Smithtown historian passes the baton after 46 years on the job
Brad Harris, left, is retiring after 30 years as Town Historian for Smithtown; replacing him will be Nissequogue Mayor Richard Smith, right. Smith is a descandant of the Smith family, which founded the town. The two are seen here in Saint James on Sept. 25. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
As Brad Harris and Richard Smith sat together in Harris' living room in Saint James, they reflected on the different paths each took to becoming caretakers of Smithtown's 359-year history.
Harris, 82, retired as Smithtown’s historian earlier this month after more than four decades in the role.
He first moved to Smithtown in 1967 and two years later, became a teacher in the Commack School District. He taught social studies and Long Island history for more than 30 years.
In 1978, then-Supervisor Patrick Vecchio made his first appointment with the selection of Harris as town historian. Harris has authored three books about the town's history, served on the town council and was president of the Smithtown Historical Society.
Priya Kapoor, executive director of the Smithtown Historical Society, credited Harris for showing her the history of various structures and places in Smithtown, including those housed at the society on East Main Street.
Succeeding Harris is Smith, 70, the mayor of Nissequogue, whose family traces back to Richard "Bull" Smith, the town's founder. Smith, a 10th-generation Smithtown resident whose family founded the town in the mid-1600s, said his family’s history inspired his interest in the town's history.
Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim congratulated Harris for his years of service "educating the youth of this town" and presented him with a proclamation at a town board meeting in September.
Harris and Smith sat down with Newsday recently for a joint interview as they reflected on Harris' 46 years on the job and Smith's plans going forward.
Why is local history important to you, and what piqued your interest in it?
Harris said he became interested in local history while teaching in Commack. "You can walk by a house that has historic value for some reason," Harris said. "It was interesting to learn what that value was and why people saved it all of those years. So I began to spread that."
Promoting and preserving the town's history, Smith said, helps the community understand the roots of issues and where the town’s future is headed.
"It didn’t just happen in 1950 or after that. There have been a culmination of different events and people that produce results and situations we find ourselves in today," Smith said. "It’s all connected back to the very beginning."
What historic sites or places did you focus on preserving or highlighting?
Harris said he focused on moving the Frank Brush Barn from Landing Avenue to the historical society’s property in 1988. The barn, Harris noted, is an example of what barns looked like in the 1800s. The structure has ties to Clinton Darling, Smithtown’s undertaker in the late 1800s, and Frank Bush, a longtime town clerk. Darling built the barn in 1900 and used it to house horses and wagons for funerals. Harris and Long Island historian Noel Gish led a group of students on a dig to discover artifacts on the property.
Harris was also involved in moving the Epenetus Smith Tavern, a pre-American Revolution tavern built in 1740 originally located around Route 111, to the historical society’s grounds in the 1970s. He also spearheaded the town’s 350th anniversary celebration in 2015.
"Probably my whole time in office was prepping me for that without me realizing it," Harris said.
What’s an interesting fact about Smithtown that people may not know?
While conducting research, Harris said he learned that a famous horse named Snowman had a connection to Smithtown. Harry deLeyer, a riding instructor at the Knox School in Saint James, bought the 8-year-old plow horse in 1956 for $80. The instructor saved Snowman from slaughter, and later, the horse won acclaim as a show jumping champion.
"He was just an old plow horse until he was groomed and trained to be a champion horse," Harris said. "It’s a beautiful story."
What are your goals as the new town historian?
Smith said he plans to reach out to more private, public and parochial schools in the area to encourage students to become interested in history at a young age.
Smith said he wants to promote more tours at local historic sites. He also wants to explore new places in town to mark as historical, including cemeteries. He said he also wants to place historic markers at two former airfields — one where the former defense contractor Gyrodyne operated in Saint James, as well as a private airstrip on Old Willets Path in Hauppauge that was later owned by the Smithtown Aviation Club.
As Brad Harris and Richard Smith sat together in Harris' living room in Saint James, they reflected on the different paths each took to becoming caretakers of Smithtown's 359-year history.
Harris, 82, retired as Smithtown’s historian earlier this month after more than four decades in the role.
He first moved to Smithtown in 1967 and two years later, became a teacher in the Commack School District. He taught social studies and Long Island history for more than 30 years.
In 1978, then-Supervisor Patrick Vecchio made his first appointment with the selection of Harris as town historian. Harris has authored three books about the town's history, served on the town council and was president of the Smithtown Historical Society.
Priya Kapoor, executive director of the Smithtown Historical Society, credited Harris for showing her the history of various structures and places in Smithtown, including those housed at the society on East Main Street.
Succeeding Harris is Smith, 70, the mayor of Nissequogue, whose family traces back to Richard "Bull" Smith, the town's founder. Smith, a 10th-generation Smithtown resident whose family founded the town in the mid-1600s, said his family’s history inspired his interest in the town's history.
Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim congratulated Harris for his years of service "educating the youth of this town" and presented him with a proclamation at a town board meeting in September.
Harris and Smith sat down with Newsday recently for a joint interview as they reflected on Harris' 46 years on the job and Smith's plans going forward.
Why is local history important to you, and what piqued your interest in it?
Harris said he became interested in local history while teaching in Commack. "You can walk by a house that has historic value for some reason," Harris said. "It was interesting to learn what that value was and why people saved it all of those years. So I began to spread that."
Promoting and preserving the town's history, Smith said, helps the community understand the roots of issues and where the town’s future is headed.
"It didn’t just happen in 1950 or after that. There have been a culmination of different events and people that produce results and situations we find ourselves in today," Smith said. "It’s all connected back to the very beginning."
What historic sites or places did you focus on preserving or highlighting?
Harris said he focused on moving the Frank Brush Barn from Landing Avenue to the historical society’s property in 1988. The barn, Harris noted, is an example of what barns looked like in the 1800s. The structure has ties to Clinton Darling, Smithtown’s undertaker in the late 1800s, and Frank Bush, a longtime town clerk. Darling built the barn in 1900 and used it to house horses and wagons for funerals. Harris and Long Island historian Noel Gish led a group of students on a dig to discover artifacts on the property.
Harris was also involved in moving the Epenetus Smith Tavern, a pre-American Revolution tavern built in 1740 originally located around Route 111, to the historical society’s grounds in the 1970s. He also spearheaded the town’s 350th anniversary celebration in 2015.
"Probably my whole time in office was prepping me for that without me realizing it," Harris said.
What’s an interesting fact about Smithtown that people may not know?
While conducting research, Harris said he learned that a famous horse named Snowman had a connection to Smithtown. Harry deLeyer, a riding instructor at the Knox School in Saint James, bought the 8-year-old plow horse in 1956 for $80. The instructor saved Snowman from slaughter, and later, the horse won acclaim as a show jumping champion.
"He was just an old plow horse until he was groomed and trained to be a champion horse," Harris said. "It’s a beautiful story."
What are your goals as the new town historian?
Smith said he plans to reach out to more private, public and parochial schools in the area to encourage students to become interested in history at a young age.
Smith said he wants to promote more tours at local historic sites. He also wants to explore new places in town to mark as historical, including cemeteries. He said he also wants to place historic markers at two former airfields — one where the former defense contractor Gyrodyne operated in Saint James, as well as a private airstrip on Old Willets Path in Hauppauge that was later owned by the Smithtown Aviation Club.
- Brad Harris retired in September as Smithtown's historian after 46 years in the role.
- Harris is a former president of the Smithtown Historical Society and organized the town's 350th anniversary celebration in 2015. He has authored three books about Smithtown's history.
- The town board appointed Nissequogue Mayor Richard Smith as the new town historian. Smith is a 10th-generation town resident. His heritage dates back to Richard "Bull" Smith, who founded the town in 1665.
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