Cortlandt

Town of Cortlandt (Enter Cortlandt's Hudson River Gallery)

The lands of Stephanus Van Cortlandt along the Hudson River, north of the land owned by Frederick Phillipse and east toward the Connecticut border, became a Manor in 1697. In 1732 the Manor was divided amongst Van Cortlandt’s heirs. In 1788 the land along the river became the Town of Cortlandt, with Philip Van Cortlandt as its first Supervisor. The Town includes the villages of Croton and Buchanan. Peekskill was part of the town until it became a city in 1940. Cortlandt was the site of many, many skirmishes during the Revolutionary War.

Like most towns along the river, the economy of the area progressed from farming and fishing in the 17th and 18th centuries to a more industrialized economy from the 19th century into the 20th century when Cortlandt was an important center for brickmaking and iron works. Today the town prides itself on its residential character.