Smith Estate
Why it's listed
This 35-acre estate at the corner of Longwood and Smith Roads in Brookhaven preserves part of the Manor of St. George, land William Smith bought in 1693 after serving as mayor of Tangier. The core is a five-bay, two-story timber-framed house built around 1790, later expanded and decorated with brackets, crenellation, Gothic-inspired chimney pots and a Federal front door. An east wing was added around 1900. Around it stand a caretaker's cottage, wooden barns and sheds, a garage with ice house, and a family cemetery used from 1801 to 1967. A one-room nineteenth-century schoolhouse was moved here from Ridge in 1977 to save it from demolition. The Smith family held the property until 1967, and members served as town supervisor, county treasurer and state assemblyman. After a proposed development drew local opposition, the owners donated the buildings and land to the town, which has begun repairs.
Significance in brief: The estate is nominated for local historical and architectural importance. It is a surviving part of the Manor of St. George, bought by William Smith in 1693, and stayed in the Smith family until 1967. Several family members held state and local office. The main house shows Federal, Gothic Revival and Colonial Revival influences added over generations.
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 81000414, listed December 10, 1981. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N of Brookhaven at Longwood and Smith Rds., Brookhaven |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | December 10, 1981 |
| Reference number | 81000414 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1700-1799, 1800-1899, 1900- |
| Architect / builder | Builder/Architect unknown |
| Architectural style | Vernacular Federal, Gothic Revival and Colonial Revival |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the Town of Brookhaven, marked unoccupied/vacant; the town has begun repairing the buildings and plans to open the property to the public. |
| Acreage | 35 |
| Coordinates | 40.86768, -72.90618 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 81000414.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7545138
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.