In 1814, the Hardscrabble school district was formed, which later became known as the Farmingdale School District. In 1850, the school district built a two-story wooden building on Main Street, which housed students through eighth grade. In 1864, Farmingdale became part of the Joint School District No. 22 and then in 1892, Farmingdale became the Union Free School District No. 8, switching numbers with Huntington School District. In 1894, the school district’s number was changed back to 22 when it switched back with Huntington.
Farmingdale State College was founded in 1912 under the name of New York State School of Agriculture on Long Island. The founding of the College was originally proposed by State Assemblyman John Lupton in 1909. In 1900, the Dominican Sisters opened the Nazareth Trade School as a home and school for underprivileged, orphan and wayward boys. In 1906, they opened the sister school for girls, Saint Rose Industrial School.
