Phyfe, James W. and Anne Smith, Estate
The National Park Service has not published a boundary polygon for this district; the map shows the listed properties inside it and the district's reference point.
Why it's listed
Built in 1904 at the end of Stillwater Road in Nissequogue, this Neoclassical country house was the centerpiece of a large estate on Stony Brook Harbor. Subdivision has reduced the property to about six acres, but the house and a former carriage house remain. The water-facing east side has a two-story portico with four Ionic columns, a pediment and a balcony, while the west side has a porte-cochere marking the entrance. Inside, fifteen rooms are arranged around a grand central hall. Isaac H. Green, Jr., a leading Long Island architect, designed it for James W. Phyfe, a New York City merchant who married into the local Smith family. Compared with Green's earlier Shingle Style work nearby, the house shows a more formal Colonial Revival approach. It retains the features of the harbor estate type, including a water view, broad porches and a service wing. Later uses included a summer camp and a rental to Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt in 1925.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1904 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Century Revivals (Neoclassical) |
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Architecture, Social History |
| Acreage | 6.3 |
| Boundary source | not published |
| Full listing page | Phyfe, James W. and Anne Smith, Estate (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.