Brewster is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Barnstable County,

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, United States, Barnstable County being coextensive with

Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer months. The ...

. The population of Brewster was 10,318 at the 2020 census. Initially settled in 1659, the Town of Brewster is named after Elder William Brewster, the religious leader of

Plymouth Colony Plymouth Colony (sometimes spelled Plimouth) was the first permanent English colony in New England from 1620 and the third permanent English colony in America, after Newfoundland and the Jamestown Colony. It was settled by the passengers on t ...

. Brewster is known as the "Sea Captain's Town" for its wealth of eighteenth and nineteenth century historic captain's homes, including the Cobb House (1799), the current home of the Brewster Historical Society. Brewster is also notable as the home of

Nickerson State Park Nickerson State Park is a public recreation area of more than located on Cape Cod in Brewster, Massachusetts, United States. The park's sandy soil and scrub pines surround many kettle ponds which are dependent on groundwater and precipitation. ...

, a 1,900 acre preserve carved out of the former hunting grounds of the prominent Nickerson Family. The impact of the Nickerson Family can be seen at the Nickerson Mansion, now the home of Ocean Edge Resort. Constructed in 1890, the structure known as Fieldstone Hall was considered one of the most expensive houses built in the country at that time. The town is a popular summer destination, with the town population increasing to 30,000. It also contains two National Historic Districts:

Brewster Old King's Highway Historic District The Brewster Old King's Highway Historic District is a historic district encompassing much of Massachusetts Route 6A and portions of some adjacent roads in Brewster, Massachusetts, which was known as the Old King's Highway during colonial time ...

and

Stony Brook–Factory Village Historic District The Stony Brook–Factory Village Historic District is a historic district encompassing one of largest and best-preserved industrial villages in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. It is centered on Stony Brook, a stream that flows north into C ...

, both listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. Brewster is twinned with the town of

Budleigh Salterton Budleigh Salterton is a seaside town on the coast in East Devon, England, south-east of Exeter. It lies within the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and forms much of the electoral ward of Budleigh, whose ward population at the ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

History

Early history

Indigenous settlement in Brewster took place on the north shore of the present-day town, with a Sauguatuckett farming area centered around the contemporary Stony Brook. Individual accounts subdivide the indigenous tribes of

pre-contact In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era, also known as the pre-contact era, or as the pre-Cabraline era specifically in Brazil, spans from the initial peopling of the Americas in the Upper Paleolithic to the onset of European col ...

Cape Cod, but any historians and researches today use the unifying term

Nauset The Nauset people, sometimes referred to as the Cape Cod Indians, were a Native American tribe who lived in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. They lived east of Bass River and lands occupied by their closely related neighbors, the Wampanoag. Although th ...

. Somewhere around 1,200 indigenous people populated Outer Cape Cod prior to 1617 pandemics, with this number reduced to 500 by 1621. The first permanent colonial settlement in Brewster centered around the Stony Brook area, part of the "Old Comers" or "Purchasers" grant of 1641. The land that now makes up Brewster was purchased in 1653 from Wano and his son Sachemas, leaders of the local Sauguatuckett. By this period, the Sauguatuckett held significant quantities of corn, beans, and squash which were at times for sale to English settlers. Brewster was first officially settled in 1656 as a northeastern parish of the town of

Harwich Harwich is a town in Essex, England, and one of the Haven ports on the North Sea coast. It is in the Tendring district. Nearby places include Felixstowe to the north-east, Ipswich to the north-west, Colchester to the south-west and Clacton-o ...

. However, at the turn of the eighteenth century, there were only seventeen known male settlers in what is now Brewster. Brewster's first settlers came from

Sandwich A sandwich is a Dish (food), dish typically consisting variously of meat, cheese, sauces, and vegetables used as a filling between slices of bread, or placed atop a slice of bread; or, more generally, any dish in which bread serves as a ''co ...

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

, and Eastham, as well as many arriving directly from

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. Throughout the 1700s, there were interspersed agricultural settlements throughout the area now known as Brewster. The Stony Brook gristmill remains as a testament to the early manufacturing activity at this site. In 1709, a public house and store existed, with a congregational church and meeting house first organized in 1700. By 1750, there were around 190 settlers living in the Brewster environs. The remaining indigenous population in Brewster consolidated around the southwestern corner of the town. Settlers and indigenous people alike utilized the abundant cornfields, as well as the natural resources of

Cape Cod Bay Cape Cod Bay is a large bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Measuring below a line drawn from Brant Rock in Marshfield to Race Point in Provincetown, Massachusetts, it is enclosed by Cape Cod to the south ...

. Substantial amounts of herring, or alewife, were, and continue to be, found in the Stony Brook area.

Nineteenth century

Brewster was officially incorporated as its own town in 1803 when the less wealthy citizens of Harwich were upset that the town's institutions were all concentrated on Brewster's Main Street, now Route 6A, including the town hall and churches. Brewster was named in honor of

Elder William Brewster William Brewster (c. 1566/67 – 10 April 1644) was an English official and ''Mayflower'' passenger in 1620. He became senior elder and the leader of Plymouth Colony, by virtue of his education and existing stature with those immigrating from ...

, the first religious leader of the Pilgrims at

. By this period, roughly 75% of town inhabitants were involved in shipping and maritime trades. Brewster captains invested an estimated $250,000 on merchant vessels, and a large saltworks was present on the shoreline of Cape Cod Bay during this period. In 1865, Brewster maintained 56 farms, the highest of any town on the Lower Cape aside from Orleans. At this time, Brewster also had the third highest number of cranberry bogs on the Cape, following Harwich and Dennis. Architecturally, Brewster blossomed during this period, with wealthy sea captains and commercial titans constructing

Italianate The Italianate style was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. Like Palladianism and Neoclassicism, the Italianate style combined its inspiration from the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century It ...

Greek Revival Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

, and Second Empire homes. The most emblematic structure of this period is Albert Crosby's 1888 Crosby Mansion, located on Crosby Lane.

Sites of historical interest

* Cape Cod Museum of Natural History * Stony Brook Grist Mill (1873) * Dillingham House (1660) * Nickerson Mansion (1906) * Old Higgins Farm Windmill (1795) * Crosby Mansion (1888)

Gallery

File:Brewster, Mass. Train Station.jpg,

Brewster Station Brewster station is a commuter rail stop on the Metro-North Railroad's Harlem Line, located in Brewster, New York, United States. A sizable amount of the station's ridership comes from across the Connecticut state line given the quicker trips, ...

, built by

Old Colony Railroad The Old Colony Railroad (OC) was a major railroad system, mainly covering southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island, which operated from 1845 to 1893. Old Colony trains ran from Boston to points such as Plymouth, Fall River, ...

in 1860s, demolished in 1930s File:Cliff Pond, Roland Nickerson State Park, Brewster, Mass (76203).jpg, Postcard featuring Cliff Pond in

File:VIEW FROM THE SOUTH - Captain Elijah Cobb House, Lower Road, Brewster, Barnstable County, MA HABS MASS,1-BREW,4-1.tif, Captain Elijah Cobb House, present home of Brewster Historical Society (1799) File:The c. 1795 Harris-Black House, preserved at Drummer Boy Park in Brewster on Massachusetts' Cape Cod, by Carol M. Highsmith, 2019, from the Library of Congress - master-pnp-highsm-57400-57404a.tiff, Harris Black House (1795) File:Captain Elijah Cobb.png, Captain Elijah Cobb, a Brewster sea captain File:The old Higgins Farm Windmill at Drummer Boy Park in the town of Brewster on Massachusetts' Cape Cod, by Carol M. Highsmith, 2019, from the Library of Congress - master-pnp-highsm-57400-57402a.tiff, Old Higgins Farm Windmill, on the National Register of Historic Place (1795)

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 10.07%, is water. Brewster is bordered on the north by

, on the west by

Dennis Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Christian saints named Dionysius. The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstatic states, particularly those produced by wine, which is some ...

, on the south by

, and on the east by Orleans. The town is usually separated into two villages, West and East Brewster, both of which comprise the

Brewster Brewster may refer to: People *Brewster (surname) *Brewster Kahle (born 1960), American computer technologist * Brewster H. Shaw (born 1945), American astronaut * Grace Brewster Hopper (born 1906), American computer scientist, mathematician, and ...

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

. Brewster is south of

Provincetown Provincetown () is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, in the United States. A small coastal resort town with a year-round population of 3,664 as of the 2020 United States census, Pr ...

, east of Barnstable, east of the

Sagamore Bridge The Sagamore Bridge in Sagamore, Massachusetts carries U.S. Route 6 in Massachusetts, Route 6 and the Claire Saltonstall Bikeway across the Cape Cod Canal, connecting Cape Cod with the mainland of Massachusetts. It is the more northeastern of t ...

, and southeast of

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. The town is bordered by the

Brewster Flats Cape Cod Bay is a large bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Measuring below a line drawn from Ocean Bluff-Brant Rock, Massachusetts, Brant Rock in Marshfield to Race Point Lighthouse, Race Point in Provinceto ...

, an extensive stretch of tidal sand flats to the north, along the shores of Cape Cod Bay. The town is home to the Roland C. Nickerson State Forest Park, the largest state forest on Cape Cod. The town has several large ponds, especially along the Harwich town line. There are several brooks throughout the town, all of which lead to Cape Cod Bay. The bay is home to several boat landings and beaches in the town. Brewster is home to the largest pond on Cape Cod, Long Pond. The Brewster-Harwich town line goes directly through the middle of the pond. Brewster's second largest pond is

Cliff Pond Cliff Pond is a kettle pond in Brewster, Massachusetts. It is the largest pond in Nickerson State Park and is quite popular with swimmers and fishermen in summer months. Cliff Pond was totally reclaimed in 1960 and, like many kettle ponds has ...

, located in Nickerson State Park. Both are popular destinations.

Climate

According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Brewster, Massachusetts has a warm-summer, wet year round,

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(''Dfb''). Dfb climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤ 32.0 °F (≤ 0.0 °C), at least four months with an average mean temperature ≥ 50.0 °F (≥ 10.0 °C), all months with an average mean temperature ≤ 71.6 °F (≤ 22.0 °C), and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. The average seasonal (November–April) snowfall total is approximately 30 inches (76 cm). The average snowiest month is February, which corresponds with the annual peak in

nor'easter A nor'easter (also northeaster; see below) is a large-scale extratropical cyclone in the western North Atlantic Ocean. The name derives from the direction of the winds that blow from the northeast. Typically, such storms originate as a low ...

activity. The

plant hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...

is 7a, with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 4.0 °F (−15.6 °C).

Ecology

According to the

A. W. Kuchler August William Kuchler (born ''August Wilhelm Küchler''; 26 July 1907 – 17 June 1999) was a German-born American geographer and naturalist who is noted for developing a plant association system that has become widely used in the United Sta ...

U.S.

Potential natural vegetation In ecology, potential natural vegetation (PNV), also known as Kuchler potential vegetation, is the vegetation that would be expected given environmental constraints (climate, geomorphology, geology) without human intervention or a hazard event ...

Types, Brewster, Massachusetts, would primarily contain a Northeastern

Oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

Pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

(''110'') vegetation type with a Southern

Mixed Forest Temperate broadleaf and mixed forest is a temperate climate terrestrial habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature, with broadleaf tree ecoregions, and with conifer and broadleaf tree mixed coniferous forest ecoregions. These ...

(''26'') vegetation form.

Transportation

U.S. Route 6 U.S. Route 6 (US 6) or U.S. Highway 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the United States Numbered Highway System. While it ...

passes through the southeastern corner of Brewster from southwest to northeast, as a

two-lane expressway A two-lane expressway or two-lane freeway is an limited-access road, expressway or controlled-access highway, freeway with only one lane (road), lane in each direction, and usually no Jersey barrier, median barrier. It may be built that way becau ...

with no exits in the town, although exits 78, 82, 85, and 89 (previously numbered exits 9 through 12) provide access to Brewster via other roads. The five other numbered highways in Brewster are all surface roads.

Massachusetts Route 6A Massachusetts Route 6A is the state road for two sections formerly known as U.S. Route 6 (US 6) on Cape Cod. Most of Route 6A is also known as the Old King's Highway. Combining the 2 major sections (and a "silent" concurrency with US& ...

passes through the town from east to west as Main Street through the town center. Routes 124 and

137 137 may refer to: *137 (number) *137 BC *AD 137 *137 (album), an album by The Pineapple Thief *137 (MBTA bus) *137 (New Jersey bus) 137 may refer to: *137 (number) *137 BC *AD 137 *137 (album), an album by The Pineapple Thief *137 (MBTA bus) Th ...

both have a northern terminus along Route 6A in town; short portions of Routes 28 and 39 also pass through the southeastern corner of town (the portion of 28 is less than long, and is actually signed as crossing from Harwich directly into Orleans). Brewster has one stop light (blinking red light, four-way stop) at the intersection of Harwich Road (Route 124) and Long Pond Road (Route 137). There is no rail or air service in the town. The

Cape Cod Rail Trail The Cape Cod Rail Trail (CCRT) is a paved rail trail located on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. The trail route passes through the towns of Yarmouth, Massachusetts, Yarmouth, Dennis, Massachusetts, Dennis, Harwich, Massachusetts, Harwich, Brewster, ...

, as well as several other bicycle trails, pass through the town. The nearest public airfield is in Chatham ( Chatham Municipal, CQX); the nearest regional airport is

Barnstable Municipal Airport Cape Cod Gateway Airport , also known as Boardman/Polando Field and formerly known as Barnstable Municipal Airport, is a public airport located on Cape Cod, north of the central business district of Hyannis, in Barnstable County, Massachu ...

(HYA), and the nearest national and international air service is at

Logan International Airport General Edward Lawrence Logan International Airport — also known as Boston Logan International Airport — is an international airport located mostly in East Boston and partially in Winthrop, Massachusetts, United States. Covering , it has ...

in Boston.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 10,094 people, 4,124 households, and 2,853 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 7,339 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.24%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.76%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.23% Native American, 0.76% Asian, 0.03%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.35% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.06% of the population. There were 4,124 households, out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.8% were non-families. Of all households, 24.8% were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.79. In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.9% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 21.5% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 26.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $49,276, and the median income for a family was $57,174. Males had a median income of $41,407 versus $33,388 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $24,638. About 1.6% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Brewster is represented in the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into ...

as a part of the First Barnstable District, along with Dennis and a portion of Yarmouth. The town is represented in the

Massachusetts Senate The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the st ...

as a part of the Cape and Islands District, which includes all of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket except the towns of Bourne, Falmouth, Sandwich and a portion of Barnstable. The town is patrolled by the Second (Yarmouth) Barracks of Troop D of the

Massachusetts State Police The Massachusetts State Police (MSP) is an agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, responsible for law enforcement and vehicle regulation across the state. As of 2024, it has 2,500 sworn troop ...

. On the national level, Brewster is a part of

Massachusetts's 9th congressional district Massachusetts's 9th congressional district is located in eastern Massachusetts. It is represented by Democrat Bill Keating. With a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of D+6, it is the least Democratic district in Massachusetts, a state with an al ...

, and is currently represented by William Keating. The state's senior (Class II) member of the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

, elected in 2012, is

Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth Ann Warren (née Herring; born June 22, 1949) is an American politician and former law professor who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from the state of Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A mem ...

. The junior (Class I) senator, elected in 2013, is

Edward Markey Edward John Markey (born July 11, 1946) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from the state of Massachusetts, a seat he has held since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served 20 terms (18 full, two pa ...

. Brewster is governed by the

open town meeting Town meeting, also known as an "open town meeting", is a form of local government in which eligible town residents can directly participate in an assembly which determines the governance of their town. Unlike representative town meeting where ...

form of government, led by an executive secretary and a

board of selectmen The select board or board of selectmen is commonly the Executive (government), executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms. Three ...

. The town has its own police and fire departments. The fire department is located on Route 6A near the terminus of Route 137, while the police station is located about a half mile away on Route 124. There is a single post office near the geographic center of town, as well as the Brewster Ladies' Library, a 50,000-volume library which is a part of the

Cape Libraries Automated Materials Sharing The Cape Libraries Automated Materials Sharing (CLAMS) library network is a non-profit consortium of 35 member libraries and 38 locations throughout Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. Since it was founded in 1988, the number of items av ...

(CLAMS) library network. The Long Pond Medical Center, located just over the Harwich line at the intersection of Routes 6 and 137, serves the medical needs of the town, as well as the southeastern corner of the Cape.

Education

Brewster is a member of the Nauset Regional School District, along with the towns of Eastham, Orleans and Wellfleet. The town operates the Stony Brook Elementary School, which serves students from kindergarten through second grade, and the Eddy Elementary School, which serves students in third through fifth grades. Middle school students typically attend Nauset Middle School in Orleans, although the Cape Cod Lighthouse Charter School in East Harwich is an alternative choice. High school students attend

Nauset Regional High School Nauset Regional High School is an NEASC accredited secondary education in the United States, high school located in Eastham, Massachusetts, United States and a part of Nauset Public Schools. Nauset is inside the Cape Cod National Seashore, makin ...

in North Eastham. Additionally, the town's high school students may attend

Cape Cod Regional Technical High School Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, also known as Cape Tech, Cape Cod Tech, Lower Cape Tech, and sometimes abbreviated as CCT, is a public vocational and technical high school located in Harwich, Massachusetts, United States. Cape Cod Regi ...

in neighboring Harwich free of charge. There are also two private schools, The Family School and The Laurel School, both of which serve elementary students. The Sea Pines School operated in town from 1907 to 1972. ''See also'': Brewster (CDP), Massachusetts

Points of interest

* Brewster Conservation Trust Walking Trails * Brewster Historical Society Museum * Brewster Ladies' Library * Cape Cod Museum of Natural HIstory * Factory Village * First Parish Brewster * Stony Brook Grist Mill

Sports and recreation

Brewster is home to the

Brewster Whitecaps The Brewster Whitecaps are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Brewster, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Whitecaps play their home games at Stony Bro ...

, an amateur

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

team in the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...

. The team plays at Stony Brook Field, and has featured dozens of players who went on to careers in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

, such as

Aaron Judge Aaron James Judge (born April 26, 1992) is an American professional baseball right fielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is a six-time MLB All-Star and two-time American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Award (MVP ...

Billy Wagner William Edward Wagner (born July 25, 1971), nicknamed "Billy the Kid", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Boston ...

, and

Chase Utley Chase Cameron Utley (born December 17, 1978) is an American former professional baseball second baseman who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 16 seasons, primarily for the Philadelphia Phillies. He also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers. ...

. Brewster beaches, from east to west on the Cape Cod Bay are: Crosby Landing, Linnell Landing, Ellis Landing, Point of Rocks Landing, Breakwater Beach, Saint's Landing, Mant's Landing (Robbins Hill Beach), and Paines Creek Beach. In addition to the beaches on the northside, there are numerous important recreation areas in the town. The Drummer Boy Park on Route 6A has walking trails, picnic areas, playground, and an 18th-century windmill, the Old Higgins Farm Windmill, and blacksmith shop. Several hiking trails leave the Natural History museum, with the John Wing Trail going over a salt marsh boardwalk to Wing Island and the beach on Cape Cod Bay. At

, there are of open woodland, nearly of biking trails that can be hiked as well, and hiking trails around several ponds. Punkhorn Parklands also has thousands of acres of protected woodland with many hiking trails, the one to Eagle Point being particularly popular. Smaller conservation areas are available for hiking throughout the town.

Notable associations

In July 1888,

Helen Keller Helen Adams Keller (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968) was an American author, disability rights advocate, political activist and lecturer. Born in West Tuscumbia, Alabama, she lost her sight and her hearing after a bout of illness when ...

and her teacher,

Anne Sullivan Anne Sullivan Macy (born as Johanna Mansfield Sullivan; April 14, 1866 – October 20, 1936) was an American teacher best known for being the instructor and lifelong companion of Helen Keller.Herrmann, Dorothy. ''Helen Keller: A Life'', Alfre ...

, visited Brewster. In the photo, Helen is shown cradling a doll. The photograph was discovered almost 120 years after it was taken. The mother of the man who provided the photograph was Helen's playmate at the Elijah Cobb House.

Minnie Riperton Minnie Julia Riperton (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979) was an American soul singer and songwriter best known for her 1974 single " Lovin' You", her five-octave vocal range, and her use of the whistle register. Born in 1947, Riperton grew ...

's song "Alone in Brewster Bay" refers to when Riperton and her husband, producer Dick Rudolph, vacationed on Cape Cod during the early 1970s, prior to the release of her 1975 hit single, "

Lovin' You "Lovin' You" is a song recorded by American singer Minnie Riperton from her second studio album, '' Perfect Angel'' (1974). It was written by Riperton and her husband, Richard Rudolph, produced by Rudolph and Stevie Wonder, and released as the ...

". Samuel M. Nickerson, president of the

First National Bank of Chicago First Chicago Bank was a Chicago, United States-based retail and commercial bank tracing its roots to 1863, when it received one of the first charters under the then new National Bank Act. Over the years, the bank operated under several names inc ...

, was one of the most influential business leaders of the time. Nickerson's shares in First National Bank were sold for $2.1M, according to ''The New York Times'' dated September 29, 1899. The syndicate that purchased the shares included

J. P. Morgan John Pierpont Morgan Sr. (April 17, 1837 – March 31, 1913) was an American financier and investment banker who dominated corporate finance on Wall Street throughout the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. As the head of the banking firm that ...

E. H. Harriman Edward Henry Harriman (February 20, 1848 – September 9, 1909) was an American financier and railroad executive. Early life Harriman was born on February 20, 1848, in Hempstead, New York, the son of Orlando Harriman Sr., an Episcopal clergy ...

and

Marshall Field Marshall Field (August 18, 1834January 16, 1906) was an American entrepreneur and the founder of Marshall Field's, Marshall Field and Company, the Chicago-based department stores. His business was renowned for its then-exceptional level of qua ...

. The Nickerson summer house, Fieldstone Hall in Brewster, is now a

condominium A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership regime in which a building (or group of buildings) is divided into multiple units that are either each separately owned, or owned in common with exclusive rights of occupation by individual own ...

resort called Ocean Edge. In a 2011 episode of '' Who Do You Think You Are?'',

Ashley Judd Ashley Tyler Ciminella, known professionally as Ashley Judd (born April 19, 1968), is an American actress and activist. She grew up in a family of performing artists, the daughter of country music singer Naomi Judd and the half-sister of country ...

traced her direct lineage back to William Brewster, the town's namesake.

References

External links

Town of Brewster official website

Brewster Chamber of Commerce tourist information
{{Authority control 1656 establishments in Plymouth Colony Populated coastal places in Massachusetts Populated places established in 1656 Towns in Barnstable County, Massachusetts Towns in Massachusetts