Mills Pond House

 
The noted New York City architect, Calvin Pollard, designed the Greek Revival Mills Pond house in 1838 for William Wickham Mills. Like his client, Pollard was born in 1797 and was raised in upstate New York, but found success in the big City. Mills descended from a long line of wealthy Long Island farmers who gave the name Mills Pond to an area known to the Indians as Cuttscunsuck ("two small ponds"). Mills Pond House preserves the locality's name, but departs from tradition in other respects. Its high-style Grecian design is unusual on Long Island and the hand of an accomplished architect is nearly unique at this early date. Pollard's influence is seen in the use of imported materials: Albany boards, Carolina yellow pine, English glass, Connecticut stone, and Santo Domingan mahogany. Even the silvered hardware, decorative plaster, and carpeting were bought in New York City shops. William Wickham Mills died in 1865 and his home descended in the family until its gift to the Town of Smithtown in 1976. Since that time it has been home to the Smithtown Township Arts Council who uses the magnificent facility to promote the arts to protect and enrich its township’s unique quality of life.
 
Adaptation of Mills Pond House for public use has introduced modern mechanical systems to the structure without impairing its historic integrity. Gallery lighting and handicapped access, for example, have been designed to complement the original building. Notable among the ca. 1838 Grecian details are the gold-veined marble mantelpieces and front and rear stoopssupported by wooden Doric columns. The tall parlor mirrors in the main galleries were purchased in the New York City shop of Hudson & Smith in 1842; although one is lightly larger than the other Mills was assured that "the eye will not detect the difference in size."
 
Mills Pond House is home to a year-round art gallery, dedicated to showcasing the artistic development and achievements of our region and the nation. Our exhibitions provide diverse art experiences for individuals and reach our local communities through classes, special events and community outreach programs that focus on active and collaborative learning through the medium of art. By exhibiting historical and contemporary works of art from local to national sources, we bring arts and people together to discover, enjoy, and understand the nation’s rich and diverse artistic heritage.

The gallery offers ten exhibition opportunities each year, artists from almost every state in the nation have exhibited with us over the past 37 years. Guest jurors contribute to the critical dimension of the selected works in the gallery, providing a venue for artists working in a wide variety of media and subject.
 
Smithtown Township Arts Council presents a wide variety of cultural programming and arts education services to Suffolk communities.
 
 
Smithtown Township Arts Council is a recognized 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization, classified as a public charity under sections 509(a)(1) and 170(b)(1 )(A)(vi) of the Internal Revenue Code.