THE GAME BREEDER 



The Club House. 



THE WYANDANCH CLUB. 



By General Geo. W. Wingate. 



The Wyandanch Club was originally 

 the Brooklyn Gun Club, which was a 

 trap shooting club formed in July, 1872 ; 



it held its matches at Dexter's Park on 

 the Jamaica Road. It reorganized in 



1877 and again in 1884, was incorporated 

 on May 15, 1885, and its name was 

 changed to the Wyandanch Club on 

 March 11, 1893. 



In 1880 it decided to become a field 

 club and leased hunting and shooting 

 privileges near Smithtown, Long Island. 

 About 1883 it established a club house 

 at the old Phillips House between Phil- 

 lip's mill pond and the railroad trestle, 

 which it occupied until December, 1888. 

 Its shooting privileges, at first moderate 

 in extent, were increased from year to 

 year as additional facilities were ob- 

 tained. On March 31, 1888, it purchased 

 the Prime Farm, on which is the old 

 Theodorus Smith Mansion (constructed 

 in 1751), which it fitted up and has 

 since used as its club house. The title 

 goes back through patents from Gover- 



nors Nicolls and Andros to Richard 

 Smythe, "the Bull Rider," and even 

 back to the crown; supplemented by the 

 Indian grant from Wyandanch, the chief 

 of the Montauks, July 14, 1659, to Lyon 

 Gardner, "in consideration of the serv- 

 ice" of the latter in securing the release 

 of the old chief's daughter from captiv- 

 ity by the Pequots. 



The old mansion was largely recon- 

 structed, and two wings have been added 

 until it has become a spacious and com- 

 fortable building 95 feet long by 32 feet 

 deep, with an "L" 33 feet deep. It is 

 just the place needed by an active busi- 

 ness man who is interested in shooting, 

 fishing and open air recreation. The 

 club house contains large parlors, read- 

 ing and smoking rooms, a large dining 

 room, a billiard room and three baths. 

 There are 24 bedrooms in the additions 

 at the ends, which are leased to mem- 

 bers who united in constructing the 

 building in which they are contained. 

 There are also bedrooms in the main 



