The village of Brewster was founded in 1910 and for decades flourished from phosphate mining. It was largely a company town for the American Cyanamid Company. The town had its own schools, movie theater, medical clinic, post office, and swimming pool. It was set up with "White and "Colored people living in seperate sections.
The village was officially closed down by the company in 1962. Part of Brewster was demolished at the time, but some abandoned buildings remain.
The deed to Brewster was turned over to the State of Florida in partial payment of a judgement of against American Cynamid for damage to the state's rivers.