Brentwood can be explored through two distinct travel interests: sports at Brentwood State Park and local history centered on education, community, and architecture. Choosing the focus of your stay can help you organize these themes: baseball and soccer fields define the sports park; the Modern Times Schoolhouse connects the history of a settlement with early education. The Sisters of St. Joseph complex adds social history and architecture to this perspective.
Sports at Brentwood State Park
Brentwood State Park is a 52-acre sports facility with baseball and soccer fields. These two types of fields give the site a clear sporting focus and provide a specific point of reference if you want to include sports in your Brentwood plans. The park is open from 8:00 a.m. until sunset. Check these opening hours before you travel so you can work your visit into your daily plans.
Modern Times Schoolhouse: Settlement and Education
The octagonal Modern Times Schoolhouse was built in 1857 as part of the utopian settlement of Modern Times, which was located in what is now Brentwood. Its shape is a distinctive architectural feature; its connection to the settlement also anchors the building in local history. Today, the Schoolhouse is a museum and educational resource where students and visitors can learn about the history of the Modern Times community and early education in Brentwood. To understand the site, it helps to distinguish between the building and the settlement: the Schoolhouse was built as part of Modern Times, while the museum covers the history of the community and early education.
Sisters of St. Joseph: Social History and Architecture
The Sisters of St. Joseph Motherhouse is located at 1725 Brentwood Road in Brentwood, Suffolk County. Its significance is tied to the Sisters of St. Joseph and to social history and education. The complex includes academy buildings, a central chapel, the motherhouse, and a novitiate and college building. The elaborately designed Sacred Heart Chapel is part of the Motherhouse and follows the Romanesque Revival and Byzantine Revival styles. Architecture and social history offer two distinct ways to explore the complex: the chapel draws attention to its design, while the connection to the Sisters highlights education and society.
Brentwood’s Historic Sites
Since its reestablishment in 2012, the Brentwood Historical Society has worked to preserve and mark historic sites and buildings that have historical value in their own right or are connected with the history and development of the community. This approach broadens the view of Brentwood beyond individual buildings: sites and structures connected to the community’s development are also part of local history.
Which Themes Should You Focus On?
To help make your choice, you can weigh the themes against one another: the State Park represents baseball and soccer, the Schoolhouse represents the history of Modern Times and early education, and the Sisters complex represents social history and architecture. If you are choosing between the historical themes, consider whether you are more interested in the settlement’s history and early education or in the history of the Sisters and the chapel.
Discover more destinations: North Babylon, Bohemia, Greenlawn, Bellport, East Quogue, Shelter Island, Saltaire, Bay Shore.
For the broader travel overview: Suffolk.
