On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Brooks is more historic than 82% of U.S. towns. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its share of homes from before 1940 ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Brooks’ overall grade.
Maine towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Maine town has 15.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Brooks’ 16.6 sits near the middle of its state (54% of Maine towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1816.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.6 points).
Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Brooks’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Brooks yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Brooks is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,010 at the 2020 census. The town was incorporated on December 10, 1816, and was named after John Brooks, the Federalist candidate for Governor of Massachusetts in 1815–1816, when the town incorporated. The town of Dexter, which incorporated the same year, was named after the opposing candidate Samuel Dexter. It was during Gov. Brooks' administration that Maine ceased to be a territory of Massachusetts and became a state.
Brooks was established in 1816. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 1,078 to 1,010 (-6%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
In 1816, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town.
How does Brooks rank for history?
Brooks is more historic than 82% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Brooks?
Two places: the (Former) Maine Central Railroad Depot (listed 2009) and the Pilley House (2022).
How old are the homes in Brooks?
25% of Brooks’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.6 points), against a typical 19% for a Maine town; the median home was built in 1986.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
