On behalf of our village government, let me welcome you to the Village of Head of the Harbor.

Head of the Harbor is governed by a board of trustees composed of a mayor and four trustees, each of whom is elected for a two-year term. The terms are staggered and elections are held annually. As with most of our village family, they serve without compensation. The trustees are advised and assisted by many other residents who serve on the village boards and committees. We welcome all residents to familiarize themselves with the village and to participate fully in the life of this historic and beautiful residential community.

The board of trustees meets in a public session at the village hall, usually on the third Wednesday of each month except August. The trustees enact village ordinances, establish the budget, authorize the expenditure of village funds, and approve the mayors appointments of residents as members of village boards and committees. Public Notices of hearings for village governing bodies are posted on this web-site and published in the Smithtown News.

Our beautiful village, situated on Stony Brook Harbor on the north shore of Long Island, is characterized by a distinguished architectural history. In 1845, Joel Smith (1819-1876), a great-great-great grandson of Richard "Bull" Smith, built the federal style mansion Deepwells that stands across Route 25A from village hall. A short distance from Deepwells is Box Hill, the summer home of the famous architect, Stanford White (1853-1906). A significant number of homes in the village are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Since its founding in 1928, the village government and residents have repeatedly made special efforts to maintain the natural charm of Head of the Harbor. For all intents and purposes, Stony Brook Harbor looks much the same as it did in the late 19^th century. Local residents have the benefit of walking the extensive trails in the Avalon Nature Conservancy on Shep Jones Lane.

Our legacy of environmental concern is a strong one. One of the first village ordinances was enacted to prevent the injury or destruction of trees. The village trustees have conducted vigorous campaigns to prevent the unnecessary dredging and pollution of Stony Brook Harbor, most of which lies within village boundaries. And the village Historic Preservation Law adopted in 1999 serves to preserve the architectural treasures that adorn our properties.