The Town of Holliston was incorporated on December 3, 1724 by virtue of approval by the General Court of a petition requesting that "the western part of Sherborn be a Town". The name was taken in honor of Thomas Hollis, Esq. of London, England, a benefactor of Harvard College.

The town has grown from a community of a few hundred residents setting aside ten pounds per year for public education to a community of nearly 15,000 with an annual budget of over $40 million, including more than $23 million for a nationally recognized school system.