Patterson, town in Putnam County, New York, United States
Patterson is a small town in the northeast corner of Putnam County, New York, where quiet streets wind through hills and fields. The community is marked by a mix of old farms and new homes alongside preserved wooden buildings from earlier times.
The land was purchased from the Wappinger Indians in 1691 and changed hands before Scottish and English families settled in the late 1700s. In 1808 the place took the name Patterson to honor Scottish judge Matthew Paterson, and in 1812 it became part of the newly formed Putnam County.
The town name honors Matthew Paterson, a Scottish settler who built his home around 1780 and later became a judge. The village grew around gathering places like inns and the train station, where neighbors would meet and community life took place.
The town center sits along Route 311, where the town hall and small shops and restaurants invite a walk. Proximity to the Metro North Railroad makes getting to larger cities straightforward, while local bus lines from P.A.R.T. offer rides around the region.
The railroad connection after the Civil War fundamentally changed life in Patterson, drawing more people and enabling factories like the Putnam Cigar Factory to thrive. At the same time, the town changed its name spelling from Paterson to Patterson around 1800 to avoid confusion with the city of the same name in New Jersey.
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