Brewster is a

village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

and the principal settlement within the

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 ...

Southeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, Radius, radially arrayed compass directions (or Azimuth#In navigation, azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A ''compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, ...

in Putnam County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The population was 2,508 at the 2020 census. The village, which is the most densely populated portion of the county, was named for two early farmer landowners, Walter and James Brewster, who donated land for the Brewster railroad station in 1848.Brewster Through the Years 1848–1948, H. Wolff Book Manufacturing Co., New York 1948

History

The village of Brewster derives its name from that of the landowner, Walter Brewster, who invited the

New York and Harlem Railroad The New York and Harlem Railroad (now the Metro-North Railroad's Harlem Line) was one of the first railroads in the United States, and was the world's first street railway. Designed by John Stephenson, it was opened in stages between 1832 and ...

to build a depot on his property in 1848. Brewster's Station, New York (sometimes just "Brewster's"), appeared on maps,''Beers 1867 Atlas''
"Atlas of New York and Vicinity from Actual Surveys by and Under the Direction of F. W. Beers, A. D. Ellis and G. G. Soule, New York 1867" on postcards, and in directories of Putnam County throughout the second half of the 19th century. It was officially incorporated as the Village of Brewster, New York, in 1894. In 1886, historian William Smith Pelletreau published ''The History of Putnam County, New York''. In his second chapter on the town of

, he wrote: "The land now

886 __NOTOC__ Year 886 (Roman numerals, DCCCLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * March – A wide-ranging conspiracy against Emperor Basil I, led by John Kourkouas (9t ...

embraced within the limits of the village of Brewster consists of a farm which was sold by the commissioners of forfeiture to Peleg Bailey, in 1781. A portion of it afterward passed into the possession of Bailey Howes, his grandson, who sold 98 acres to Gilbert Bailey on April 1, 1833. Two other tracts containing 39 acres were sold to Gilbert Bailey, by William P. Downs and Frederick Parks in 1838. On February 17, 1848, Gilbert Bailey sold the whole tracts, estimated at 134 acres, to James and Walter F. Brewster, for the sum of $8,000."''The History of Putnam County, New York. 1886''. Reprinted by the Landmarks Preservation Committee of the Southeast Museum, Brewster, New York, 1975. "At the time of the purchase, the

was finished and trains were running as far as Croton Falls. The road was surveyed as far as Pawling, and the prospect of its being continued to that point seemed certain, and to the new purchasers of the farm it seemed just the place for a station." "The New York and Harlem Railroad was finished to this place and the depot was built in that year, and what is now

the Main street was opened, for the purpose of allowing the stages from Danbury to come to the station. Previous to this the firm of Crosby and DeForest had run a line of four horse stages to Croton Falls, from Danbury. The first new house in the place was built by Walter F. Brewster, in 1850 and stood in front of the present

Methodist church." That house, now listed as the Walter Brewster House on the New York State and national historic registers, is owned by the Landmark Preservation Society of Southeast. "The Harlem Railroad's extension of its mileage in 1849 proved advantageous to Mr. Brewster, who needed all sorts of materials in his building activities. Large shipments were billed simply to 'Brewster's Station' for lack of better designation. This is the apparent origin of the village's name, which many years ago was shortened to Brewster."

Post offices

Jonathan F. Frost was the first Postmaster of the Brewster's Station post office, which operated from October 25, 1850, through April 28, 1883.''New York Postal History: The Post Offices and First Postmaster from 1775 to 1980'' by John L. Kay and Chester M. Smith Jr., American Philatelic Society, 1982 During this period in American history, post offices were frequently located in the stores or businesses owned by the individuals who served as postmasters. This held true in the village of Brewster for the next century. In 1863, the Brewster Station post office relocated to the A.F. Lobdell General Store, across from the railroad station, the present location of the Avery Building at 12–18 Main Street. Alexander F. Lobdell, the store's proprietor, was appointed postmaster by President Abraham Lincoln and was reappointed by Presidents Grant, Hayes, Garfield and Arthur, continuing as Brewster's postmaster until 1887.''The Town of Southeast 1788–1988'' Edited by Suzanne F. Truran, John J. Dunford, Priscilla A. Truran – Published by the Town of Southeast, 1990 The Brewster post office began operation on April 28, 1883, removing the word "Station" in its identity and postmarks. In 1887, the post office relocated to the Brewster Standard building, the present location of the Sprague Building at 31 Main Street. In 1886, Emerson W. Addis, publisher of the ''Brewster Standard'' weekly newspaper, became the postmaster and held that position until 1916. In 1916, the post office moved to new quarters on Park Street, between Main Street and Marvin Avenue, into the Rundall Building, and John Thorp became the new postmaster. In 1923, Ralph Diehl, proprietor of the Brewster Bakery, became postmaster, and the post office was moved to his baking plant on Progress Street in 1927. Howard Tuttle later became the postmaster, holding the position until 1934 when Seth Howes was appointed. In 1936, the post office relocated to the building now occupied by the Eagle Eye Thrift Shop at 65 Main Street. Mr. Howes held the office until 1958 when John F. Larkin Jr. was made acting postmaster. He was later promoted to the full title of postmaster. On July 17, 1966, the post office relocated to a new brick building on Main Street, where it remained for the next three decades. Mr. Larkin retired in 1972 and was succeeded by Earl Tuttle, who became the last Southeast resident to hold the position of postmaster since that time. Mr. Tuttle retired in 1985. The new facility was the first Brewster post office to occupy a space that was specifically designed for the purpose, rather than being retrofitted from some previous use. It had a separate lobby to house post office boxes, a loading dock at the rear of the building and a postal inspector's separate entrance and hallway with one-way glass for observing postal workers and the public. In the mid-1990s, the Main Street facility closed and a new post office opened at its present location at 3 Mount Ebo Road North outside the village limits in the town of Southeast. Although the new facility is more than from the center of Brewster, it still retains the designation and postmark "Brewster 10509".

"Brewster" vs. "Southeast"

Before 1962, there were several local post offices throughout the town of

, located near larger concentrations of residences and businesses. The last of these, Southeast's Putnam Lake post office, closed in 1968. When a new post office opened at 16 Main Street in Brewster on July 17, 1966, even before Interstate 84 and

Interstate 684 Interstate 684 (I-684) is a auxiliary Interstate Highway in the state of New York in the United States. There is also a short portion in Connecticut with no junctions. The highway connects I-84 with I-287 and the Hutchinson River Parkw ...

were constructed, it was named Brewster and given the zip code 10509.

Brewster Crossing

Urban renewal Urban renewal (sometimes called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address real or perceived urban decay. Urban renewal involves the clearing ...

plans for the Village of Brewster have been in the works for well over a decade. In 2011, a

blight Blight is a specific symptom affecting plants in response to infection by a pathogenic organism. Description Blight is a rapid and complete chlorosis, browning, then death of plant tissues such as leaves, branches, twigs, or floral organs. A ...

determination study was conducted to identify primary contributors to the community's decline and determine potential redevelopment strategies. The study revealed that 15% of the properties in the surveyed area were considered blighted. These findings prompted a transit-focused redevelopment plan, targeting five distinct subareas in need of improvement. The primary objectives of the plan are to transform underused and/or deteriorating properties into spaces for

retail Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is the sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholes ...

and

housing Housing refers to a property containing one or more Shelter (building), shelter as a living space. Housing spaces are inhabited either by individuals or a collective group of people. Housing is also referred to as a human need and right to ...

, thereby generating

economic activity Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analyse ...

and supporting the use of the Metro-North Brewster

train station A train station, railroad station, or railway station is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight, or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track, and a station building providing suc ...

. The project, officially dubbed ''Brewster Crossing'', has garnered support from many local residents. However, it has also been met with resistance from others, as it requires the acquisition & clearance of properties that are neither underused nor deteriorating. Long-standing food establishment, Bob's Diner, is one of many businesses slated for demolition. Other notable properties impacted include the Jack & Jill Pool Hall and A.F. Lobdell estate (c. 1860), in addition to other Victorian-era buildings. The anticipated completion date is set for 2027.

Geography

Brewster is located along the East Branch of the

Croton River The Croton River ( ) is a river in southern New York with a watershed area of , and three principal tributaries: the West Branch, Middle Branch, and East Branch. Their waters, all part of the New York City water supply system, join downstr ...

at (41.396050, −73.615954), near the center of the town of Southeast. U.S. Route 6 runs through the village as its Main Street.

U.S. Route 202 U.S. Route 202 (US 202) is a spur route of U.S. Route 2, US 2. It follows a northeasterly and southwesterly direction stretching from Delaware in the south to Maine in the north and traveling through the states of Pennsylvania, N ...

and

New York State Route 22 New York State Route 22 (NY 22) is a north–south state highway that parallels the eastern border of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, from the outskirts of New York City to the hamlet of Mooers (CDP), New York, Mooers i ...

run concurrently along the southern boundary of the village, and Interstate 84 passes just east of the village, intersecting

. The Brewster train station is on the

Harlem Line The Harlem Line is an commuter rail line owned and operated by the Metro-North Railroad in the U.S. state of New York. It runs north from New York City to Wassaic, in eastern Dutchess County. The lower from Grand Central Terminal to Southea ...

. 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 , all land.

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 2020, there were 2,508 people residing in Brewster. There were 701 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 55.98%

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, 36.61%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

, 2.59%

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 ...

, .42% Native American, 3.22% Asian, .04% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races.

Schools

* Brewster Central School District ** Brewster High School ** Henry H. Wells Middle School ** C. V. Starr Intermediate School ** John F. Kennedy Elementary School * Private schools ** Longview School ** Saint Lawrence O'Toole

Government

*Governor

Kathy Hochul Kathleen Hochul ( ; ; born August 27, 1958) is an American politician and lawyer who has served since 2021 as the 57th governor of New York. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, she is New York's List of female ...

since 2021 *US Senator Charles Schumer since 1999 *US Senator

Kirsten Gillibrand Kirsten Elizabeth Gillibrand (; ; born December 9, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States Senate, United States senator from New York (state), New York since 2009 ...

since 2009 *US Congressman

Mike Lawler Michael Vincent Lawler (born September 9, 1986) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 17th congressional district since 2023. From 2021 to 2022, he was a Republican member of the New York State Assembly fr ...

since 2023 *NY State Senator Peter Harckham since 2019 *NY State Assemblyman Matt Slater since 2023 *Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne since 2022 *Putnam County Legislator Paul E. Jonke (District 6) since 2017 *Putnam County Legislator Joseph F. Castellano (District 7) since 2013 *Mayor James Schoenig Since 2007 *Village Trustees: Christine Piccini, George Gaspar, Tom Boissonnault, Mary Bryde

Notable people

Athletes

* Mclain Ward (born 1975), equestrian * Shayna Levy (born 1997), Israeli soccer player

Entertainers

* Billy Jones (1889–1940), singer *

Marian Anderson Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897April 8, 1993) was an American contralto. She performed a wide range of music, from opera to spirituals. Anderson performed with renowned orchestras in major concert and recital venues throughout the United S ...

(1897–1993), contralto singer * Glenda Farrell (1904–1971), actress * Herbert Gehr (1910–1983), American TV director and photographer * Donald Symington (1925–2013), actor * Ava Fabian (born 1962), model and actress * Joe Rubbo (born 1963), actor and TV producer *

Michael Imperioli Michael Imperioli (born March 26, 1966) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti in the HBO crime drama series ''The Sopranos'' (1999–2007), which earned him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Suppor ...

(born 1966), actor, screenwriter, TV producer and musician

Writers and artists

* Fanny Crosby (1820–1915), hymnodist, blind activist and minister * Max Dreyfus (1874–1964), music publisher and songwriter * Edith Diehl (1876–1953), bookbinder and author * Chester Beach (1881–1956), sculptor *

Rex Stout Rex Todhunter Stout (; December 1, 1886–October 27, 1975) was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. His best-known characters are the detective Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin, who were featured in 33 novels and ...

(1886–1975), writer * Trude Fleischmann (1895–1990), photographer * Pola Stout (1902–1984), designer *

Dorothy Fields Dorothy Fields (July 15, 1904 – March 28, 1974) was an American librettist and lyricist. She wrote more than 400 songs for Broadway musicals and films. Her best-known pieces include " The Way You Look Tonight" (1936), "A Fine Romance" (193 ...

(1905–1974), lyricist and librettist * John Bernard Myers (1920–1987), art dealer and writer
Norman Laliberté
(1925–2021), artist * Joanne Dobson (born 1942), novelist

Political Figures

* Charles F. Murphy (1875–1934), politician, lawyer and former NY State Senator * Willis H. Stephens (1925–2024), politician * Bob Perciasepe (born 1951), environmental policy leader * Willis Stephens (born 1955), politician

Media Personalities

* Evelyn Irons (1900–2000), journalist *

Diana Vreeland Diana Vreeland (September 29, 1903 – August 22, 1989) was an American fashion columnist and editor. She worked for the fashion magazine ''Harper's Bazaar'' and as editor-in-chief at '' Vogue'', later becoming a special consultant to the Costume ...

(1903–1989), fashion editor

Sports Coaches

* Ed Farrell (born 1934), American football coach * Chris Palmer (born 1949), American football coach * Kevin Leighton (born 1979), American baseball coach and former player

Military Figures

* Enoch Crosby (1750–1835), American spy and soldier * John McCloy (1875–1945), Lieutenant commander and a United States Navy Medal of Honor recipient

Business Figure

* C.V. Starr(1892-1968), Founder of AIG group

In popular culture

Brewster is the fiction hometown of the leading character (Ann Marie) in the American television sitcom That Girl. Ann is played by

Marlo Thomas Margaret Julia "Marlo" Thomas (born November 21, 1937) is an American actress, producer, author, and social activist. She is best known for starring on the sitcom ''That Girl'' (1966–1971) and her Children's television series, children's franc ...

. She moves from Brewster to New York City.