Brookline is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an o ...

in Hillsborough County,

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

, United States. The population was 5,639 at the 2020 census, up from 4,991 at the 2010 census. Brookline is home to the Talbot-Taylor Wildlife Sanctuary, Potanipo Pond, and the Brookline Covered Bridge.

History

First a part of

Dunstable, Massachusetts Dunstable ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,358 at the 2020 census. Etymology Dunstable was named after its sister town Dunstable, England. There are several theories concerning its modern name ...

, then settled as West Hollis, New Hampshire, the town was granted in 1769 as "Raby". Colonial

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

John Wentworth named it after his cousin, the 4th Earl of Strafford and Baron of Raby Castle. The town was renamed in 1798 at the suggestion of a leading citizen in town originally from

Brookline, Massachusetts Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, in the United States, and part of the Boston metropolitan area. Brookline borders six of Boston's neighborhoods: Brighton, Allston, Fenway–Kenmore, Mission Hill, Jamaica Plain, and ...

. By 1859, when the population was 718, there were eight

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

s and one

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separat ...

, as well as a sash and blind shop. In the earlier days of the town, Brookline was known throughout southern New Hampshire for producing

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, w ...

charcoal Charcoal is a lightweight black carbon residue produced by strongly heating wood (or other animal and plant materials) in minimal oxygen to remove all water and volatile constituents. In the traditional version of this pyrolysis process, ...

and casks. The

Boston and Maine Railroad The Boston and Maine Railroad was a U.S. Class I railroad in northern New England. Originally chartered in 1835, it became part of what was the Pan Am Railways network in 1983 (most of which was purchased by CSX in 2022). At the end of 1970 ...

eventually branched into Brookline in 1892. The train station that served Brookline during the railroad's tenure in the town has since been renovated into a private residential home. A large fraction of the area that was once railroad track is now

New Hampshire Route 13 New Hampshire Route 13 is a long north–south state highway in the state of New Hampshire, United States. The highway runs from Brookline to Concord. The southern terminus is at the Massachusetts state line in Brookline, where the route cont ...

. The town received national attention in 1997, when people participating in the traditional ringing of the

Congregational church Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...

bell at midnight on the Fourth of July were arrested. Several prominent members of the community were among those arrested, including Road Agent Clarence Farwell and his wife. The incident led to an investigation of the Brookline police department after questions of excessive force were raised following the arrests.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the town has a total area of , of which are land and are water, comprising 1.79% of the town. The town's highest point is the western summit of Birch Hill, at above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardis ...

. Potanipo Hill is a summit southwest of the town center that once was the site of a ski area from 1935 to 1984, and now is home to Andres Institute of Art. Brookline is drained by the

Nissitissit River The Nissitissit River is a river in southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts in the United States. It is a tributary of the Nashua River, itself a tributary of the Merrimack River, which flows to the Gulf of Maine. This river is part of ...

and Spaulding Brook. The Nissitissit is known for its abundance of

trout Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', '' Salmo'' and '' Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salm ...

. The Nissitissit begins at the outlet of Potanipo Pond, west of the town center, and flows southeast to join the Nashua River in Pepperell, Massachusetts. Via the Nashua River, Brookline lies fully within the

Merrimack River The Merrimack River (or Merrimac River, an occasional earlier spelling) is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Mas ...

watershed. The town is crossed by

and New Hampshire Route 130. It is about west of Nashua and approximately northwest of Boston, Massachusetts.

Adjacent municipalities

Milford, New Hampshire Milford is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States, on the Souhegan River. The population was 16,131 at the 2020 census, up from 15,115 at the 2010 census.United States Census BureauU.S. Census website 2010 Census figures. Re ...

(north) * Hollis, New Hampshire (east) * Pepperell, Massachusetts (southeast) * Townsend, Massachusetts (south) * Mason, New Hampshire (west)

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2000, there were 4,181 people, 1,343 households, and 1,146 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 211.5 people per square mile (81.7/km). There were 1,384 housing units at an average density of 70.0 per square mile (27.0/km). The racial makeup of the town was 97.87%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.14%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.19% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.05%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.22% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 0.91% of the population. There were 1,343 households, out of which 51.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 76.7% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.6% were non-families. 10.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.11 and the average family size was 3.36. In the town, the population was spread out, with 33.6% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 35.7% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 5.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $77,075, and the median income for a family was $80,214. Males had a median income of $55,417 versus $32,750 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $29,272. About 0.9% of families and 0.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 0.9% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Education

Brookline is home to a thriving K–6 grade school system. Richard Maghakian Memorial School, an elementary school for grades K–3, and Captain Samuel Douglass Academy, which caters to children in grades 4–6, strive to provide a traditional education for its students focusing on STEM and the Arts to provide solidly based education. Brookline is part of a cooperative school district with the neighboring town of Hollis, sharing a middle and high school Cooperative district with the neighboring town of Hollis.

Economic development

The Brookline selectboard chartered the town's Economic Development Committee (EDC) to "promote balanced, long-term economic development, which reflects and enhances the character of the community." The EDC publishes a newsletter three or four times a year to promote local businesses.

Community events

Two major community events take place in Brookline: the winter Chowder/Soup/Chili Cook-Off and the early-fall Bridal Show. Hundreds of New England residents have attended these two events.

Town newspaper

Local news is provided by the ''Hollis Brookline Journal'' online.

Churches

Brookline Community Church, Brookline, NH

In 1951, the Church of Christ was formed by the unification of the Congregational (established 1795) and

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

(est. 1852) churches of Brookline; this unification was spearheaded by Betty Hall, then a local businesswoman. It was renamed the Brookline Community Church in 2005 and is affiliated with both the UCC and UMC conferences.

Sites of interest

* Andres Institute of Art * Big Bear/Musket Mountain Ski Area * Brookline Covered Bridge * New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 271: Fresh Pond Ice Company * Potanipo Hill

References

External links

*
New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile

Brookline Historical Society

(1885) {{authority control Towns in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire Towns in New Hampshire