Brad Harris – Town Historian, Educator, Politician, Activist and More
Brad Harris is a familiar name around the hamlet of Smithtown. His notoriety has been well-earned, Harris is the official Town Historian and has been for decades.
He arrived for his Interview with the Smithtown Today relaxed in a Hawaiian shirt with the good tan of a man who enjoys being outdoors around his bucolic town.
“Mr. Vecchio appointed me as the Town Historian, it was his prerogative as Supervisor to do so and he did it in 1978 and he has continued to appoint me to the position every time he is elected,” shared Harris.
A former High School Social Studies Teacher in the Commack School district where he taught for thirty years, Harris was always deeply involved in the Smithtown community.
“My contact with history in the town was with the Smithtown Branch Preservation Association, at the time I was involved with them and Yens Christiansen headed it up,” he explained.
The Smithtown Historical Society was a separate organization at that time but today the Smithtown Branch Preservation Association is now defunct as the two groups merged sometimes in the 1980’s.
HARRIS THE POLITICIAN
“I ran for public office in 1979 and was elected as a Councilman and began in 1980,” he said. Harris served for twelve years, he was re-elected for three more terms. At that time, Council people served four year terms and the Supervisor served a two-year term.
“I was a Democrat in a Republican Town and I got involved through Mr. Vecchio (Town of Smithtown Supervisor Patrick Vecchio) more than anything else,” he added.
Landslide was a word never uttered in that historic race. On the ticket with Vecchio and Joel Ziegler, election results did not come in on the evening of the race. The Suffolk County Board of Elections refused to declare anyone a winner until they recounted the votes.
“When the smoke cleared I was leading the pack by 30 votes, next close to me Joan Frankie (R ticket), I beat her by 30 votes, right behind her was Joel Ziegler who lost by five votes,” stated the history buff.
There were several appeals and Harris was sworn in later than usual, later than the January 1st date. He said it might have even been in February looking back. “I joined Vecchio as the 2nd Democrat on a five-member board controlled by the Republicans,” he laughed.
He said to some extent the then board had a bipartisan working relationship, but they (then Republican members) still had their own agenda.
HISTORIC TOWN
The Town of Smithtown predates the country’s origin, last year celebrating its 350th Anniversary.
Harris kicked off the planning for Smithtown’s March 3, 2015, 350th Anniversary long before the ceremonial year that was full of many exciting events. Supervisor Vecchio started the process a year prior by sending a letter to Mr. Harris asking him to begin planning for a commemorative celebration. Supervisor Vecchio encouraged Mr. Harris to form a committee and start the planning, “It is my belief that the committee would need at least one year to calculate costs, consider types of events, group participation, etc.,” said the head of the town in a press release.
So Harris went forth and put together a non-profit called The Smithtown 350 Foundation, Inc. All volunteers, the Committee spent countless hours planning and running the many events. Smithtown’s Sesquarcentennial (350th anniversary) included a Beach Party with fireworks that drew an estimated twenty-thousand people. There was both the opening of a hard to find time capsule and the reburying of another. There was a run in inclement weather where joggers ran the mythological route that Bull Smythe, the founder of the town, was said to have ridden on his famed bull. Said bull ride was to ascertain the land covered in one day; legend has it that it was a deal he made with the indigenous people, The Nesaquake Indians.
As a former educator Harris was pleased that local school districts got involved in the big 350th Anniversary year as historical activities were funneled into the local school districts. Harris gives educator Maureen Smilow a big nod with her efforts in that regard.
“The 350th anniversary was quite exciting; it was a very busy year with our end objective to make people more aware of the town’s rich history,” he explained. The Town Historian said he was enormously happy to see so many young families coming out to the events. What was his favorite event? “Although privately funded and not done through the Foundation, it was the unveiling of the statue of Bull Smythe,” he shared. That statue can be seen at the corner of Main Street and Route 111 on the property of the benefactors, the Damianos family.
Decades back the Smithtown Historical Society ran a Civil War event at Epenetus Smith Tavern. They still have a day in May when they have school kids from all over Long Island and attend a Civil War Day – we get actors and show up in costume. They do demonstrations, battle techniques and stage a mock battle. The kids have an opportunity to be transported to the past.
A GREAT HONOR
“It was a great honor to be involved and be appointed Town Historian,” said Harris. He was still teaching full time and was an acting Councilman as well. Looking back, he said he was a pretty busy guy in those days.
When Harris began with the Society membership was approximately two hundred, however today there are about four-hundred and fifty members. “It’s very much an active historical society, it’s grown from an organization that was primarily interested the Smith family role in the founding of the town and its artifacts and buildings into an organization that leads a very active historical society,” he said proudly. Today the Smithtown Historical Society has archives stored in a few places, the Long Island Room is just one great place for people to find out about their town. Both the Smithtown Historical Society and the Smithtown Library run all types of history-based programs for adults and kids.
Harris says the energetic society runs many special events, just two weeks back there was a clam bake out on the edge of Nissequogue what used to be considered Little Africa and is now Schubert’s Beach (a town of Smithtown Beach).
He credits the new Director Maryann Howard a great deal for her innovative ideas and hard work. Having been in the office a little over a year, he said she’s constantly coming up with new ideas for the long-standing organization in the Revolutionary town.
Brad Harris has done a lot for the town he resides in and is an asset to his community but he is also a family man. Married for fifty years, he and Mrs. Harris have three grandchildren. One is twenty-six and the other two Jack and Sierra are eight and six respectively. He and his wife help out with the little ones as much as they can. The couple had them for two delightful weeks this summer.
MEMBERSHIP
“We always welcome new members at the Smithtown Historical Society, it’s not expensive to join and it’s a great way for residents to support their town,” he added.
With a farm to run complete with a horse and about thirteen sheep, the buildings owned by the Historical Society on Middle Country Road (including the old barn where many political meetings are held during election season) and the archives there is plenty of work to do for those who want to become active members.
To join the Smithtown Historical Society or for more information check out their comprehensive website: SmithtownHistorical.org
TOWN HISTORIAN – THE AUTHOR
Somewhere in his down time, Town Historian Brad Harris has penned two books, one is Images of America – Smithtown and that like his other book Smithtown Then and Now were aided by the talents of Kiernan Lannon and Joshua Ruff. Photographs by John Giacomo.
Both books are a must for history buffs and can be purchased through the Society.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Dozens of videos made by Town Historian Brad Harris can be found on YouTube. They take people on a fascinating journey through the history of the town in a much more broken down detailed way.
The Organization is digitally savvy with a facebook page and a website
EVENTS
Our Public Programming and Events offer year-round enrichment opportunities for the community. From two sets of lecture series, adult & children’s education programs and workshops, to barn dances, ethnic dinners, cultural festivals and heritage fairs, there is always something to discover, explore, and experience. Some calendar favorites include Art Market, Irish Heritage Night, Spring Farm Festival, Canoe Trip Benefit, Community Band Summer Concerts, Blues Festival, Heritage Fair, Heritage Ball, and Heritage Country Christmas. These programs are supported through dues, tax-deductible gifts of members, friends, and neighbors as well as by grants from private foundations, and state and local governments. We count on support from all who share our concerns and enthusiasm for the preservation of the past.