Manor of St. George

The Manor of St. George was established in 1696 by Colonel William Tangier Smith. After 1683, Smith arrived on Long Island and was granted a large tract of land from Long Island Sound to the South Shore, and established himself as a leading citizen of Suffolk County. 

From the west, the manor started at the Carman’s River and stretched all the way east to the Town of Southampton, and from the Atlantic Ocean to the South Northward to the middle of the island. The total estimated area the manor covered was about 90 square miles.

The British commandeered the manor during the Revolutionary War, re-naming it Fort St. George. On November 23, 1780, a raising party staged a surprise attack and defeated the British garrison.

The manor was dedicated as a public museum in 1955 by Eugenie Smith, one of William’s descendants. Inside the house, eight of the rooms have been furnished with pieces the family collected over the generations. The grounds include a family cemetery, gardens, and several buildings that were used as icehouses, smokehouses, barns, stables, and carriage houses.

Historic documents were found inside the house including plans for the British Fort St. George and the original royal charter granted to William. These were microfilmed by SUNY Stonybrook and are available for viewing by researchers and scholars.

The manor is open to the public and admission is free.

Sources:

Hall, Michael J.  Special to The New,York Times. "Manor of St. George and Documents Preserved by Its Owners Reflect Early L. I. History." New York Times (1923-), Sep 26, 1971, pp. 1. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/historical-newspapers/manor-st-george-documents-preserved-owners/docview/119215592/se-2.

“Manor of St. George.” On This Site, 28 June 2020, https://www.jeremynative.com/onthissite/listing/manor-of-st-george 

“St George's Manor.” Long Island Parks, 25 Aug. 2022, https://liparks.com/park/st-georges-manor