Smithtown, A History: The Village of the Branch

When the Village of the Branch was incorporated in 1927 it included large estates and open fields. Today the community is home to private residences, shopping centers, professional buildings as well as the Smithtown Library.

Smithtown historian Bradley Harris said in the early days Smithtown was split into two areas. To the west at the Head of the River was where the commerce occurred. To the east there were farms and estates, and it became known as Smithtown Branch.

The name “Branch” came from the fact that a branch of the Nissequogue River runs through the area. While the Village of the Branch name was also inspired by this branch, the boundaries are different from Smithtown Branch.

Village Clerk Robert Morlath and planning board member Libbey Smith said in 1927 residents had the opportunity to choose whether or not they wanted to be part of the village.

According to Harris a proposition to incorporate the one square mile in 1927 began when residents felt they shouldn’t pay taxes for a municipal water source when they had private wells. The petition was signed by members of notable local families such as Smith and Blydenburgh.

Morlath said the residents were so particular that they zoned out a small section on North Country Road. According to Harris, the small piece of land that is part of the Smithtown Library parking lot used to be the spot of the Colonial Inn.

Of the inn Harris said, “At that time it had a reputation of being a rather seedy place.”

Beginning in the early 1950s the sale of estates and farms in the village made way for shopping centers according to Harris. Main Street between Lawrence Avenue and Singer Lane was once the estate of the Miller family. The land through the decades became the home of the Village Commons Shopping Center and Branch Shopping Center.

Harris said the Hillside Village Shopping Center on Route 111 stands on the land that used to belong to the Ludder family. The family ran a florist there, and it was around the late 60s when they began to sell off their property.

Despite modernization, the village holds on to its charm. The Smithtown Historical Society is within the borders on the north side of Middle Country Road with historical treasures Franklin O. Arthur Farm, the Caleb Smith II House, Epenetus Smith Tavern and more.

Smith also said that new professional buildings adhere to the architecture and material of the 1850s and periods before to stay consistent with the historical structures.

“It’s a very defined district,” Smith said.     

Today almost 85 years after its beginnings, the Village of the Branch respects our past while offering modern conveniences.