The Dongan Patent: How Brookhaven Was Established Over 300 Years Ago

Over 300 years ago, Brookhaven's founding fathers were granted a historic document that would establish the framework for local government and protect the town's natural resources for centuries to come.

 

The Dongan Patent: December 27, 1686 Issued by Governor Thomas Dongan, the Dongan Patent for the Town of Brookhaven is the historic and legal document that provided the foundation for Brookhaven Town government. The Patent granted the town's residents rights to all waterways, ponds, streams, brooks, wetlands, rivers and other estuaries.

 

The Patent established a Trustee form of government, providing for seven Trustees to be elected annually, with the first chosen serving as President. It also provided for the election of a Clerk and other officials, provisions for a Town Seal, and the raising of taxes.

 

Still Protecting Brookhaven Today

 

This Trustee form of government predates the establishment of both the State of New York and the United States of America. To this day, the Dongan Patent is used to resolve legal questions involving preservation of natural resources, underground water supply protection, and the free and common usage of waterways.

 

The original Dongan Patent can be viewed in the lobby of Brookhaven Town Hall.