Brewster, New York

History

The village of Brewster derives its name from that of the landowner, Walter Brewster, who invited the New York and Harlem Railroad to build a depot on his property in 1848. Brewster's Station, New York (sometimes just "Brewster's"), appeared on maps, 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 Southeast, he wrote: "The land now [1886] 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."

"At the time of the purchase, the New York and Harlem Railroad 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 [1886] 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 [1886] 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.

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

Brewster Crossing

Urban renewal plans for the Village of Brewster have been in the works for well over a decade. In 2011, a blight 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 and housing, thereby generating economic activity and supporting the use of the Metro-North Brewster train station. 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 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 and New York State Route 22 run concurrently along the southern boundary of the village, and Interstate 84 passes just east of the village, intersecting Interstate 684. The Brewster train station is on the Harlem Line.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.5 sqmi, all land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2020, there were 2,508 people residing in Brewster. There were 701 housing units at an average density of 1,851.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 55.98% Hispanic or Latino, 36.61% non-Hispanic white, 2.59% African American, .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

Brewster is in New York's 17th Congressional District, which has been represented by Mike Lawler since 2023. The city is represented in the U.S. Senate by Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Scuhmer and by Peter Harckham and Matt Slater in the New York State Legislature. James Schoenig has been the city's mayor since 2007.

• 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
• 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 (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 (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 (1886–1975), writer
• Trude Fleischmann (1895–1990), photographer
• Pola Stout (1902–1984), designer
• Dorothy Fields (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 (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 hometown of the leading character (Ann Marie) in the American television sitcom That Girl. Ann is played by Marlo Thomas. She moves from Brewster to New York City.

Portrait photographs of Bruce Springsteen, to accompany his album Nebraska, were shot by photographer David Michael Kennedy at his family home in Brewster, NY, in June 1982. Only one photograph from that shoot was used in the final Nebraska package; however, a broader selection was published by Springsteen as press resources to accompany the release of the Nebraska ‘82: Expanded Edition in October 2025.

References

References

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4. ''The History of Putnam County, New York. 1886''. Reprinted by the Landmarks Preservation Committee of the Southeast Museum, Brewster, New York, 1975.
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48. "John McCloy {{!}} Mexican Campaign (Vera Cruz) {{!}} U.S. Navy {{!}} Medal of Honor Recipient".
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52. https://www.snapgalleries.com/portfolio-items/david-michael-kennedy/