Visit to Saint George’s Manor

A cross-island motor tour of four properties that were once part of the Manor of St. George, originally covering 81,000 acres between Setauket on Long Island’s North Shore to Mastic on the Atlantic, founded 1691/3 by William “Tangier” Smith (1655–1705). Prior to his emigration to America, Smith was the last English administrator of the Crown Colony of Tangier, Morocco. He was Acting Governor of the Colony of New York from 1701 until his death.

The tour ran from at 10:00am to 3:00pm, starting and ending at the Three Village Inn, Stony Brook. Volunteer drivers met the 9:30am train at the Stony Brook LIRR train station, and returned to the station at tour’s end. A number of members also drove themselves. The itinerary included:

1. Visit to the Smith and Strong family cemetery on Strong’s Neck, the burial site of William “Tangier” Smith, founder of the Manor of Saint George.

2. Guided tour of the “New Manor” home of the Strong family at Strong’s Neck, Setauket, hosted by John Temple Strong, descendant of Anna Smith Strong, the leader of the Culper Spy Ring, and great-granddaughter of William “Tangier” Smith.

3. Guided tour of “Longwood”, the former home of Helen Tangier Smith, a founding member of the Order of Colonial Lords of Manors in America, hosted by Barbara Russell, the town historian of Brookhaven. This stop served as a sandwich lunch break, catered by Elegant Eating of Smithtown.

4. Guided tour of the house and grounds of the Fort/Manor of Saint George in Mastic, the former home of Eugenie Tangier Smith, hosted by Jeanne Devito, the site’s administrator. This was the site of a famous Revolutionary battle on November 23, 1780, led by Benjamin Tallmadge. Refreshments of iced tea and lemonade were served at the fort’s picnic area.