David Pingree of Salem, MA, financed the building of the Brown Library in 1892 in memory of his cousin Augustus S. Brown (1834-1892), the son of Dr. Sewall Brown (1798-1850) of Seabrook. In 1933, Mr. Pingree bequeathed $15,000 to the library, the interest from which was used to purchase books. In 1975, as a result of the efforts of Librarian Lydia Mary (Weare) Gould, the Town of Seabrook began annually funding the operation of the library. In 1994, the Brown Library building was moved and attached to the new library off Centennial Street to become the new local history and study center.