First a part of Dunstable, Massachusetts, then settled as West Hollis, New Hampshire, the town was granted in 1769 as "Raby".

Colonial Governor John Wentworth named it after his cousin, the 4th Earl of Strafford and Baron of Raby Castle.

In the earlier days of the town, Brookline was known throughout southern New Hampshire for producing lumber, charcoal and casks.

The train station that served Brookline during the railroad's tenure in the town has since been renovated into a private residential home.

The town received national attention in 1997, when people participating in the traditional ringing of the Congregational church bell at midnight on the Fourth of July were arrested.

The incident led to an investigation of the Brookline police department after questions of excessive force were raised following the arrests.

[1] The town's highest point is the western summit of Birch Hill, at 810 feet (250 m) above sea level.

Potanipo Hill is a 613-foot-high (187 m) 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.

The Nissitissit begins at the outlet of Potanipo Pond, 1⁄2 mile (0.8 km) west of the town center, and flows southeast to join the Nashua River in Pepperell, Massachusetts.

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.