Brewster House
Why it's listed
Brewster House in East Setauket, Suffolk County, is believed to be the oldest surviving house in the Town of Brookhaven. Its earliest section dates to about 1665, when the Reverend Nathaniel Brewster, Setauket's first ordained minister, acquired the property. Seven generations of the Brewster family lived there until 1947. The one-and-one-half story timber frame house, with wood shingles, a stone foundation and a sloping saltbox roof, grew in five stages from two small half-houses joined by a central chimney, followed by a rear lean-to and an early nineteenth-century south extension. Joseph Brewster operated a tavern in the house during the American Revolution, and it is thought to have played a part in the local Patriot spy ring. Ward Melville bought the property in 1948, and a restoration designed by Daniel Perry was carried out in 1967/68. Today the Ward Melville Heritage Organization runs it as a museum focused on the Brewster family and colonial Setauket.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is the oldest extant house in the Town of Brookhaven. Under Criterion A it reflects the seventeenth-century New England settlement of eastern Long Island and the continuous ownership of the Brewster family through seven generations, including a Revolutionary War tavern. Under Criterion C it is an early vernacular Long Island house that grew from a one-room structure through successive additions.
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 08000109, listed February 28, 2008. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jct. of NY 25A & Runs Rd., East Setauket |
|---|---|
| County | Suffolk County |
| Listed | February 28, 2008 |
| Reference number | 08000109 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1665-1948 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | New England Colonial |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned and operated by a heritage organization as a historic site and museum; restored in 1967/68. |
| Acreage | 1.2 |
| Coordinates | 40.94526, -73.10251 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 08000109.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4962762
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.