Originally part of the estate of Caleb Smith (1724–1800), the great grandson of Richard "Bull" Smith, the house was built in 1753 with his father Daniel Smith II. Although it has undergone many renovations, much of the original house still stands within the present building.[5] The house was moved in either 1955 or 1958 to a plot of land behind the Smithtown Main Public Library in the Village of the Branch, New York.[6]
Throughout the 19th century, the original house was expanded considerably. By 1888 it was bought by the Brooklyn Gun Club, and converted into a sportsman's hunting and fishing preserve. The property was named the "Wyandanch Club" in 1893. In 1963, it was acquired by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
The 548-acre (2.22 km2) park[8] is managed primarily as a nature preserve, and offers space for passive recreation such as hiking, fishing, and cross-country skiing. The park also offers recreation programs, a nature museum with wildlife displays, and a nature trail.[9]
Two branches of the Nissequogue River pass through the park, which also includes the Wyandanch Club Historic District.
^"Section O: Environmental Conservation and Recreation, Table O-9". 2014 New York State Statistical Yearbook(PDF). The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government. 2014. p. 671. Archived from the original(PDF) on September 16, 2015. Retrieved April 9, 2016.
