Shown (from left) are John and Cristofer Damianos, principals of Damianos Realty Group LLC.Smithtown, NY The town’s founder Richard Smith, for the first time, has been immortalized in bronze, thanks to the Damianos Realty Group LLC.
A statue of Smith, also known as Smythe, commissioned last summer by Damianos Realty to commemorate the town’s 350th anniversary, was unveiled at a ceremony on September 19th on the lawn in front of the Damianos-owned office building at 180 E. Main St. at the intersection of Rte. 111. The sculpture stands about a mile east of a bronzed statue of Whisper the Bull, that, according to legend, Smith rode when he first surveyed the town’s boundaries.
Cristofer Damianos, a principal of Damianos Realty and a longtime resident, unveiled the $300,000 statue with his brother John Damianos, congressman Lee Zeldin, Suffolk County executive Steve Bellone, town supervisor Patrick Vecchio, Village of the Branch mayor Mark Delaney, town historian Brad Harris, chamber of commerce president Mark Mancini and Smith’s descendants.
“It’s important that we honor Richard Smith,” Damianos said. “Here was a person who laid eyes on this land and said this is a great, great place. It’s still true, 350 years later.”
The statue, created by Brooklyn-based StudioEIS, is a life-size bronze likeness of Smith, depicted with the town’s patent—the deed to the land given to him by Lyon Gardiner— in his left hand and gesturing with his right hand out at the land.
Because no likeness of Smith, who died in 1692, could be found, the sculptors, known for creating historical sculptures, including those at Philadelphia’s Constitution Hall and other national museums, researched the Smith family tree as far back as the 18th Century, to make statue was as realistic as possible. The sculptors also reached out to the Smithsonian Institution to ensure that the statue’s garb was historically accurate.
“I am truly honored that I have the opportunity to celebrate with you today as we commemorate the 350th anniversary of the Town of Smithtown,” said Bellone. “How appropriate is it that we celebrate this occasion with the unveiling of a bronze statue of the founder of Smithtown, Richard Smith. I thank Cristofer and John Damianos and Damianos Realty for their generosity and long-standing commitment to the Town of Smithtown and the Long Island region.”
Vecchio said, “The generosity of the Damianos’ family is beyond words. The statute of Richard Smith adds another dimension to commemorate Smithtown’s history. The majestic bull greets us at the western end of town and now Richard Smith will greet us at the east end. We in Smithtown could not be more grateful to Cris and John Damianos and family.”
Damianos Realty Group LLC, a family owned enterprise founded in 1968, is one of Long Island’s largest developers and owners of commercial real estate with a portfolio of office buildings, shopping centers, industrial buildings and warehouses that totals more than 1 million square feet. The company’s holdings in Smithtown include office buildings at 180, 222, 240, 260, and 285 Middle Country Rd. and 50 Rte. 111 and an industrial building at 620 Middle Country Rd.