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Smithtown, New York | |
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| Town of Smithtown | |
 Town Hall | |
%2c_New_York_Flag.png) Flag  Seal | |
 Location inSuffolk County | |
 Show Smithtown Show New York Show the United States | |
| Coordinates:40°51′46″N73°12′55″W / 40.86278°N 73.21528°W /40.86278; -73.21528 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New York |
| County | Suffolk |
| First settled | 1665; 360 years ago (1665) |
| Incorporated as a town | March 7, 1788; 237 years ago (1788-03-07) |
| Government | |
| • Town Supervisor | Edward Wehrheim (R) |
| • Town Council | Thomas McCarthy (R) Lynne Nowick (R) Lisa Inzerillo (R) Thomas Lohmann (R) |
| Area | |
• Total | 111.44 sq mi (288.64 km2) |
| • Land | 53.75 sq mi (139.21 km2) |
| • Water | 57.70 sq mi (149.43 km2) |
| Elevation | 105 ft (32 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 116,296 |
| • Density | 2,163.6/sq mi (835.4/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes | 11725, 11745, 11754, 11755 (part), 11768 (part), 11779 (part), 11780, 11787, 11788 |
| Area codes | 631, 934 |
| FIPS code | 36-68000 |
| Cook PVI | R+24 |
| Website | www |
Smithtown is atown inSuffolk County, New York, on theNorth Shore ofLong Island. It is part of theNew York metropolitan area. The population was 116,296 at the2020 Census.
Thecensus-designated place (CDP) ofSmithtown lies within the town's borders.
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The land that would become the town was originally owned by the NissequogueNative Americans.[3]
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An oft-repeated butapocryphal story has it that, after rescuing aNative American chief's abducted daughter,Richard Smith was told that the chief would grant title to all of the land Smith could encircle in one day while riding a bull. Smith chose to ride the bull on the longest day of the year (summer solstice) 1665, to enable him to ride longer "in one day." The land he acquired in this way is said to approximate the current town's borders.[3] A large statue of Smith's bull, known as Whisper, pays homage to the legend at the fork of Jericho Turnpike (New York State Route 25) and St. Johnland Road (New York State Route 25A).[4][5]
According to local historians, the bull story is a myth.[3][5] It was actually English settlerLion Gardiner who had helped rescue the daughter of Nissequogue Grand SachemWyandanch, after she was kidnapped by rivalNarragansetts.[3] Smith, who lived in nearbySetauket, was a friend of Gardiner; it was at Smith's house where the Nissequogue princess was returned to Wyandanch.[3] The Grand Sachem awarded a large tract of land to Gardiner as a gesture of gratitude.[3] In 1663 Gardiner sold the Nissequogue lands to Smith.[3] Two years later, colonial GovernorRichard Nicolls recognized the sale by awarding Smith “The Nicolls Patent of 1665,” which formally ratified Smith's claim to the land.[3] Thus, 1665 is considered the founding date of the town.
Smithtown was originally known as "Smithfield".[6]
The border between Smithtown and the town ofHuntington is partially defined by Bread and Cheese Hollow Road (Suffolk County Road 4), so named after Bread and Cheese hollow, which according to legend is where Smith stopped on his ride to have a lunch of bread and cheese. The road is reputed to follow part of his original ride. The border between Smithtown and Huntington was also the site ofFort Salonga, a British fort that was the site of a battle of theAmerican Revolution during 1781.[7][8]The Smithtown hamlet ofNesconset was the home ofSpaceplex, an indooramusement park andarcade that was falsely accused of being the abduction site in theKatie Beers kidnapping case in 1992.[9][10]
In 2015, the town celebrated its 350th anniversary with the unveiling of a new statue of founder Richard Smith, in front of an office building at the intersection of Main Street and Route 111.[3]
Smithtown is bounded byLong Island Sound to the north,Islip to the south,Brookhaven to the east, andHuntington to the west.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 111.5 square miles (289 km2), of which 53.8 square miles (139 km2) is land and 57.7 square miles (149 km2) (51.75%) is water.[11]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 1,022 | — | |
| 1800 | 1,413 | 38.3% | |
| 1810 | 1,592 | 12.7% | |
| 1820 | 1,874 | 17.7% | |
| 1830 | 1,686 | −10.0% | |
| 1840 | 1,932 | 14.6% | |
| 1850 | 1,972 | 2.1% | |
| 1860 | 2,130 | 8.0% | |
| 1870 | 2,136 | 0.3% | |
| 1880 | 2,249 | 5.3% | |
| 1890 | 3,357 | 49.3% | |
| 1900 | 5,863 | 74.6% | |
| 1910 | 7,073 | 20.6% | |
| 1920 | 9,114 | 28.9% | |
| 1930 | 11,855 | 30.1% | |
| 1940 | 13,970 | 17.8% | |
| 1950 | 20,993 | 50.3% | |
| 1960 | 50,347 | 139.8% | |
| 1970 | 114,657 | 127.7% | |
| 1980 | 116,663 | 1.7% | |
| 1990 | 113,406 | −2.8% | |
| 2000 | 115,715 | 2.0% | |
| 2010 | 117,801 | 1.8% | |
| 2020 | 116,296 | −1.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] | |||
As of thecensus[13] of 2000, there were 115,715 people, 38,487 households, and 31,482 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,159.9 inhabitants per square mile (833.9/km2). There were 39,357 housing units at an average density of 734.6 per square mile (283.6/km2). The racial makeup of the town was:
There were 38,487 households, out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.6% weremarried couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.2% were non-families. 15.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.28.[citation needed]
In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 1000 females age 18 and over, there were 911.2 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $100,165, and the median income for a family was $110,776.[14]
Males had a median income of $61,348 versus $38,208 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $31,401. About 2.1% of families and 3.0% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.[citation needed]
Ancestries: Italian (35.3%), Irish (26.0%), German (18.7%), Polish (6.9%), English (5.0%), Russian (4.1%).[15]
| Town Clerk / Registrar | Councilwoman | Councilman | Supervisor | Councilwoman | Councilman | Receiver of Taxes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas D. McCarthy (R) since January 1, 2024 | Lynne Nowick (R) since January 1, 2014 | Thomas J. McCarthy (R) since January 1, 1998 | Edward Wehrheim (R) since January 1, 2018 | Lisa Inzerillo (R) since January 1, 2015 | Thomas W. Lohmann (R) since January 10, 2018 | Deanna Varricchio (R) since January 1, 2002 |
The present town hall and seat of the town was built in 1912 on Main Street in Smithtown.
In 2015 the town hall was dedicated and renamed after former Supervisor Patrick R. Vecchio.[16]
Smithtown is led by a Town Supervisor and a four-member Town Council, elected town-wide with each serving four year terms. Elections are held in odd-numbered years, with two of the councilmembers being up for re-election each year.[citation needed]
The current Supervisor is Edward Wehrheim who has been Town Supervisor since 2018. His predecessor, Patrick Vecchio was in office for forty years, the longest elected town supervisor in the history of the United States. Elected as a Democrat during a special election, Vecchio switched parties in 1993 in an attempt to run for County Executive. Although defeated in the primary by Robert Gaffney, Vecchio remained a Republican until his death in 2019. He is the longest serving town supervisor in all of New York State. Vecchio ran in 2013 against former Councilman Robert Creighton, of the Conservative Party. Supervisor Vecchio won the Republican Primary against Councilman Creighton and then later defeated the Councilman in the General Election 45-30%. The Democratic candidate, Steven Snair received 25% of the vote. Councilman Creighton was later ousted in 2015 by Lisa Inzerillo. In the 2017 Republican primary, then-Councilman Ed Wehrheim received about forty votes more than Vecchio. The race was too close to call and a recount was demanded by Vecchio. Following the recount a week later, Wehrheim was declared the winner, nearly doubling his lead. Vecchio conceded the race the same day saying "“All good things come to an end."[17] On November 7, 2017, Ed Wehrheim defeated William Holst in the election for the town's next supervisor. Wehrheim succeeded Vecchio on January 1, 2018. On January 10, 2018, Thomas Lohmann was appointed to the seat vacated by Wehrheim's election.
The Town of Smithtown has always been dominated by Republicans at all levels of government. This one-party domination has often led to infighting between factions of the Republican Party in Smithtown with the most recent between Supervisor Vecchio and Smithtown Republican Party Chairman William Ellis. In recent times the Republican party has dominated the Town Board; the last Democratic Town Supervisor being Mr. Vecchio. The most Republican areas for Smithtown are its three incorporated villages, Nissequogue, Head of the Harbor, and the Branch, along with the hamlets of Smithtown and Kings Park. The weakest areas for the Republican party in Smithtown is the edges of the Town in the hamlets of Commack and Hauppauge. In 2016,Donald Trump defeatedHillary Clinton by a margin of 25 percent. Democratic County ExecutiveSteve Bellone has won the town, in two of his three runs for that office.
In addition to presidential politics, the Town of Smithtown is also the power bases of many State and County elected officials. The former New York State Senate Majority LeaderJohn J. Flanagan had the bulk ofhis district located in Smithtown. Current Republican ComptrollerJohn M. Kennedy, Jr., along with his wife, Suffolk County LegislatorLeslie Kennedy both reside inNesconset.[18]
Former Supervisor Vecchio died on April 6, 2019, at the age of 88.[19]
| Year | Republican | Democratic |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 58%42,051 | 40%28,946 |
| 2016 | 61%35,931 | 36%20,552 |
| 2012 | 60.17%32,549 | 39.83%21,544 |
| 2008 | 56.85%34,409 | 43.15%26,114 |
| 2004 | 56.41%33,686 | 43.59%26,034 |
| Year | Candidate | Vote | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | (R) | Edward Wehrheim Y | 21,095 | 73.9 |
| (D) | Maria Scheuring | 7,453 | 26.1 | |
| 2017 | (R) | Edward WehrheimY | 16,268 | 56.8 |
| (D) | William Holst | 10,047 | 35.0 | |
| (I) | Kristen Slevin | 2,250 | 8.2 | |
| 2013 | (R) | Patrick VecchioY | 9,507 | 45.08 |
| (C) | Robert Creighton | 6,366 | 30.18 | |
| (D) | Steve Snair | 5,218 | 24.74 | |
| 2009 | (R) | Patrick VecchioY | 11,049 | 60.35 |
| (D) | Patricia Biancaniello | 7,051 | 38.51 | |
| (WF) | Deanna DeLieto | 208 | 1.14 | |
| 2005 | (R) | Patrick VecchioY | 12,370 | 55.52 |
| (D) | William Holst | 5,981 | 26.84 | |
| (I) | Jane Conway | 3,929 | 17.63 | |
The now-defunct hamlet of Flowerfield is also listed in the official New York State Gazetteer, maintained and published by theNew York State Department of Health, which includes numerous defunct hamlets and towns, some with alternate or archaic spellings.[22]
Smithtown broadcasts its board meetings on SGTV, the Town of Smithtown's public service television station;Optimum channel 18 orVerizon Fios channel 27.The Times of Smithtown newspaper carries community-based articles.
TheSmithtown Performing Arts Center is a theater at 2 East Main Street.[23] The historic building has not been significantly altered since it was built in 1933.[23] It operated as a movie theater from 1933 to November 2001, and was renovated and restored to accommodate live performances in 2002.[23] In 2022 the building was purchased by the nonprofit Smithtown Performing Arts Council, which programs a variety of live entertainment and community events including musicals, plays, music, comedy, educational classes and summer camps.[24]
Fire Protection andEmergency Medical Services are provided by the sevenVolunteer Fire Departments, and two Volunteer Ambulance Corps that cover parts of the Township. The Smithtown, Kings Park, Saint James, Nesconset, and Nissequogue Fire Departments provide both Fire Protection, as well as Emergency Medical Services to their districts. The Commack Fire Department and Commack Volunteer Ambulance Corps provide coverage for theCommack hamlet, which is divided between the Town of Smithtown, and theTown of Huntington. TheHauppauge Volunteer Fire Department and Central Islip-Hauppauge Volunteer Ambulance Corps provide coverage to theHauppauge hamlet, which is divided between the Town of Smithtown, and theTown of Islip.[citation needed]
Smithtown is policed by the 4th Precinct of theSuffolk County Police Department. The Suffolk County Police are the primary law enforcement agency in Smithtown. They are responsible for responding to all 911 emergency calls. The Smithtown Department of Public Safety is an agency with limited powers. The Park Ranger Division is made up peace officers as defined in the Criminal Procedural Law of the state of New York.[25] Their enforcement powers are limited to Smithtown town property. The Department of Public Safety also has a Harbor Master division and Fire Marshall division.
Emergency medical care can be found at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center, located in Smithtown, as well as the nearbyStony Brook University Hospital, located in Stony Brook, in the neighboringTown of Brookhaven.[citation needed]
The Town of Smithtown is also home to theKings Park,Smithtown, andSaint James stations of theLong Island Rail Road'sPort Jefferson Branch.[26]
The Town of Smithtown is served entirely bySuffolk County Transit bus routes.[26]
I-495 is the Long Island Expressway, and the sole interstate highway in the Town of Smithtown although only in the southwest corner of the town between Exit 52 in Commack and east of Exit 53 in Brentwood.[26]
Northern State Parkway was the sole west–east limited-access highway in the Town of Smithtown until the construction of the Long Island Expressway. It has interchanges from Exit 43 inCommack on the Huntington-Smithtown town Line toVeterans Memorial Highway inHauppauge.[26] Extensions further east were proposed at one time.
Sagtikos State Parkway is the south–north parkway that enters the Town of Smithtown from Brentwood at the interchange with the Long Island Expressway, and terminates at the Northern State Parkway (Exit SM1) in Commack, where it becomes the Sunken Meadow State Parkway.[26]
Sunken Meadow State Parkway is the dominant south–north parkway within the western town of Smithtown. It begins at the Northern State Parkway as a continuation of Sagtikos State Parkway in Commack, winding northeast, until it reaches theSunken Meadow State Park.
NY 25 runs west to east along Jericho Turnpike from Suffolk CR 4 at the Huntington-Smithtown town Line through Main Street at the Smithtown Bull where it overlaps with NY 25A until separating with that route again at NY 111 in the Village of the Branch. East of there it runs along Main Street, then Middle Country Road through the Smithtown-Brookhaven town Line in the Village of Lake Grove.
NY 25A is an alternate route of NY 25 that is the northernmost west–to-east state highway on Long Island including the town of Smithtown. It enters the town from Bread and Cheese Hollow Road in Fort Salonga, winding through the hills of Fort Salonga through Kings Park where it becomes Main Street, then makes a sharp turn to the south onto Saint Johnland Road before passing the Smithtown Bull where it overlaps with NY 25 and becomes Main Street. In the Village of the Branch, NY 25A leaves the overlap across fromNY 111 where it runs along North Country Road as it heads northeast through St. James and Head of the Harbor before crossing the Smithtown-Brookhaven town Line west of Stony Brook.
CR 16, includes Terry Road from the eastern border of the Village of the Branch to northeastern Hauppauge, and Smithtown Boulevard from northeastern Hauppauge through Nesconset to the northern shores of Lake Ronkonkoma.
CR 93 is a four-lane south-north highway running from the northwestern edge of Sayville to the south and west side ofLake Ronkonkoma. The route enters the town from the Town of Islip and ends at CR 16 in Ronkonkoma.
NY 111 is the main south-to-north state highway in the Town of Smithtown. It enters the town on Town Line Road inHauppauge, then continues to the northeast where it passes byNY 347 and finally ends in the Village of the Branch at the east end of the overlap ofNY 25 and25A.
NY 347 is a west-east divided highway known as the Smithtown Bypass, which runs southwest to northeast from Hauppauge to NY 25A west of Mount Sinai. The road was originally intended to become an expressway, but was repeatedly hampered by rampant development, and anti-highway activism.
NY 454 is a west-east divided highway known as the Veterans' Memorial Highway, which runs northwest to southeast from Commack to NY 27 west of Suffolk CR 97 in Holbrook. Within the town it runs from NY 347 at the Islip-Smithtown Town Line and serves as the location for the Suffolk County Medical Examiner and Department of Consumer Affairs. | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(April 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Smithtown Central School District is home of seven elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools.[citation needed]
The Town of Smithtown is also home to the Kings Park Central School District, a portion of theCommack Union Free School District (shared with the Town of Huntington), a portion of theHauppauge Union Free School District (shared with the Town of Islip) and a portion of theSachem Central School District (shared with the Town of Brookhaven).[citation needed]
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{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)...the Space Plex [sic] Amusement Park in Nesconset. ... Since it opened two years ago...
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