Smith, Obadiah, House
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Why it's listed
Built in stages beginning around 1708, this two-story house on Saint Johnland Road in Kings Park began as the home of Obadiah Smith, who received the property on turning twenty-one. Its heavy oak frame uses mortise-and-tenon joints, and the east half has a distinctive six-post system. A west half with a kitchen was added around 1730, giving the house a five-bay, center-entrance front. Later changes came around 1800, with Federal mantelpieces and sash windows, and around 1850, with wide overhanging eaves and new windows. Interiors include a decorated upstairs parlor known as the fancy room and a large kitchen hearth. Smith descendants lived here for generations, and a second upstairs kitchen suggests the house may have held several family apartments. The Smithtown Historical Society bought it in 1960, when it was nearly replaced, and now runs it as a museum. The house is listed for its architecture and its link to early settlement.
Significance in brief: The nomination finds the house significant under Criteria A and C for architecture and settlement. It is an early, well-preserved example of Long Island framing and layout, built in two stages and altered around 1800 and 1850. It also records generations of the Smith family who settled and held the land.
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 96001422, listed December 6, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 853 Saint Johnland Rd., Hamlet of Kings Parks, Smithtown |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | December 6, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96001422 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c.1708-c.1850 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Colonial: postmedieval English; Early Republic: Federal; Mid-19th century |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the Smithtown Historical Society and operated as a museum, with a caretaker's apartment on the first floor that is not open to the public. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 40.89394, -73.22915 (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.
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 96001422.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14707126
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.