Smithtown, New York

Smithtown, New York
Town
Town of Smithtown

Seal

U.S. Census Bureau Map
Coordinates: 40°51′46″N 73°12′55″W / 40.86278°N 73.21528°W / 40.86278; -73.21528Coordinates: 40°51′46″N 73°12′55″W / 40.86278°N 73.21528°W / 40.86278; -73.21528
Country United States
State New York
County Suffolk
Government
 • Town Supervisor Edward Wehrheim (R)
 • Town Council Thomas McCarthy (R)
Lynne Nowick (R)
Lisa Inzerillo (R)
Thomas Lohmann (R)
Area[1]
 • Total 111.45 sq mi (288.64 km2)
 • Land 53.71 sq mi (139.10 km2)
 • Water 57.74 sq mi (149.55 km2)
Elevation 105 ft (32 m)
Population (2010)[2]
 • Total 117,801
 • Estimate (2016)[3] 117,481
 • Density 2,187.48/sq mi (844.60/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP codes 11725, 11745,11754, 11780, 11787, 11788, 11768 (part), 11755 (part), 11779 (part)
Area code(s) 631
FIPS code 36-68000
Cook PVI R+24
Website www.smithtownny.gov

Smithtown is a town in Suffolk County, New York, United States, on the North Shore of Long Island. This town is an eastern suburb of New York City. The population was 117,801 at the 2010 Census.

The census-designated place (CDP) of Smithtown lies within the town's borders.

History

Statue of the Smithtown Bull that Richard Smith was said to have ridden in order to claim the land that became the Town of Smithtown

Smithtown originally, known as "Smithfield", was first settled around 1665. Local legend has it that, after rescuing a Native 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 "on a bull". Smith chose to ride the bull on the longest day of the year (summer solstice), to enable him to ride longer "in one day". The land he acquired in this way is said to approximate the current town's location. There is a large anatomically correct[4] statue of Smith's bull, known as Whisper, at the fork of Jericho Turnpike (New York State Route 25) and St. Johnland Road (New York State Route 25A).[5]

Main Street, Smithtown

The border between Smithtown and the town of Huntington 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 of Fort Salonga, a British fort that was the site of a battle of the American Revolution during 1781.[6][7]

Geography

The Town of Smithtown is located at 40° 52' 13" North, 73° 13' 3" West (40.862786, -73.215175).[8]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 111.4 square miles (288.5 km²), of which, 53.6 square miles (138.8 km²) of it is land and 57.8 square miles (149.7 km²) of it (51.89%) is water.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.%±
17901,022—
18001,41338.3%
18101,59212.7%
18201,87417.7%
18301,686−10.0%
18401,93214.6%
18501,9722.1%
18602,1308.0%
18702,1360.3%
18802,2495.3%
18903,35749.3%
19005,86374.6%
19107,07320.6%
19209,11428.9%
193011,85530.1%
194013,97017.8%
195020,99350.3%
196050,347139.8%
1970114,657127.7%
1980116,6631.7%
1990113,406−2.8%
2000115,7152.0%
2010117,8011.8%
Est. 2016117,481[3]−0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]

As of the census[10] 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 people 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% were married 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.

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.[11]

Males had a median income of $61,348 versus $38,208 for females. The per capita income for the town was $31,401. About 2.1% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

Ancestries: Italian (35.3%), Irish (26.0%), German (18.7%), Polish (6.9%), English (5.0%), Russian (4.1%).[12]

Government and politics

Current Town Board as of December 1, 2018
Councilwoman Councilman Supervisor CouncilwomanCoucilman
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

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 current Supervisor Patrick R. Vecchio.[13]

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 on odd numbered years with two of the councilmembers being up for re-election each year.

The current Supervisor is Patrick R. Vecchio, who has been Town Supervisor since 1978. 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 has remained a Republican to present day. At this time he is currently 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 (A Democratic candidate, Steven Snair ran as the third party candidate, obtaining 25% of the vote). Councilman Creighton was later ousted in 2015 by Lisa Inzerillo. In the 2017 Republican primary, 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."[14] On November 7, 2017, Ed Wehrheim defeated William Holst in the election for the town's next supervisor. Wehrheim will succeed Vecchio on January 1, 2018.

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. The Republican party has never received less than 56% of the vote from the Town of Smithtown. 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 President-elect Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton by 28 points, the highest performing town for him on all of Long Island.

In addition to presidential politics, the Town of Smithtown is also the power bases of many State and County elected officials. New York State Senate Majority Leader John J. Flanagan has the bulk of his district located in Smithtown. Current Republican Comptroller John M. Kennedy, Jr., along with his wife, Suffolk County Legislator Leslie Kennedy both reside in Nesconset.

Edward Wehrheim defeats Patrick Vecchio in Smithtown's closest primary election.
Town of Smithtown, New York vote
by party in presidential elections[15]
Year Republican Democratic
2016 63% 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
Town of Smithtown, Supervisor election results
Year Candidate Vote %
2017 (R) Edward Wehrheim Green tick 16,268 56.8
(D) William Holst 10,047 35.0
(I) Kristen Slevin 2,250 8.2
2013 (R) Patrick Vecchio Green tick 9,507 45.08
(C) Robert Creighton 6,366 30.18
(D) Steve Snair 5,218 24.74
2009 (R) Patrick Vecchio Green tick 11,049 60.35
(D) Patricia Biancaniello 7,051 38.51
(WF) Deanna DeLieto 208 1.14
2005 (R) Patrick Vecchio Green tick 12,370 55.52
(D) William Holst 5,981 26.84
(I) Jane Conway 3,929 17.63

Communities and locations

Villages (incorporated)

Hamlets (unincorporated)

Other communities

  • North Smithtown
  • San Remo

State parks

Notable people

Media

Smithtown is the city of license for two radio stations, WFRS Family Radio and WWSK "94.3 the Shark", repeater W228BI for WNYC, and the TV station WFTY-TV. Smithtown broadcasts its board meetings on SGTV, the Town of Smithtown Public service television station; Cablevision channel 18 or Verizon channel 27. Smithtown has three local newspapers, Smithtown Messenger, The Times of Smithtown, and The Smithtown News, which carry community-based articles. Websites such as SmithtownRadio.com serve as hyper-local news outlets for the community.

Emergency services

Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Services are provided by the seven Volunteer 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 the Commack hamlet, which is divided between the Town of Smithtown, and the Town of Huntington. The Hauppauge Volunteer Fire Department and Central Islip-Hauppauge Volunteer Ambulance Corps provide coverage to the Hauppauge hamlet, which is divided between the Town of Smithtown, and the Town of Islip.

Smithtown is policed by the 4th Precinct of the Suffolk 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.[16] 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 nearby Stony Brook University Hospital, located in Stony Brook, in the neighboring Town of Brookhaven.

Transportation

Railroad lines

The Town of Smithtown is also home to the Kings Park, Smithtown, and Saint James Stations of the Long Island Rail Road's Port Jefferson Branch.

Bus service

The Town of Smithtown is served entirely by Suffolk County Transit bus routes.

Major roads

Education

Smithtown Central School District is home of eight elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools.

The Town of Smithtown is also home to the Kings Park Central School District, a portion of the Commack Union-Free School District (shared with the Town of Huntington), a portion of the Hauppauge School District (shared with the Town of Islip) and a portion of the Sachem Central School District (shared with the Town of Brookhaven).

Elementary schools

  • Accompsett Elementary School
  • Branch Brook Elementary School
  • Dogwood Elementary School
  • Mills Pond Elementary School
  • Mt. Pleasant Elementary School
  • Smithtown Elementary School
  • St. James Elementary School
  • Tackan Elementary School

Middle schools

  • Accompsett Middle School (formerly Smithtown High School Freshman Campus 1992-2005)
  • Great Hollow Middle School
  • Nessaquake Middle school

Smithtown High School

  • Eastern Campus (formerly Smithtown Central High School, 1960s-1973; formerly Smithtown High School East, 1973–1992; formerly Smithtown Middle School, 1992–2005) - located in St. James
    • The High School's Eastern Campus is composed of graduates of Nesaquake Middle School and those graduates of Great Hollow Middle School that reside in the Tackan and Nesconset Elementary area.
Smithtown High School West
  • Western Campus (formerly Smithtown High School West, 1973–1992; formerly Smithtown High School 10-12 Building, 1992–2005)- located in south of the Kings Park Hamlet and west of the Smithtown Bull
    • The High School's Western Campus is composed of graduates of Accompsett Middle School and those graduates of Great Hollow Middle School that reside in the Mt. Pleasant and Branch Brook Elementary area.

Private schools

  • Smithtown Christian School (pre-school to twelfth grade)
  • Saint Patrick School (parochial school grades preschool through eighth)
  • Holy Family Regional School (pre-school to eighth grade)
  • Saints Philip and James School (parochial school grades preschool through eighth)
  • The Knox School(boarding students 7th to PG, day students 6th to PG)
  • Ivy League School And Summer Camp (pre-school to eighth)

Former schools (No longer used as K-12 Facilities)

  • New York Avenue Junior High School- (now the Joseph M. Barton/New York Avenue Building) Currently the central office and headquarters of Smithown Central School District
  • Smithtown Branch High School- Smithtown High School before the opening of Smithtown Central High School in the 1960s

See also

References

  1. ↑ "2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Jul 5, 2017.
  2. ↑ Metropolitan & Central City Population: 2000-2005. Demographia.com, accessed September 3, 2006.
  3. 1 2 "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  4. ↑ "The Bull, Smithtown Long, Island". Maggie Land Blanck.
  5. ↑ Rediscovering Smithtown’s Golden Age of Progressive Architecture; 1911–1948 (Preservation Long Island)
  6. ↑ http://northporthistorical.org/documents/Brief_History.pdf
  7. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-04-24. Retrieved 2010-11-12.
  8. ↑ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  9. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  10. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  11. ↑ " Income in the Past 12 Months (In 2007 Inflation-Adjusted Dollars): 2007 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates". American Fact Finger. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Profile of Selected Social Characteristics: 2000. Census 2000 Summary File 3 (SF 3) - Sample Data". American FactFinder. U. S. Census Bureau. 2000. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  13. ↑ Hampton, Deon J. (November 1, 2015). "Smithtown Town Hall renamed to honor supervisor Patrick Vecchio". Newsday.
  14. ↑ Walsh, Sara-Megan (2017-09-28). "Ed Wehrheim dethrones Pat Vecchio, wins Smithtown Supervisor primary - TBR News Media". TBR News Media. Retrieved 2017-10-01.
  15. ↑ http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/
  16. ↑ NYS CPL Article 2 Section 2.10(9)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.