'Whisper' The Bull Has Watched Over Smithtown For 80 Years

SMITHTOWN, NY — The "Whisper" the Bull statue in Smithtown celebrated its 80th birthday on Monday.

The statue was first unveiled to the people of Smithtown on May 10, 1941.

Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim and the town administration joined with state, county and local elected officials; Smithtown Historical Society; and the direct descendants of Richard "Bull" Smith: Nissequogue Mayor Richard Smith and cousin, Jennifer Smith.

"Our hope is that parents will share with their children this little piece of our history today, maybe even share in some fond memories," Wehrheim stated via news release. "Whisper has not had it easy. He’s survived more than a few car accidents, several teenage pranks; including some folks up here with us today … when they were younger of course. In my former career as parks director, I could attest to the fact that poor Whisper has been through a lot in his 80 years in Smithtown. So let’s give Whisper a day of praises and good wishes as he continues to watch over the Community."

Lawrence Smith Butler, a descendent of Richard Smith, originally proposed the idea of the statue to his friend, Long Island sculptor Charles Cary Rumsey. Whisper was originally designed in France by Rumsey. The casting of the statue was completed in 1923. The bull was brought to the United States where it first stood for some time in front of the Brooklyn Museum before it was placed in storage.

When Rumsey died, his heirs donated the statue to the Town of Smithtown. In 1941, Butler swayed the Smithtown Town Board to construct a concrete pedestal and raised the $1,750 needed to cover the cost of the move. Butler arranged for the transport of the 14-foot, 5-ton bronze bull, by way of trucking and rail. On May 10, 1941, the daughter of sculptor Charles Cary Rumsey, Mary Rumsey, presented the statue to the people of Smithtown, set on its pedestal at the Head of the Nissequogue River.

"Many thanks to Laurence Butler," said Richard Smith, Nissequogue mayor and direct descendant of Richard 'Bull' Smith. "It was his friend; Charles Rumsey, who crafted this bull. It’s been a welcome site to all of us who live here as well as all who visit Smithtown. I also want to give a special thanks to Supervisor Ed Wehrheim, his entire team, and to Joe Arico and the Parks Department. They work so hard every day, doing an incredible job maintaining this statue and our beautiful parks and grounds."

Town Historian Bradly Harris reminded everyone during the ceremony that "Bull" Smith got the deed for the land now known as Smithtown from his friend, Lion Gardiner. While the legendary story behind Richard Smith’s bull ride may be mere folklore, the iconic statue remains a prominent piece of historic artwork in the township, the town stated.

In 2019, the town completed renovations to "Whisper" the Bull. Revitalization efforts included the restoration of the concrete base, a new freestanding wall, complete with a "Town of Smithtown" sign, landscaping, and energy-efficient lighting. The Town Parks Department is expected to add seasonal plantings around the bull later in May.

James Cress Florist in Smithtown created and donated the bow placed on the monument to commemorate the occasion.