Beachbend
Also known as: William H. Dixon Estate
Why it's listed
Beachbend is a 19.4-acre waterfront estate on Stony Brook Harbor in Nissequogue, New York. Its main building is a two-story, five-bay, center-hall farmhouse of wood frame and shingle construction, begun by the early eighteenth century and long held by the Smith family, descendants of Richard Smith, the Smithtown patentee. Locals knew it as "Dick Nezer's Place." After Richard Herbert Smith died in 1920, the property left family hands, and in 1924 William H. Dixon bought it and hired the architectural firm Peabody, Wilson and Brown. The firm added Colonial Revival dormers and porches, enlarged the living room, and improved the service areas while preserving the old character. A barn, cottage, pump house, two sheds and a well cover, plus landscaped grounds, complete the estate. It was listed for its architecture and for showing both the settlement era and the estate period on the harbor.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the property is a rare, intact survivor of an eighteenth-century Smith family farmhouse that retains its settlement-era form and also shows the early twentieth-century estate period. The 1924 remodeling by Peabody, Wilson and Brown adapted the farmhouse for estate living with minimal change. The property also reflects the Smith family's long presence and the architect-client ties behind the Stony Brook Harbor estates.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 93000698, listed August 9, 1993. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Smith Ln., Nissequogue |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | August 9, 1993 |
| Reference number | 93000698 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | c1700-c1924 |
| Architect / builder | Peabody, Wilson and Brown (1924 remodeling); original builder unknown |
| Architectural style | Colonial; Colonial Revival |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Entertainment/Recreation, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Historic and current function is listed as single dwelling with agricultural outbuildings. |
| Acreage | 19.4 |
| Coordinates | 40.90301, -73.18366 (NPS GIS) |
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.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 93000698.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4875832
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.