For Dan Looney, the quaint buildings that line Main Street are more than modern day shops: they tell the story of Farmingdale's past. To him, the restored farmhouses that dot the incorporated village are more than just cozy dwellings: they hold an important place in local history. As newly appointed deputy historian for Farmingdale Village, Looney is aiming to make that history come alive for people throughout the local community.

"Right now most people think history's found in just history books, or that you have to go to archives or go to the library," Looney said in an interview last week, noting that he hopes to reverse that trend through ongoing collaboration with Village Historian Bill Johnston. "We'd like to actually show them that it's around you and that we're all actually, not separated, but part of this continuum of history."

Looney, who is also the chairman of the ongoing Farmingdale Train Station Restoration Project, has worked with Johnston and the Farmingdale-Bethpage Historical Society on several local historic preservation efforts. Johnston welcomed Looney's appointment, expressing much enthusiasm for having a partner in the preservation of local history.

"I'm looking forward to working with Dan. I've lobbied for his appointment. We have a lot of common interests in Farmingdale, and he has a tremendous research ability," Johnston said. "He's already, on an unofficial basis, brought much to the whole field of local history, and we look forward to him being officially on board. We look for some greater expansion of the office and activities of the historian's office."

Both Farmingdale historians work on a voluntary basis. Their colleagues may be found far beyond the local area. There are some 1600 historians appointed by municipalities throughout the state. "New York probably is the only state that has such a full complement of officially appointed historians," Johnston said, noting that a great majority of them are volunteers who want to perpetuate, preserve and disseminate information about local history. "I think one of the big jobs is celebrating our history - about noting anniversaries, and bringing to the larger community what the past was here and what we are attempting to preserve and perpetuate."

As Johnston's official partner, Looney aims to continue educating the public about the richness of Farmingdale's heritage.

One major undertaking that Looney has envisioned is an historic building survey and tour, in which he and Johnston would identify structures throughout Farmingdale Village that are worth saving, and design a walking tour based on these. "We'll identify certain historic buildings, we'll put up plaques at these different sites, and hopefully tell the story of the village through the architecture of the village," Looney explained. "Because we have buildings from Thomas Powell dating to the 1600s, and you have buildings right up until, obviously, today. And it's such a tremendous variety of building styles."

The deputy historian added, "You have houses that are farm Gothic houses, such as the house on the corner of Melville Road and Secatogue. There's the little red house by St. Kilian's which dates to 1862. All types of architectural styles are visible in the village, and I think we could use that, as more or less a walking tour to educate the public, not only on the history of Farmingdale, but show how it fits into the larger scheme of, perhaps, the history of the country."

Referring to the early 20th century period in which a trolley system and train system merged at the Farmingdale train station, Looney noted, "And we could also do that with the train station to educate about transportation technologies." The prospective aviation museum at Republic Airport, East Farmingdale, may also be used as a tie-in to this venture. "It's out of the village, but it's something that could possibly tie in because it's part of our history," Looney said.

The historians would also like to encourage the restoration of old buildings and houses to the original designs. "Because there's a tremendous stock of some really nice looking houses in the village, and that's what really gives you a sense of place," Looney said, citing the 1920s craftsman houses that abound on Prospect Avenue and original Victorian houses, many of which have been covered with asbestos shingles. "We could show them what it would look like if you brought back the original clapboard," Looney said of the old Victorians, adding, "A lot of young people are interested in bringing back these old houses."

He also wants to educate people who may consider bulldozing these vestiges on how restoring them may be a more cost-effective alternative.

Looney hopes to build on well-established local history programs, such as the lecture series sponsored by the Farmingdale-Bethpage Historical Society, the weekly "Minute of History" presentations at the annual Village Pops Concerts, and the publishing of historical articles and photographs in the Farmingdale Observer.

"The lectures are important, writing articles are important," he said, adding that it is also vital "to show people every day that - history - you're part of it, and it's all around you, and each building has a story to tell you."

Looney believes preservation and restoration projects are key to getting the community excited about local history by incorporating the theme into the village. "If people see what these buildings can look like - even if you're not interested in history - they don't make new houses like the old houses or the old buildings. For example, even the train station, a lot of people said, 'Boy that's an ugly building,' but I think when you show them that when you landscape it, when you put the old roofs back on, the building suddenly becomes a source of village pride," he said. "Same thing with [the restoration of] St. Kilian's Church. The parish put a lot of work into that. And again, I think when people look at it, people who have been in it, say it's one of the nicest churches they've ever seen...It just adds so much to the community. It makes the entire community more attractive. And I think if you carry that over into the old houses, it makes the entire community more appealing, and gives character to the community."

The historians are also targeting certain anniversaries to celebrate, such as Mile-A-Minute Murphy - when Charles M. Murphy broke the world record for bicycle speed at the Farmingdale Train Station in 1899 - as well as the 100th anniversary of the Incorporated Village of Farmingdale.