The town was renamed in 1798 at the suggestion of a leading citizen in town originally from Brookline, Massachusetts. By 1859, when the population was 718, there were eight sawmills and one gristmill, 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, charcoal and casks. The Boston and Maine Railroad 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.