Originally 6000 acres granted to residents of Braintree, the village of "Braintree Farms" was enlarged by the addition of tracts formerly of Brookfield and Hardwick and in 1751 was incorporated as "New Braintree". Previously occupied by a large contingent of Native Americans, the area became noted for its good farmers, and bountiful harvests.

By the late 18th century, New Braintree was shipping its annual production of dairy products, cheese and beef to Boston and had attained a high degree of prosperity. Over 1,000 milk cows lived in New Braintree by the 19th century and the town produced over 200,000 pounds of cheese annually. Townspeople made shoes, built carriages and made spoke shaves.