Fort Salonga property nominated for federal and state historic registers

An early 20th century Fort Salonga property, previously eyed for development, is under consideration for state and federal landmark status.

The Edmund Wetmore Estate, called Owl Hill, was among 19 properties the New York State Board for Historic Preservation recommended adding to both the State and National Register of Historic Places.

The 27.6-acre property on Sunken Meadow Road contains a 2.5-story, 12-room mansion built in 1907. The mansion combines “an eclectic mix of Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, Shingle, and Arts and Crafts styles," according to an application submitted to the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The mansion was built for Edmund Wetmore, a prominent New York City attorney who specialized in patent law, according to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Architect Henry Killam Murphy designed the estate for Wetmore.

Murphy, an American architect, contributed substantially to the infrastructure of China: His work blended Eastern and Western design modes, a style he called “adaptive architecture,” according to a parks department news release.

Earlier plans for development

The property had previously been planned for development. In 2024, the Smithtown planning board granted developer and property owner Owl Hill Estates and Preserve LLC approval to subdivide the property into 18 lots, Newsday reported. The subdivisions were proposed for single-family homes. Plans called for a 725-foot cul-de-sac and a 1.9-acre recharge basin to collect stormwater runoff. The development would have been among the largest residential subdivisions to be built in the Town of Smithtown in recent memory.

Residents and local groups opposed developing the property, arguing the size of the lots and number of proposed homes was too large.

In May 2024, Suffolk County officials and the property owner said they were finalizing a deal for the county to purchase the land.

Suffolk recently completed the purchase, Legis. Sal Formica (R-Commack) said in a statement. Formica noted he had recently toured the property to “further conversations regarding the path forward, with many exciting visions being discussed.”

Placement on the registries would boost efforts to "not only preserve the mature woodlands and the various wildlife habitats, but also to further creative use of the Main House and several other historic structures on the 27 acre site,” Formica said.

'Charm and beauty'

In March, Joel Friedman, president of the Harvard Club of Long Island, wrote a letter of recommendation urging the property's placement on the state and national registers.

In his letter, Friedman noted the contributions of Wetmore, an 1860 graduate of Harvard College. He wrote that Wetmore had "passionately advocated for historic preservation, parks, education and libraries."

Wetmore represented inventors' interests in critical patent cases, Friedman wrote. Those included the Wright Brothers' "flying machine" and the "incandescent lamp" from Westinghouse.

The application noted that the Owl Hill property was a "rare, intact example of an early-career project that represents Murphy’s adaptation of the Colonial Revival and other period styles in the context of Smithtown and Long Island."

The application concluded: "The Edmund Wetmore Estate mansion, library, and preserve, now in the care of Suffolk County, continues Murphy’s vision for Wetmore’s 'Country House,' that provided, in Wetmore’s words, 'the charm and beauty of seaside and ... woods and books,' that Wetmore believed, 'implies a great deal.' "