The school was founded in 1820 by local citizens as a "building for higher education." Once called Wolfeborough and Tuftonborough Academy, in 1887 it was renamed Brewster Free Academy in honor of John Brewster, a benefactor. In 1985, Digital Equipment Corporation co-founder Ken Olsen donated a number of Digital personal computers to Brewster. The computers were part of a new lab dedicated to Grace Murray Hopper, whose family had a summer house in Wolfeboro. The lab is called the Grace Murray Hopper Center for Computer Learning.