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The Brookline chapter of the American Legion, Post#540, was chartered in December 1934. The post was originally located in the building at the corner of Brookline Boulevard and Queensboro Avenue. The headquarters moved to the Brookline Theatre banquet hall at 732-734 Brookline Boulevard in May 1935. Finally, in June 1940, the Brookline Legionnaires finally moved into their own dedicated hall, built at 520 Brookline Boulevard at a cost of $25,000. The hall opened on June 28, 1940. The newspaper clipping above is from the June 27 Post-Gazette. In the years that followed the building was expanded, with an addition added to the rear and also a second story. The American Legion hall was a mainstay on Brookline Boulevard for seventy-five years. In 2015, due to rising maintenance costs and declining membership, the post sold the building. It is now home to the Brookline Teen Outreach Center. As of January 2020, Brookline Post#540 still has its charter and there are still a few members, led by Post Commander Chuck Labby. You can see our Legionnaires on Memorial Days at the cannon during the opening ceremony before the annual parade.
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