Cultural Resources Data Recovery Report THE NAIMA SITE (NYSM #11658) Including the Ebenezer Smith House Town of Smithtown, Suffolk County, New York By DANIEL E. MAZEAU Principal Investigator Cultural Resource Survey Program Series 7 CULTURAL RESOURCES DATA RECOVERY REPORT of the Naima Site (NYSM #11658), including the Ebenezer Smith House Town of Smithtown, Suffolk County, New York Cultural Resource Survey Program Series No. 7 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK Regents of The University MERRYL H. TISCH, Chancellor, B.A., M.A., Ed. D. ........................................................ New York ANTHONY S. BOTTAR, Vice Chancellor, B.A., J.D. ......................................................... Syracuse JAMES R. TALLON, JR., B.A., M.A. ................................................................................. Binghamton ROGER TILLES, B.A., J.D. .................................................................................................. Great Neck CHARLES R. BENDIT, B.A. ............................................................................................... Manhattan BETTY A. ROSA, B.A., M.S. in Ed., M.S. in Ed., M.Ed., Ed. D. .................................... Bronx LESTER W. YOUNG, JR., B.S., M.S., Ed. D. ....................................................................... Oakland Gardens CHRISTINE D. CEA, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. ............................................................................ Staten Island WADE S. NORWOOD, B.A. ............................................................................................... Rochester KATHLEEN M. CASHIN, B.S., M.S., Ed. D. ...................................................................... Brooklyn JAMES E. COTTRELL, B.S., M.D. ........................................................................................ New York T. ANDREW BROWN, B.A., J.D. ........................................................................................ Rochester JOSEPHINE VICTORIA FINN, B.A., J.D. ............................................................................. Monticello JUDITH CHIN, M.S. in Ed ................................................................................................ Little Neck BEVERLY L. OUDERKIRK, B.S. in Ed., M.S. in Ed ............................................................ Morristown CATHERINE COLLINS, R.N., N.P., B.S., M.S. in Ed, Ed. D ............................................. Buffalo JUDITH JOHNSON, B.A, M.A., C.A.S. ............................................................................... New Hempstead Commissioner of Education and President of The University MARYELLEN ELIA Executive Deputy Commissioner ELIZABETH R. BERLIN Deputy Commissioner for Cultural Education JEFFREY W. CANNELL Director of the New York State Museum MARK S. SCHAMING Director of Research and Collections JOHN P. HART The State Education Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, religion, creed, disability, marital status, veteran status, national origin, race, gender, genetic predisposition or carrier status, or sexual orientation in its educational programs, services and activities. Portions of this publication can be made available in a variety of formats, including braille, large print or audio tape, upon request. Inquiries concerning this policy of nondiscrimination should be directed to the Department’s Office for Diversity and Access, Room 530, Education Building, Albany, NY 12234. CULTURAL RESOURCES DATA RECOVERY REPORT of the Naima Site (NYSM #11658), including the Ebenezer Smith House Town of Smithtown, Suffolk County, New York Prepared by: Daniel E. Mazeau, M.A. Principal Investigator 2015 Cultural Resource Survey Program The New York State Museum © 2015 The New York State Education Department, Albany, New York Published in the United States of America ISBN 978-1-55557-273-0 Cover: Historical view of the Ebenezer Smith House during the mid-19th century. (Photo courtesy of the Smithtown Historical Society, Smithtown, New York.) Historic and prehistoric artifacts recovered from the site are also shown. Cover design by Leigh Ann Smith of the New York State Museum, Albany, New York. Management Summary Project Number Historic Context DOT PIN 0054.05.121 The historic occupation of Long Island initially focused on coastal environments, particularly those NYS-DOT Project Type situated alongside protected bays and harbors (e.g., Port Jefferson, Northport), because early The project area is to be impacted by a highway communities focused on coastal resources for reconstruction project proposed by the New York economic, subsistence, and transportation State Department of Transportation (NYS DOT) that requirements. The community of Hauppauge, within will span the totality of NYS Route 347 and a portion which the site is located, is part of the larger Town of of NYS Route 454 in Suffolk County, New York. Smithtown. Smithtown was initially settled during Reconstruction consists of increasing the width of the the mid-seventeenth century by its patentee Richard highway to a six-lane arterial (it is currently four to “Bull” Smith and his sons. The earliest settlement six lanes) and the redesign of numerous side roads. and economy of the area centered on the County Center Road, which runs through the project Nissequogue River, and numerous houses were area, is one of these side roads; its width will be subsequently built near the river, including the house expanded and its intersection with Route 347/454 in the project area. This house, once colloquially altered. known as the “Major ’Nezer” house, was built in 1790 by a descendent of Richard Smith named Caleb Site Identification Smith II (1763–1831). Smith II was one of the The Naima Site (NYSM #11658) earliest settlers in the area that would become known as Hauppauge and was a man of wealth and high Cultural Resource Survey Type standing in the community. Therefore the household Phase III Data Recovery of the Naima Site of Smith II, and the project area in general, has high research potential in terms of investigating and USGS 7.5-Minute Quadrangle Map understanding the early occupation of Long Island, Central Islip (1967) including the establishment and development of socio-economic differentiation, the rural economy Prehistoric Context and subsistence, and the historic-period participation in regional and macro-regional networks. Coastal, maritime, and riverine environments have always been important loci throughout the prehistoric Site Location and Project Limits occupation of New York State. Offering a variety of resources, these environments are especially common The Naima Site straddles County Center Road, a on Long Island. The Nissequogue River system, short access road that connects the Suffolk County which is located in the central portion of Long Island office complex to Route 347/454. The project area and flows north into Smithtown Bay and the Long consists of two blocks located on either side of the Island Sound, provides an example of such an County Center Road. The southwest block is located environment. Prehistoric occupation along this river northwest of the intersection of County Center Road has been extensive, especially near the river’s delta and Route 347/454 and consists of a rough square and along Smithtown Bay. The majority of measuring 33x28 meters (108x92 feet). The east archaeological sites along the river, however, and in block, which runs along the eastern side of County the region in general, are either poorly documented or Center Road, begins at a point approximately 20 consist of ephemeral or isolated finds (Parker 1922). meters (66 feet) north of the intersection and It is along the headwaters of this short river that the continues 85 meters (279 feet) farther along the Naima Site is strategically located. This area eastern side of the road. The width of the east block provided access to multiple ecological zones, varies; most of it is 11.5 meters (38 feet) wide. It including riverine and woodland settings, which expands to 20 meters (66 feet) wide for the central 35 thereby increased the variety of available resources. meters (115 feet) of the eastern block. The Naima Site therefore has a high potential for producing valuable data in the study of resource The site is partially located within the landscaped exploitation strategies and micro- and macro-regional yard comprising the southeastern portion of the settlement system patterning. Suffolk County office complex, and partially in and among dense, untended secondary-growth forest. Management Summary i Although much of central Long Island has been and knowledge base of Long Island’s history, as well affected by the large-scale residential and commercial as that of New York State. development characterizing the suburban sprawl of the second half of the twentieth century, the site and Integrity: There have been a number of significant its local environs have not been subjected to such impacts to the site during the recent history of the development, relatively speaking. The site is located area, especially during the mid- to late twentieth approximately 90 meters (300 feet) west of the century. First, the prehistoric site was impacted to southwest tributary of the Nissequogue River, and some degree by the historic (1790–1947) occupation approximately 3–4 meters (10–13 feet) above it. East of the site, and deposits containing mixed prehistoric of the site is Blydenburgh State Park, through which and historic debris were found to be common. An the Nissequogue flows.