Smith/de/Zafra House

With its carefully preserved colonial architecture, unique history, and fabled owners, the Timothy Smith/deZafra House has few rivals as one of the most unique homes in the area.

Thought to be built sometime between 1695-1710, this was one of a series of farmhouses built by early settlers along the creek running to the Setauket Mill Pond.  The house was originally of a salt box design with a long sloping rear roof.  Post and beams were used in the framing, and two-foot wide floor boards can be found throughout the interior. In the mid-1800’s the ‘catslide’ rear roof was raised to provide more living space on the second floor. A massive chimney serves five fireplaces, and the kitchen has a rare beehive fireplace with an arched brick opening.  To the rear of the property there is a granary and a small cemetery.

The house was built by the descendants of Arthur and Martha Smith, who moved here from Southold in 1659.  From 1738 to 1788, Smith family members served colonial Brookhaven as town clerks and the house became the seat of Town government.  It was during this time that colonists called the Smith home “The House on the Hill.” During the Revolutionary War, British troops suspected Timothy Smith of anti-Loyalist activities, and often raided this house.  Cleverly, Timothy Smith placed a broken musket above the main fireplace as a decoy, while functioning weapon were hidden under nearby flagstones.

Remarkably, the Smith’s family ownership of the house extended for two and a half centuries, until 1948. In the 1960’s, noted Broadway dancer and choreographer Forest Bonshire acquired the property and the house became a frequent retreat for the Hollywood glitterati.  In 2014, Dr. Robert deZafra bought the property for the expressed purpose of historical preservation.  A renowned scientist, philanthropist and civic activist, Robert deZafra was also a founding member of the Three Village Community Trust.  He singlehandedly started the laborious restoration of the house until his death in 2018.  His wife, Dr. Julia deZafra, made the property available to the Three Village Community Trust for a nominal price and financed the continuation of the restoration process.

Today, The House on the Hill is an important landmark honoring the long and fascinating history, architecture, and people of the Three Village community.