Brighton is a town and census-designated place in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 37,137 at the 2020 census. the People of the Long House, called Iroquois by the French. The first Europeans in the area were French trappers in the seventeenth century, who visited frequently but did not settle there. English colonists built permanent structures in approximately 1790, and formally established the town in 1814—earning it recognition as one of the oldest towns in Monroe County. Named for Brighton, England, it remained a farming and brick-making community until the 20th century, when the town began its evolution into an upscale suburban residential area, occupying some .

During the Civil War the men of Brighton helped form Company D of the 140th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment in September 1862, which included Rochester. The total population of Brighton at the time was approximately 3,100. The 140th New York Regiment served in the XII Corps and then the V Corps of the Army of the Potomac. They saw battle during the battles of Gettysburg, the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Court House, as well as the Appomattox campaign during the war. The 140th New York was disbanded from service on June 3, 1865.

The Alcoa Care-free Home and Stone-Tolan House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1999, the town purchased with the intention of developing a central park.

Geography

Brighton is in central Monroe County, bordered to the north and northwest by the city of Rochester. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town of Brighton has a total area of , of which , or 1.23%, are water. 2020

Brighton was recently ranked #56 out of over 18,000 in the inaugural U.S. News & World Report ranking of U.S. high schools (2007), which is generally regarded as having more breadth of analysis than the Newsweek rankings. (The former rankings are formed based upon numerous quantifiable factors, whereas the Newsweek rankings solely examine the raw number of students enrolled in AP classes per capita.) No other school in Monroe County placed in the top 1,000, including, most notably, cross-town rival Pittsford Mendon High School. In 2019, Brighton High School was ranked #786 nationally by U.S. News & World Report.

In 2006, Twelve Corners Middle School received the "Schools to Watch" award, and again was recertified in 2009, 2012, 2015, and 2018. It is one of only ten Middle Schools in New York to receive the "Schools to Watch" award.

Other portions of Brighton are served by other school districts:

  • Most of the northeastern part of the town is served by the Penfield Central School District.
  • Some of the northeastern and eastern part of the town is served by the Pittsford Central School District.
  • Most of the western part of the town is served by the Rush–Henrietta Central School District.
  • The extreme western part of the town is served by the Wheatland–Chili Central School District.

Private schools located in Brighton include the Harley School, McQuaid Jesuit High School, Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women, St. Thomas More School, and Seton Catholic School. Former schools include the Allen Creek School (annexed by Pittsford Central School District in 1958), Brighton Common School No. 4 (annexed by Rush–Henrietta Central School District in 1954 and later renamed Austin Crittenden School), and St. Agnes High School (1954–1982).

Brighton is also home to the main campus of Monroe Community College and auxiliary campuses of Empire State University, Medaille College, and the University of Rochester.

Library

The Brighton Memorial Library, located on 2300 Elmwood Avenue in the town hall campus, serves Brighton, New York.

Government

thumb|Brighton town hall

Brighton is governed by an elected town board, consisting of a supervisor and four town board members. The supervisor is elected to a two-year term and serves as the chief financial officer of the municipality and chairperson of the town board. The board members serve four-year terms. Voters also elect two town justices and a town clerk. Town justices serve four-year terms, and the clerk is elected to a two-year term.

Notable people

  • Charles August, founder of Monro Muffler Brake
  • Al Cervi, basketball hall-of-famer
  • Ernie Clement, baseball player
  • David Diamond, composer of classical music
  • Frederick Douglass (1818–1895), social reformer, orator, writer, statesman, leader in the Underground Railroad
  • Winston Duke, actor (Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War)
  • Dana Fox, screenwriter (The Wedding Date)
  • Walter Hagen (1892–1969), "Golf's Greatest Showman", world golf hall-of-famer, won 11 Majors
  • Caroline Breese Hall, pediatric virologist
  • Howard Hanson, composer
  • Shirley Jackson (1916–1965), author of The Lottery
  • David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times reporter
  • David T. Kearns, former Xerox CEO, former deputy secretary of education
  • Robert L. King, former assemblyman, former Monroe County executive, former chancellor of the State University of New York
  • Heidi "Hudson" Leick, Xena: Warrior Princess actress, played "Callisto"
  • Jenna Marbles, YouTube personality, entertainer
  • Linda Sue Park, Newbery award-winning author
  • Arthur Schneider, four-time Emmy Award winning television editor
  • Kristen Wiig, actress (Saturday Night Live and Bridesmaids)

References

  • Brighton-Pittsford Post—local newspaper