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55-526: The Cottage Farm Historic District is a residential area in eastern Brookline, Massachusetts , United States, known for its association with industrialist Amos Adams Lawrence (1814–1886). Laid out in the 1850s and centered around the junction of Essex and Ivy Streets, it features high-quality housing on large lots, built between the 1850s and 1910s. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The area that

110-486: A Select Board. In 2017, a Brookline Town Meeting voted to recognize Indigenous Peoples' Day instead of Columbus Day. In 2019, Brookline banned the distribution of carry-out plastic bags at grocery stores and other businesses . In 2021, Brookline banned the sale of tobacco and e-cigarettes to anyone born after January 1, 2000, in Article 8.23 of the town bylaws, expanding on Massachusetts' existing prohibition on

165-464: A history of racial discrimination in zoning, which has led to a disproportionately wealthy population and a very low percentage of Black residents, at only 2.5%. Several streets and railroads were laid out in the town in the 19th century. Today, these are Massachusetts Route 9 (locally "Boylston St", which cuts the town in two) and the various branches of the MBTA's Green Line . To the north of Route 9,

220-409: A house for his family in 1851, and began subdividing and building out the property. Three of the early houses, including that of Lawrence, are notable English Gothic Revival stone buildings, including one designed by architect George Minot Dexter as his own home. Later houses were built in popular architectural styles. The historic district is bounded on the north by Dummer and Mountfort Streets, on

275-467: A major thoroughfare through the city, as Park Avenue, Highland Street (which passes Major Taylor Boulevard), before passing over Interstate 290 and Belmont Street, where University of Massachusetts Medical School and the former Worcester State Hospital are located. At its intersection with McRae Ct., it becomes a divided highway with raised median , which it will retain until its terminus in Boston with

330-435: A median income of $ 56,861 versus $ 43,436 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 44,327. About 4.5% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 5.3% of those under the age of 18 and 7.5% of those ages 65 and older. The poverty rate of Brookline's residents rate rose from 9.3% in 2000 to 13.1% in 2010. and then reduced to 10.2% in 2021 The following historic buildings are open to

385-473: A recent history of blocking multifamily housing construction. Since the 1970s, new housing construction has plunged in Brookline. Brookline has enacted zoning changes that ban multi-apartment buildings and limit the height of buildings. Proposals for new development frequently face onerous lawsuits. These restrictions on housing supply have led housing prices in Brookline to skyrocket in recent decades. In 2023,

440-497: A terminus at Heath Street. Route 9 continues past Symphony Hall and The First Church of Christ, Scientist , which is the mother church of Christian Science . It then passes Copley Place and the Prudential Center complex , before splitting, the eastbound half onto Stuart Street, the westbound onto Saint James Avenue, past Copley Square ; both the eastbound and westbound segments of Route 9 end at Route 28 . Route 9

495-455: Is humid continental Dfa . Brookline falls under the USDA 6b Plant Hardiness zone . As of the census of 2010, there were 58,732 people, 24,891 households, and 12,233 families residing in the town. The population density was 8,701.0 inhabitants per square mile (3,359.5/km ). There were 26,448 housing units at an average density of 3,889.6 per square mile (1,501.8/km ). The racial makeup of

550-405: Is John F. Sullivan. Brookline is twinned with: Massachusetts Route 9 Route 9 passes through six counties and twenty-eight cities and towns . Route 9 begins in the western Massachusetts city of Pittsfield , at U.S. Route 20 . After separating from US-20, it has a brief (.2 mile) concurrency with U.S. Route 7 through the center of that city, then continues east, passing through

605-488: Is a kind of landscape garden, and there is nothing in America of the sort, so inexpressibly charming as the lanes which lead from one cottage, or villa, to another. No animals are allowed to run at large, and the open gates, with tempting vistas and glimpses under the pendent boughs, give it quite an Arcadian air of rural freedom and enjoyment. These lanes are clothed with a profusion of trees and wild shrubbery, often almost to

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660-558: Is a surplus building used by the town to temporarily teach students in when another school building is being renovated. It was rented in 2009 as the venue for the play Sleep No More . As of the 2012–13 school year, the student body was 57.4% White, 18.1% Asian, 6.4% Black, 9.9% Hispanic, and 8.2% multi-race. Approximately 30% of students came from homes where English is not the first language. Several private primary and secondary schools are located in Brookline. Several institutes of higher education are located in Brookline. Also, parts of

715-537: Is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts , United States, and part of the Boston metropolitan area . An exclave of Norfolk County, Brookline borders six of Boston 's neighborhoods: Brighton , Allston , Fenway–Kenmore , Mission Hill , Jamaica Plain , and West Roxbury . The city of Newton borders Brookline to the west. It is known for being the birthplace of John F. Kennedy . The land which comprises what

770-709: Is land. The northern part of Brookline, roughly north of the D-line tracks, is urban in character, as highly walkable and transit rich. The population density of this northern part of town is nearly 20,000 inhabitants per square mile (8,000/km ), similar to the densest neighborhoods in nearby Cambridge , Somerville and Chelsea , Massachusetts (the densest cities in New England), and slightly lower than that of central Boston's residential districts (Back Bay, South End, Fenway, etc.). The overall density of Brookline, which also includes suburban districts and grand estates south of

825-615: Is now Cottage Farm was, in the 17th century, part of a large meadowland owned by jurist Samuel Sewall , bounded on the north by the Charles River and the south by the Muddy River , west of the latter's mouth. In the early 19th century, this property was acquired by David Sears , who built a house in the Cottage Farm area in 1844 for his son Frederick. Amos Lawrence acquired the Cottage Farm tract from Sears in 1850, built

880-513: Is today Brookline was first settled in 1638 as a hamlet in Boston, known as Muddy River (as it was settled on the west side of the river of the same name ). It was incorporated as a separate town with the name of Brookline in 1705. In 1873, Brookline had a contentious referendum in which it voted to remain independent from Boston. The later annexations of Brighton and West Roxbury , both in 1874, and that of Hyde Park in 1912, eventually made Brookline into an exclave of Norfolk County. The town has

935-567: The Boston Elevated Railway system, this upgrade from horse-drawn carriage to electric trolleys occurred on many major streets all over the region, and made transportation into downtown Boston faster and cheaper. Much of Brookline was developed into a streetcar suburb , with large brick apartment buildings sprouting up along the new streetcar lines. Brookline has a history of racial covenants that blocked people of color and some ethnic minorities to own housing in Brookline. In

990-920: The Boston University campus and into Allston-Brighton . Brookline is served by several MBTA bus routes: The town of Brookline is protected full-time by the 158 paid, professional firefighters of the Brookline Fire Department (BFD). It currently operates out of five fire stations located throughout the town, under the command of a Deputy Chief per shift. The BFD also operates a fire apparatus fleet of four engines, two ladders, one quint, one cross-staffed rescue (special operations), two squads, one special operations unit, one haz-mat decon trailer, two maintenance units, as well as numerous other special, support, and reserve units. The Brookline Fire Department responds to approximately 8,500 emergency calls annually. The current Chief of Department

1045-655: The Calvin Coolidge Bridge , just downstream from Elwell Island. It goes through the retail area of Hadley before passing the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Amherst College . From Amherst, it wends its way into western Worcester County , south of the Quabbin Reservoir , through small towns until it makes its way into the city of Worcester . Once in Worcester, Route 9 becomes

1100-551: The Charles River into Newton and Brookline as Boylston Street. It enters the city of Boston by crossing over Brookline's former namesake, the Muddy River , part of the Emerald Necklace . At this point it briefly becomes Washington Street, then Huntington Avenue , also known as "Avenue of the Arts". Route 9 loses its raised median briefly between its intersection with South Huntington Avenue and Brigham Circle. It passes

1155-809: The Golden Triangle retail area of Framingham and Natick, after crossing the Massachusetts Turnpike . It passes Shopper's World and the Natick Mall , New England's largest mall. Beginning in the Golden Triangle, Route 9 becomes one of the major routes into Boston, serving as a valuable bypass to the Mass Pike and its tolls. It crosses Interstate 95 (also known as Massachusetts Route 128 ) in Wellesley before crossing

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1210-525: The Green Line D branch . The portion of Beacon Street west of Kenmore Square was laid out in 1850. Streetcar tracks were laid above ground on Beacon Street in 1888, from Coolidge Corner to Massachusetts Avenue in Boston, via Kenmore Square. In 1889, they were electrified and extended over the Brighton border at Cleveland Circle . They would eventually become the Green Line C branch . Thanks to

1265-603: The Longwood Medical and Academic Area , which includes Brigham and Women's Hospital , Harvard Medical School and other hospitals; the Museum of Fine Arts ; and several colleges and universities, including Northeastern . This stretch is also a major site of baseball history; the first game of the 1903 World Series , baseball's first true World Series, was played at the Huntington Avenue Grounds ,

1320-596: The New England Hebrew Academy , but even these are not out of scale with the residences. Much of the district was saved from demolition by governor Francis Sargent 's 1970 moratorium on all highway construction inside Route 128 , as it sat directly in the path of one of the highways cancelled by the moratorium, the Inner Belt Expressway . Brookline, Massachusetts Brookline ( / ˈ b r ʊ k l aɪ n / )

1375-482: The 19th century. The Boston and Worcester Railroad was constructed in the early 1830s, and passed through Brookline near the Charles River. The rail line is still in active use, now paralleled by the Massachusetts Turnpike . The Highland branch of the Boston and Albany Railroad was built from Kenmore Square to Brookline Village in 1847, and was extended into Newton in 1852. In the late 1950s, this would become

1430-556: The Berkshires, the road follows the old Berkshire Trail. The massive expansion of the University of Massachusetts Amherst transformed that part of Route 9 in the late 20th century; this otherwise rural part of the route now has several shops, restaurants, and the mid-sized Hampshire Mall . In the 20th century, Route 9 became the focus for urban sprawl in towns like Newton and Wellesley . Further west, in Framingham , Route 9

1485-561: The Boston-Brookline border was redrawn to connect the new Back Bay neighborhood with Allston-Brighton. This merger created a narrow strip of land along the Charles River belonging to Boston, cutting Brookline off from the shoreline. It also put certain lands north of the Muddy River on the Boston side, including what are now Kenmore Square and Packard's Corner . The current northern border follows Commonwealth Avenue, and on

1540-468: The Brookline government enacted a zoning change to only permit single-family housing in most of the territory of Brookline. Many of the present-day apartment buildings in Brookline were constructed prior to this zoning change. In 1970, the state authorized rent control in municipalities with more than 50,000 residents. Brookline, Lynn, Somerville, and Cambridge subsequently adopted rent control. Brookline began decontrolling units in 1991. Brookline has

1595-541: The D-line, is still higher than that of many of the largest cities in the United States, especially in the South and West. Brookline borders Newton (part of Middlesex County ) to the west and Boston (part of Suffolk County ) in all other directions; it is therefore non-contiguous with any other part of Norfolk County. Brookline became an exclave of Norfolk County in 1873, when the neighboring town of West Roxbury

1650-740: The Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity ( METCO ) system. There are eight elementary schools in the Brookline Public School system: Baker School , Florida Ruffin Ridley School , Driscoll , Roland Hayes School , Lawrence School , Lincoln School , Pierce School , and Runkle School . As of December 2006, there were 6,089 K–12 students enrolled in the Brookline public schools. The system includes one early learning center, eight grades K–8 schools, and one comprehensive high school. The Old Lincoln School

1705-401: The age of 18, living with them, 38.4% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 52.2% were non-families. 36.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.86. In the town, the population distribution

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1760-484: The area is fairly urban; the southern part is much less so. At the time of the 2020 census , the population of the town was 63,191. It has been the most populous municipality in Massachusetts to have a town (rather than city) form of government since Framingham changed to a city in 2018, following a 2017 referendum. Once part of Algonquian territory, Brookline was first settled by European colonists in

1815-423: The carriage tracks, and curve and wind about, in a manner quite bewildering to the stranger who attempts to thread them alone; and there are more hints here for the lover of the picturesque in lanes than we ever saw assembled together in so small a compass. Brookline residents were among the first in the country to propose extending the vote to women. Benjamin F. Butler , in his 1882 campaign for governor, advocated

1870-400: The early 17th century. The area was an outlying part of the colonial settlement of Boston and known as the hamlet of Muddy River. In 1705, it was incorporated as the independent town of Brookline. The northern and southern borders of the town were marked by two small rivers or brooks, which is the town's namesake. The northern border with Brighton (which was itself part of Cambridge until 1807)

1925-524: The early 20th century, Brookline banned the construction of triple-decker housing , which was a form of housing popular with poor immigrant communities in the United States. Advocates for the ban justified the ban with anti-immigrant rhetoric. In 1922, Prescott F. Hall , a Brookline resident who co-founded the Immigration Restriction League , petitioned the Brookline government to exclusively allow single-family housing. In 1924,

1980-547: The exception of a brief stretch in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston. From Worcester, it crosses Lake Quinsigamond into Shrewsbury. At this point, Route 9 becomes the main retail artery of the MetroWest region. Several plazas and chain stores are located along the route as it makes its way towards Northborough, where it crosses U.S. Route 20 ; Westborough, where it crosses Interstate 495 ; and eventually in

2035-577: The following are located in Brookline: Boston University including Wheelock College , Boston College , and Northeastern University 's Parsons Field . Newbury College closed in 2019. Brookline is served by the C and D branches of the MBTA 's Green Line trains, with inbound service to downtown Boston and outbound service to Newton. The B line runs just to the northwest of Brookline along Commonwealth Avenue , through

2090-407: The idea. Two branches of upper Boston Post Road , established in the 1670s, passed through Brookline. Brookline Village was the original center of retail activity. In 1810, the Boston and Worcester Turnpike, now Massachusetts Route 9 , was laid out, starting on Huntington Avenue in Boston and passing through the village center on its way west. Steam railroads came to Brookline in the middle of

2145-550: The median sale price for a single-family home in Brookline was $ 2.51 million, and the median condo price was $ 927,500. As a consequence of restrictions on housing supply, Brookline is overwhelmingly wealthy. Only 2.5% of its population is black, which is the second-lowest share of black people in any community in the Boston area. Only 14% of Brookline teachers, 21% of Brookline police and 22% of Brookline firefighters live in Brookline, as median salaries for these kinds of jobs make housing in Brookline largely unaffordable . Brookline

2200-618: The northeast, St. Mary's Street. When Frederick Law Olmsted designed the Emerald Necklace of parks and parkways for Boston in the 1890s, the Muddy River was integrated into the Riverway and Olmsted Park , creating parkland accessible by both Boston and Brookline residents. Throughout its history, Brookline has resisted being annexed by Boston, in particular during the Boston–Brookline annexation debate of 1873 . The neighboring towns of West Roxbury and Hyde Park connected Brookline to

2255-563: The original Route 109 between West Brookfield and US 7 in Pittsfield. Route 9's original route in Boston was along Brookline Avenue from Kenmore Square turning west onto its current path along Boylston Street. Between Worcester and Boston , Route 9 follows the path of the 19th-century Worcester Turnpike , opened in 1810. This route originally included a floating bridge over Lake Quinsigamond in Shrewsbury . From Dalton to Goshen in

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2310-703: The original home of the Boston Red Sox . (The site is now part of Northeastern's campus.) The E branch of the MBTA Green Line roughly follows Huntington Avenue underground from Copley Square until it rises above ground at the Northeastern portal. The Green Line E Branch then operates in a dedicated median of Huntington Avenue between Northeastern University and the Brigham Circle stop, where trains begin street running in mixed traffic to

2365-423: The public: Other historic and cultural sites include: Since 1916, Brookline has been governed by a representative town meeting , which is the town's legislative body, and a five-person Select Board , the town's executive branch. Fifteen town meeting representatives are elected to three year terms from each of the town's seventeen precincts. From 1705 to 1916, the town was governed by an open town meeting and

2420-551: The rest of Norfolk County until they were annexed by Boston in 1874 and 1912, respectively, putting them in Suffolk County . Brookline is now separated from the remainder of Norfolk County. Brookline has long been regarded as a pleasant and verdant environment. In the 1841 edition of the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening , Andrew Jackson Downing described the area this way: The whole of this neighborhood of Brookline

2475-616: The sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21. In March 2023, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upheld the bylaw in the case Six Brothers Inc. v. Town of Brookline . The town is served by the Public Schools of Brookline . The student body at Brookline High School includes students from more than 76 countries. Many students attend Brookline High from surrounding neighborhoods in Boston, such as Mission Hill and Mattapan through

2530-457: The town was 73.3% White , 3.4% Black or African American , 0.12% Native American , 15.6% Asian (6.7% Chinese , 2.6% Indian , 2.3% Korean , 1.8% Japanese ), 0.03% Pacific Islander , 1.01% from other races , and 3.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.0% of the population (0.9% Mexican , 0.8% Puerto Rican ). (Source: 2010 Census Quickfacts) There were 25,594 households, out of which 21.9% had children under

2585-609: The towns of Dalton and Windsor , wherein the route reaches its highest point at 2033 ft, in Berkshire County . It continues its winding pass through the small towns of The Berkshires in Berkshire and western Hampshire Counties before passing through the center of Northampton , passing Smith College before its first interstate junction, at Interstate 91 . It then crosses the Connecticut River at

2640-471: The west by Amory Street, on the south by Beacon Street , and on the east by St. Mary's Street. The district excludes properties on the latter two roads. The southwestern portion of this area is mainly openspace, with a playground and conservation area surrounding Hall's Pond. There are 75 historically significant buildings on 67 acres (27 ha). Most of them are residential, with a shared setting and scale. Some are institutional buildings, including those of

2695-399: Was Smelt Brook. (That name appears on maps starting at least as early as 1852, but sometime between 1888 and 1925 the brook was covered over. ) The southern boundary, abutting Boston, was the Muddy River . In 1843, a racially restrictive covenant in Brookline forbade resale of property to "any negro or native of Ireland ." The Town of Brighton was merged with Boston in 1874, and

2750-586: Was annexed by Boston (and left Norfolk County to join Suffolk County ). Brookline refused to be annexed by Boston after the Boston–Brookline annexation debate of 1873 . Brookline separates the bulk of the city of Boston (except for a narrow neck or corridor near the Charles River ) from its westernmost neighborhoods of Allston–Brighton , which had been the separate town of Brighton until annexed by Boston in 1873. There are many neighborhood associations, some of which overlap. Neighborhoods, squares, and notable areas of Brookline include: The climate of Brookline

2805-505: Was established in 1933. From its start in 1810 as a toll road from Brookline to Worcester , Route 9 has undergone transformation into a major highway due to the rise of the automobile, especially with the popularity of Henry Ford's Model T . It took over the alignment of what was Route 115 from Kenmore Square in Boston to Route 22 in North Grafton , part of the original route of US 20 between North Grafton and West Brookfield and

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2860-463: Was home to one of the first modern shopping malls , the aptly named Shoppers' World . In Natick , Route 9 is officially the "Ted Williams Highway", named after the Red Sox sports legend Ted Williams , who sported that number. In Newton , it is officially the "United Spanish War Veterans Highway". From 1903 to 1932, the Boston and Worcester Street Railway ran mostly via modern Route 9. Today

2915-613: Was known as the hamlet of Muddy River and was considered part of Boston until the Town of Brookline was independently incorporated in 1705. (The Muddy River was used as the Brookline–Boston border at incorporation.) It is said that the name derives from a farm therein once owned by Judge Samuel Sewall . Originally the property of CPT John Hull and Judith Quincy Hull. Judge Sewall came into possession of this tract, which embraced more than 350 acres, through Hannah Quincy Hull (Sewall) who

2970-728: Was the Hull's only daughter. John Hull in his youth lived in Muddy River Hamlet, in a little house which stood near the Sears Memorial Church. Hull removed to Boston, where he amassed a large fortune for those days. Judge Sewall probably never lived on his Brookline estate. According to the United States Census Bureau , Brookline has a total area of 6.8 sq mi (17.7 km ), all but 0.039 sq mi (0.1 km ) (0.44%) of which

3025-417: Was wide, with 16.6% under the age of 18, 11.7%, from 18 to 24, 37.3% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.1 males. The median income for a household for 2021 in the town was $ 83,318, and the median income for a family was $ 122,356. Males had

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