Nissequogue, turning 100 in 2026, plans a yearlong celebration

Plans to celebrate the Village of Nissequogue’s 100-year anniversary are underway as officials hope to highlight some of the hamlet’s history while showcasing its scenic qualities.

The 3.6-square-mile North Shore v illage was founded in June 1926, but it holds a special historical place from centuries earlier: It was the site of the original Colonial settlement of the Town of Smithtown, according to the village’s official website.

It was in Nissequogue in 1665 that Richard Smith founded Smithtown using land that the engineer Lion Gardiner, along with Wyandanch, the sachem of the Montaukett Indian Nation, gave to Smith via a deed.

Nissequogue Mayor Richard Smith — who is the Town of Smithtown's historian and a descendant of the town's founder — hopes to highlight some of that storied past. 

“Given the village’s history, the founder of the town lived here, he raised his adult children here, this is really where Smithtown got started,” he said.

Smith said the village recently formed a committee to plan events and activities for the yearlong centennial celebration. It is  composed of several village officials including Police Chief John Valentine and historian Leighton H. Coleman III, and is still open for those who wish to join. The committee also is getting ready to roll out a calendar featuring historical and current pictures of Nissequogue, according to Smith.

Additionally, the village is hoping to have a summertime outdoor event for residents at Long Beach in the village, with food and music. Smith said the village would like to hold something else in June to coincide with the anniversary date of the village’s founding.

Cynthia Marsh, a village trustee on the centennial committee, said the panel is planning to solidify dates and other events in mid-January. Among them: a fun run, and involvement in the town’s summertime concert series. The village is also working with Knox School on visuals the village can use for the celebration and designing a holiday card for the end of 2026.

“We’re going to, each month, highlight things with interviews and pictures,” said Marsh, a village resident for roughly 30 years. “We’ll be trying to round up the things that people like about living here.”

Smith says the village has tried to maintain a semirural feel, something he also hopes to highlight in the coming year.

For Nancy Vallarella, 64, a village resident for more than 25 years, it was the quiet nature of Nissequogue that attracted her when she and her family moved there from Nassau County. She said she appreciates its woodsy, idyllic nature, and its proximity to Route 25A and its restaurants.

“The nature and dining experiences have been high on my list,” said Vallarella, who is on the board of the nonprofit Smithtown Children’s Foundation.

Vallarella said she hopes the village will consider making the foundation’s annual Polar Plunge part of its centennial festivities.

“I would love to see that grow. I think it’s kind of neat, and that not a lot of villages are doing it,” she said.