Caleb Smith House

Originally built as a two-story farmhouse circa 1751 by Caleb Smith and his father Daniel Smith II, the house remained in the Smith family until 1888. The Brooklyn Rod and Gun Club, later named the Wyandanch Club, purchased the property and converted it into a forty-four room building for its members. In 1963, New York State purchased the buildings and lands, and in 1974 opened the park to the public. The building now houses a nature and history museum and parks offices. Caleb's initials were found inscribed in a brick in the chimney, and much of the original house, built with great hewn beams and timbers, still stands within the present building despite numerous changes and modifications over more than 250 years. Caleb Smith, who lived from 1724 to 1800, was the great grandson of Richard "Bull" Smith, the founding father of Smithtown. Besides being a farmer, Caleb graduated from Yale in 1744, served as a judge for the Suffolk County Court, and was a member of the State Assembly. Martha Smith, born in 1727 and from a different family, married Caleb in 1755, and they had four children whose descendants formed the later generations of Smiths who lived there.

Smithtown, New York · United States