In Brownville, the route intersects with the northern terminus of Bridge Street (unsigned NY 971H), a short north–south connector leading to NY 12F on the south bank of the Black River. At this point, the CR 190 co-designation ends and maintenance of the route becomes the responsibility of the state. Through Brownville, NY 12E remains a two-lane residential and commercial street, intersecting with the southern terminus of CR 54 (Brown Boulevard) near the Brownville Hotel, a National Register of Historic Places-listed (NRHP) property. At the western edge of the village, NY 12E passes Brownville Cemetery before leaving for the surrounding town of Brownville and losing the Main Street name. The highway parallels a former railroad right-of-way as it heads through the town of Brownville, becoming a two-lane rural highway and gradually bending northeastward away from the riverbank.