The Town of Brookhaven is one of the ten towns of Suffolk County, New York. Brookhaven is the largest of New York's towns by area and is the second most populous town in the state, with close to 500,000 residents. Brookhaven Town is comprised of over 60 different incorporated villages and hamlets, and is the only town in the county that stretches from the North Shore to the South Shore of Long Island.
Brookhaven Town enjoys a rich history. The first residents of the Town of Brookhaven were Algonkian-speaking Native Americans, the Setalcotts (or Setaukets), and the Unkechaugs. English settlers from eastern Long Island and New England were the first to arrive on the north shore of the Town in 1655. The first settlement was named after the native Americans from which it was purchased: Setauket. More land purchases followed over the years, and in 1666, after Long Island became a part of the Colony of New York, Governor Richard Nicholl granted a Patent, which fixed the name of Brookhaven. In 1686, Governor Thomas Dongan issued a Patent which granted extensive powers to the Town, and established a representative form of government.
William Floyd of Mastic was a signer of the Declaration of Independence; General George Washington relied on information supplied by a spy ring which operated out of Setauket during the War for American Independence. Camp Upton in Yaphank was used during World War I and World War II as a training area for soldiers. The Town of Brookhaven has seen its residents represent our country in every major conflict.