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About Our Town

Brookline is Ideally Located

Originally chartered on March 30, 1769 as the town of “Raby”, Brookline has been one of the fastest growing towns in the state over the past 25 years.  In 1960, Brookline’s population stood at 795 and recently reached 5,000.  Located in eastern Hillsborough county, Brookline has managed to retain many of the features of its rural past while benefiting from its close proximity to the shopping and employment opportunities afforded by adjacent Milford to the north and nearby Nashua to the east. Brookline is about thirty minutes from Manchester, NH and one hour from Boston. Click here for Information for Residents.

Brookline’s Schools are Excellent

Brookline’s schools are among the best in the state as reflected by both test scores and other rankings. 

Brookline has two elementary schools which form the Brookline School District.  

Richard Maghakian Memorial School (“RMMS”) has pre-school through grade 3

Captain Samuel Douglass Academy ("CSDA") has grades 4 through 6. 

Students in the Middle School (grades 7 and 8) and the High School attend school in Hollis and are part of the Hollis-Brookline Cooperative School District.

Read more information about Brookline's schools.

Lake Potanipo is a Year-round Benefit

One hundred years ago, the shores of Lake Potanipo housed the “largest ice house under one roof in the world” with tens of thousands of tons of ice cut from the lake each year and shipped by rail to Cambridge and Somerville, Massachusetts.  Though the railroad was dismantled in the 1940s, its former railbed now provides miles of recreational trails.  Lake Potanipo provides year around benefits to residents and visitors, including swimming, boating, ice fishing, snowmobiling and the town’s annual fireworks display.

Read more about activities on Lake Potanipo.

Economic Development is Fostered

Brookline is in the enviable position of having undeveloped, commercially-zoned land along Route 13, which runs through the center of town.  Given its recent growth, available land, and proximity to both Massachusetts and larger NH towns and cities, Brookline recently chartered an Economic Development Committee (EDC) to both proactively support existing Brookline businesses and also take steps to support the addition of more businesses along the Route 13 corridor.  The efforts of the EDC are being jointly coordinated with both the Selectboard and Planning Board. 

If you are a business owner interested in locating in Brookline, please view the “Economic Development” page and let us know how we can be of help.

Links to More Brookline History