First National Bank of Brewster
Also known as: Southeast Town Hall
Why it's listed
Built in 1886 for the First National Bank of Brewster, this one-story red brick building sits on a small lot where Main Street, North Main Street and Railroad Avenue meet in the village center. It rests on a rock-faced granite foundation and has a slate hipped roof, a projecting gabled wing with a Palladian window, hexagonal slate shingles, and scroll-sawn bargeboards. Wide, low semicircular arches frame the main doors and windows, a nod to Richardsonian Romanesque design. Inside, the banking room keeps elaborate unpainted panelling, a cathedral ceiling and brass chandeliers converted to electricity. The bank was incorporated in 1875 and grew with a village shaped by the Harlem Railroad and local industry, including a Borden condensed milk plant. After the bank closed in 1964, the Town of Southeast bought the building for its town hall. A 1950 west addition matches the original, and interior changes were limited mainly to removing the tellers' cages.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the building is a distinguished example of Queen Anne commercial architecture and an important landmark of Brewster's rapid growth and prosperity in the late nineteenth century. Its interior public space, with original unpainted panelling and a decoratively sheathed cathedral ceiling, is especially notable. The building also echoes Richardsonian Romanesque forms and retains a high degree of integrity.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 87002277, listed January 7, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Main St., Brewster |
|---|---|
| County | Putnam County |
| Listed | January 7, 1988 |
| Reference number | 87002277 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Queen Anne |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in excellent condition; in use as the Southeast Town Hall since the town bought it after the bank closed in 1964. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.39451, -73.61897 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 87002277.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q1419505
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.