First National Bank of Brewster
National Register of Historic Places

First National Bank of Brewster

Brewster, Putnam County, New York
Listed
January 7, 1988
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
87002277

About this property

The First National Bank of Brewster building, later Southeast Town Hall, is located on Main Street (US 6) next to the train station in Brewster, New York, United States. It is a brick Queen Anne-style building constructed in 1886 currently used as offices for the Town of Southeast, of which Brewster is part. The bank itself closed in 1964. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 in recognition of its intact style and its place in the village's history. The rectangular one-story brick building rises from a granite foundation to a hipped roof covered with slate tiles and a decorative ridge cap. The main block's fenestration consists of double-mullioned semicircular windows. A small wing on the north facade has hexagonal slate shingles and a Palladian window on its gable face; a chimney rises from its roof. It is complemented by a similarly-faced cross-gable on the south side with louvered oculus. The slope of the irregular triangle the building sits on allows for a basement entrance on this side. A small addition on the west side is sympathetic to the original building. The walls are done in unpainted panelling and the ceilings in unpainted tongue-in-groove. What was the main banking area has a cathedral ceiling and six-branch brass chandelier. The First National Bank was incorporated in 1875 following rapid post-Civil War growth of the village of Brewster and its neighboring areas. It grew successful enough that by 1886 it could afford the current building, whose Queen Anne stylings also incorporate the rounded windows of the also-popular Richardsonian Romanesque style. The bank was purposely located next to the rail depot, the source of much of the prosperity it had helped to finance. The building was never substantially altered for much of the bank's occupancy, save the addition on the west in 1950. When it closed in 1964, the Town of Southeast, in which Brewster is located, was quick to move in from the old Town Hall down the street. The supervisor and town clerk worked there until the construction of the current Town Hall on NY 22, north of the village. The building, parking, planning and code-enforcement departments are still housed in the old bank.

Location

Brewster, Putnam County, New York
41.39451, -73.61897

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Old Southeast Town Hall
Industrial
0.1 mi
Brewster, Walter, House
Industrial
0.2 mi
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
Industrial
0.2 mi
Gilead Cemetery
Listed
3 mi
Old Southeast Church
Industrial
3.4 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Pine's Bridge
1781Revolutionary War
8 mi
Danbury Raid Apr 26 1777
1777Revolutionary War
8.5 mi
Tryon's Raid on Danbury
1777Revolutionary War
8.6 mi
Raid on Danbury
1777Revolutionary War
8.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was First National Bank of Brewster listed on the National Register?

First National Bank of Brewster was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 7, 1988.

What type of historic resource is First National Bank of Brewster?

First National Bank of Brewster is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for First National Bank of Brewster?

The period of significance for First National Bank of Brewster is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1886.

Can I research the history near First National Bank of Brewster?

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