Ridge Bankruptcy Attorney

The Longwood Estate

In 1693, William “Tangier” Smith, who owned a homestead in Setauket, was granted permission to purchase a large tract of land on the South Shore of Long Island as recognition for his role as mayor of Tangier in Africa. This land, known as Manor St. George, spanned from the Carmans River (then called the Connecticut River) in the west to the edge of the town of Southampton in the east, encompassing approximately 81,000 acres (330 km2) of land. He established his manor seat on the South Shore in present-day Mastic, while the northern part, which is now the south side of Ridge, was referred to as “The Swamp” or “Longswamp.” A house was not constructed at Longswamp until after the American Revolution. In 1817, William Sydney Smith inhabited the house and renamed it Longwood.

By 1955, what remained of William Smith’s original manor was mainly located in Ridge and was surrounded by the growing Brookhaven National Laboratory and increasingly populated areas. Longwood’s 750 acres (300 ha) came into the possession of Elbert Clayton Smith, who promptly relocated his family from California to live there. He was notably generous to his new community, donating 51 acres (21 ha) to the school board for the construction of Longwood High School and 6 acres (2.4 ha) to the Middle Island Presbyterian Church. In 1967, Elbert Smith passed away, and the Longwood Estate was divided into housing developments and nearly demolished until there was enough outcry for preservation. Consequently, the house and 35 acres (14 ha) of land were given to the Town of Brookhaven in 1974. The Smith Estate was subsequently added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

Randallville

In 1738, the northern part of Ridge was settled by Samuel Randall, a widower from North Stonington, Connecticut. He, along with his only son Stephen Randall and their descendants, farmed a 4,000-acre (1,600 ha) plot of land that Samuel had always referred to as “the Ridge” due to its geographical terrain. Initially named “Randallville”, Ridge became the chosen name for postal delivery by its residents. The Randall burial plot, located near the William Floyd Parkway, contains the grave of Lt. Stephen Randall (1736–1818), a patriot of the American Revolution and a veteran of the Battle of Long Island in the Suffolk County Militia. The plot also includes the graves of Randall’s wife Elizabeth Swezey (1747–1834) and several descendants.