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Officially, Brewster is only a part of Southeast, the town in the
southeastern corner of Putnam County. But whether people live in
the Village of Brewster itself or in the unincorporated areas of
Brewster Hill, Brewster Heights, Dykemans, Deans Corners, Sodom or
Tilly Foster, ''almost everybody says they live in Brewster,''
said Vivien Hannigan of Fowles Gallery of Homes.
The
area was settled in the early 1700's by Cape Cod and Westchester
County farmers looking for better land and it remained primarily a
farming community for nearly 200 years, according to Eleanor
Fitchen, president of the Landmarks Preservation Society of
Southeast.
Then,
in the 1890's, the expanding New York City reservoir system took
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much land for its
reservoirs and watershed that dairy farms were unable to operate as
profitably.
The Village of
Brewster is the most densely populated portion of the township.
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,162 people, 840 households,
and 441 families residing in the village. The population density was
4,544.0 people per square mile (1,739.1/km˛). There were 881
housing units at an average density of 1,851.6/sq mi (708.7/km˛).
The racial makeup of the village was 78.77% White, 5.37%
African American, 0.37% Native American, 2.31% Asian, 1.66%
from other races and 1.53% from two or more races, Hispanic or
Latino, f any race were 32.10% of the population.
Some Brewster residents work in Danbury, Conn., eight miles away,
others in corporate centers and office complexes in southern
Westchester County and can drive to work in about half an hour.
There are some small stores within Brewster itself, as well as a
movie house, but most people drive to Carmel to shop for food, Mrs.
Hannigan said, and to the newly opened Danbury Fair Mall for
department and specialty stores.
The
Town of Southeast maintains three parks, including a beach at
Tonetta Lake. Its recreation department sponsors children's programs
for swimming, life saving, tennis and gynmastics. There is also an
active Little League.
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