NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF

V E X I L L O L O G Y

Online Edition

Brookline Flag

Story of the Town Flag of Brookline, Massachusetts

Submitted by Jeanette Doetsch

Some of the origin of Brookline is explained in the history of the town of Brookline found at the public library showing that the "Muddy River" had been a part of the town of Boston, until it decided to become an independent town.

For many, many years the town of Brookline was a very productive agricultural community.

When the first town flag was produced, some 30-40 years ago, its central focus was the Town Seal on a beautiful white field.

Since that flag was introduced (and remains only in the selectmen's hearing room at this time) the town has become a very diverse community with many foreign nationalities represented especially in the school population.

Does the current town flag truly represent the town now? My feeling is that it does not, thus the explanation of my design.

First, the tricolor of the flag signifies the original colony Green for the verdant fields and farmlands; blue for the waters that bordered nearly three sides of the colony; white to make the town seal stand out. The red points represent the four cardinal points of the compass showing the diversity of the population of the town today. The blue points signify the four freedoms which should encompass all people.

This flag, then, would speak of Brookline from its beginning to the current time and carry it through the future.

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