The City Island Historical Society is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the collection, preservation, and display of artifacts in the Nautical Museum, which is housed in one of the area’s most picturesque buildings, the old Public School 17, built in 1897 on one of the highest points on the island. The school continued in use until 1975, when P. S. 175 was built on City Island Avenue. When the old school building was sold in 1986, the city reserved space for use by the City Island Historical Society and the Community Center. Several old classrooms now serve as galleries for the museum.