About Brewster
Welcome to Brewster, the Sea Captains' Town
Located on the north side of Cape Cod, along the shores of Cape Cod Bay, Brewster was settled in 1659. The town was incorporated in 1803 and named after Elder William Brewster of the Plymouth Colony.
In the 1700's and 1800's, the young men of Brewster often went to sea. Many traveled to the far corners of the world, returning with their wealth to build homes (mansions in their day) in the town. A number of these homes may still be seen along Main Street. Others captained the packet boats that sailed between Breakwater Beach and Boston carrying salt from our 60 saltworks, tannery goods, and cloth. At one time, there were 99 sea captains living in Brewster.
Today Brewster is a town of 8,000 residents living in 22.5 square miles. We invite our visitors to join us in the enjoyment of our many natural and other attractions. Especially not to be missed are the Punkhorn Parklands, Nickerson State Park, the Cape Cod Rail Trail, Brewster in Bloom, the herring run, the Brewster flats, the Captains Golf Course, the Brewster Historical Society exhibition at Spruce Hill, the Museum of Natural History, Sydenstricker Glass Crafting, The Cape Rep Theatre, Harris-Black House, and Higgins Windmill.