History Rooms
The History Rooms document the lives of the people who inhabited the land and buildings over the years, and the various land uses to which the property, now the Preserve, was put by prior owners. Here visitors get an in-depth understanding of native inhabitants of the Nesequake tribe, the establishment of early settlements in Smithtown and surrounding areas, the evolution of the Caleb Smith House, and of the sporting clubs which later occupied Clubhouse and grounds before New York State acquired the property in 1963. Display panels also illustrate a chronological history of the Smith family, from Richard “Bull” Smythe, the founder of Smithtown, to his great grandson Caleb.
The Wyandanch Club Room, in an adjacent area, conveys the atmosphere and setting of early sporting club days, with original gun racks and paneling. Plans are underway to the restore this, and one of the typical sporting club member lodgings, including period sporting equipment displays.
The natural history of the Preserve is also depicted on an interactive display, covering the period from pre-glacial Long Island to the present. The display also presents in-depth descriptions of the wide variety of environments on the Preserve and of its natural animal inhabitants.
Another area contains a collection of educational games, puzzles and books dealing with a variety of natural and environmental aspects of the Preserve.
Proceed now to an additional four rooms of Nature Exhibits, containing beautiful wildlife mounts and state-of-the-art displays describing the variety of habitats, flora and fauna found here, and the uniqueness of the land itself.
