Employing elements of Queen Anne style, as it was used in the United States, the Dorothy Valentine Smith House was constructed in 1893-95 for John Frederick Smith, Dorothy Smith’s father. Significant features characteristic of the style include the offset rear window, wrap-around porch, tall chimney, ornamental shingles in the peaks of the gables and decoratively glazed window sash.
The Smith House bears a complementary relationship to the adjacent John King Vanderbilt House (1197 Clove Road) built in 1836, which, although using a different stylistic source, has many similarities in facade elevations and plan. Dorothy Smith, like her father, was involved in many civic and social service organizations, and was a staunch guardian of Staten Island’s history.