Brownville

History

The Oneida people were the original inhabitants of the area. The town was settled around 1799 near Brownville village. It was one of the first towns in the county. Its name is derived from the founder and first settler, Jacob Brown, who was a major-general in the United States Army and is considered to be a heroic figure in the War of 1812. The town was formed in 1802 from the town of Leyden while still part of Herkimer County. Many of the northern towns of the county were established, or partly established, from parts of Brownville, including Le Ray (1806), Lyme (1818), Pamelia (1819), Orleans (1821), and Alexandria (1821). In 1828, the community of Brownville set itself off from the town by incorporating as a village. In 1855, the community of Dexter set itself off from the town by incorporating as a village. The William Archer House, Gen. Jacob Brown Mansion, Brownville Hotel, St. Paul's Church, Vogt House, and Arthur Walrath House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which are land and , or 11.02%, are water. The western border of the town is Lake Ontario and Guffin Bay, an arm of the lake, and the southern border is formed by the Black River, which flows into the lake at Black River Bay. The Perch River flows through the town from the northeastern corner to the southern border and Lake Ontario at Black River Bay. New York State Route 12E is an east–west highway, which intersects New York State Route 180, a north-south highway, at Limerick. New York State Route 12 crosses the northeastern corner of the town. *Adams Cove – A hamlet on the north shore of Pillar Point peninsula. *Brownville – A village in the southern part of the town on NY-12E by the Black River. *Bull Rock Point – A projection into Lake Ontario at the western end of Pillar Point peninsula. *Dexter – A village in the southern part of the town on NY-180, west of Brownville village. It was formerly known as "Fish Island". *Everleigh Point – A projection into Lake Ontario at the western end of Pillar Point peninsula. *Glen Park – A village primarily in the town, on its southern border along NY-12E. *Guffin Bay – A bay of Lake Ontario in the northwestern part of Brownville. *Limerick – A hamlet at the junction of Routes NY-12E and NY-180 by the Perch River, north of Dexter village. *Natural Bridge – A location on the Perch River, southwest of Limerick. *Perch Lake – A lake in the northeastern corner of Brownville. *Perch River – A hamlet on NY-180 in the northern part of the town near the river of the same name. The community was once called "Moffatsville". *Perch River State Wildlife Area – A conservation area…

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  3,682
• Song Sparrow

  Melospiza melodia (A.Wilson, 1810) · Aves
  3,320
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  3,276
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,238
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  3,016
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,747
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  2,489
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  2,301

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2026-04-26
  6 km SE of Lowville, New York
• M 2.8 — 2026-03-21
  28 km WSW of Henderson, New York
• M 3.3 — 2024-06-29
  14 km W of Ellisburg, New York
• M 2.8 — 2023-12-11
  8 km NNW of Canton, New York
• M 3.6 — 2023-04-23
  New York
• M 2.6 — 2023-04-14
  1 km W of Adams Center, New York