section of Huntington, many of the homes he developed stand to this day. As a prolific farmer, he earned the moniker “the Greenlawn Pickle King” in 1899 by cultivating 1.5 million cucumbers-turned-pickles in a single season.
Source: Courtesy of the Greenlawn-Centerport Historical Association
Peter Crippen
1809-1875
Pioneer of the African American community in Huntington, Peter Crippen made his way to Huntington from Virginia and purchased a grist mill, the oldest industrial building in North America, and made it his home. The home remained in his family for over 100 years through 2019. Mr. Crippen was a founding member of Bethel AME Church, the first African American church in Huntington.
Source: Courtesy of Robin Horn
Jupiter Hammon
1711-1806
A lifelong enslaved person and an American writer, Jupiter Hammon is acknowledged as “the father of African American poetry.” His poems were first published in 1761, the first African American published poet in North America. Beyond his groundbreaking poetry, he also authored prose, served as a preacher, and worked as a commercial clerk for the Lloyd family on what is now known as Lloyd Neck, New York.
Source:
https://english.colostate.edu/jupiter-hammon-collage/
John William Coltrane
1920-1967
A lifelong Huntington resident and iconic American jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and composer, he stands as a pivotal and highly praised figure in the realms of jazz and 20th-century music.