Smith Tavern
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Smith Tavern is a two-story wood frame building at 440 Bedford Road in Armonk, New York, set on about two acres beside the old Danbury Post Road, at what was the 37th milestone from New York City. Its oldest portion is an eighteenth-century house, joined by a main section built shortly before the Revolution and a large enlargement of 1898. The building served in turn as a farmhouse, inn, community center and private residence. In the late 1700s and early 1800s it hosted town meetings, elections and political rallies, and it was an overnight stop for stagecoaches. Captain John Smith bought it in 1797, and the North Castle Post Office opened there in 1809 with Smith as postmaster. Rail development in the mid-nineteenth century bypassed the tavern and ended its role as the town center. It is regarded as a rare eighteenth-century survivor in a suburbanized area. The North Castle Historical Society bought it in 1977 and operates it as a museum.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the tavern is closely tied to the early settlement and development of Armonk and the North Castle area. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries it served as the center of local political and social life and as the main stopover for travelers on the Danbury Post Road. It is also described as a rare eighteenth-century survivor in a heavily suburbanized part of Westchester County.
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 83001833, listed September 15, 1983. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 440 Bedford Rd., Armonk |
|---|---|
| County | Westchester County |
| Listed | September 15, 1983 |
| Reference number | 83001833 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | last half of eighteenth century |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the North Castle Historical Society, which converted the building into a museum after purchasing it in 1977; the form marks it occupied. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 41.12642, -73.69394 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 83001833.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7545339
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.