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NH | Town Profiles
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New Castle NH An absolute gem on the New Hampshire Seacoast.... New Castle, a tiny island community, is home to the Wentworth By The Sea Hotel. The hotel was originally opened in 1874, and recently been restored to the opulence of a bygone era. The Wentworth By The Sea Marina has 170 slips and can accommodate vessels up to 200 feet. Just across the harbor lies the Wentworth By The Sea Country Club in Rye. The Portsmouth Yacht Club, founded in New Castle in 1898 has a club house on the Piscataqua River in Portsmouth Harbor. New Castle's Great Island Common is a 31 acre oceanfront park with wonderful views of the harbor lighthouses. Homes in New Castle range from antique colonials to sweeping estates with bold ocean views. Read more ... |
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Exeter NH A walk along the tree-lined streets of Exeter is a stroll through history. Since the town first was settled in 1638, there's always been a strong sense of community here. In the 1700s, colonists gathered at Folsom Tavern to discuss revolution; today, families gather at Swasey Parkway along the banks of the Squamscott River to enjoy the town's summer concert series. Read more ... |
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Durham NH Durham is a community with tremendous wealth of natural resources and a dynamic ecological diversity. It's also a beautiful community with spectacular open spaces and intimate quiet settings. It's a community of active and thriving neighborhoods. It's a community that values education and quality of life. It's a community of entrepreneurs, artists, and creators. It's a community with a vibrant, active downtown comprised of energetic and imaginative businesspeople. It's a community without the strip commercial development and suburban sprawl afflicting much of America, and a community that strongly wants to protect and preserve its heritage and resources. In short, Durham is truly a special place! Read more ... |
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Kensington NH Kensington maintains a peaceful, country atmosphere of farms, historic buildings, comfortable homes and small businesses on roads named "Stumpfield," "Trundlebed" and "Wild Pasture." When residents leave the main roads to head for home, they pass by miles of untouched woodlands, pastures, hills and wetlands. The town's handsome, historic homes are a source of pride for local residents. The library maintains records tracing the history of many of these homes, as well as genealogical records of oldtime Kensington families. The town's active conservation commission works to preserve open areas for future generations, while recreation facilities at the town park on Trundlebed Lane continue to be improved and maintained by dedicated volunteers. Read more ... |
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Brentwood NH Brentwood is a friendly, rural community located 20 minutes from New Hampshire's beautiful seacoast. With almost 1000 households, the population has tripled to 3,000 inhabitants from its earliest count of 1,064 in 1767. Brentwood's 16.97 square miles are seated in the Rockingham County's geographical center and; it is home to many of the county's support services. Whether you are an avid gardener, an outdoor sports enthusiast or more inclined to join a lively book discussion, Brentwood has a diverse array of clubs and organizations. A short drive will take you to Portsmouth NH, Newburyport MA, Boston or the coast of Maine. If you prefer to stay close to home, town trails, a lovely apple orchard, perennial gardens and town recreational activities await you. Read more ... |
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Amherst NH Amherst, New Hampshire is located about 10 miles west of downtown Nashua, NH. With a population of a little over 10,000 citizens and an area of 34.8 square miles, Amherst has grown into a suburban community with many recent newcomers. Read more ... |
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Newington NH This town was first named Bloody Point, in memory of a victory by the early colonists over an attacking band of Indians in the late 1600's. Early in the 1700's, it was renamed Newington Parish. Newington is surrounded on three sides by the Piscataqua River and Great Bay, and is home to the Pease International Trade Port, formerly Pease Air Force Base, and the NH Air National Guard. Read more ... |
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North Hampton NH First settled in 1639, this town was a part of Hampton known as North Hill or North Parish. Residents began petitioning for separation from Hampton as early as 1719, but township was not granted until 1742, following separation of New Hampshire from Massachusetts. North Hampton was the birthplace of General Henry Dearborn, commander-in-chief of the American forces in the War of 1812, for whom Fort Dearborn (Chicago) and Dearborn, Michigan, were named. Read more ... |
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Bedford NH Located about 50 miles from Boston, Bedford, NH is known as an upscale bedroom community for executives commuting to Manchester, Nashua, Concord and Boston. Bedford is made up of about 79 percent residences and 21 percent businesses. The town has created a masterplan to direct commercial growth so that the lifestyle of its residents is not compromised. Near the quaint town center are old farm areas where many of Bedford’s lifelong citizens reside. Bedford has a first-rate educational system and superior recreational facilities while maintaining a comparatively low and stable tax base. The Town recently acquired a 312-acre parcel known as the Joppa Hill Farm, which will be used for conservation and recreational purposes. In 2000, the Town officially dedicated Legacy Park, a 70-acre facility that includes soccer, softball, and baseball fields; cross-country ski trails and warming hut; basketball courts; tennis courts; and a skateboard park. Read more ... |
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Hanover NH The Town of Hanover and surrounding region is a part of what is known as "The Upper Valley". This designation refers to a geographic area stretching along both sides of the Connecticut River in Central New Hampshire and Vermont. At the region's center are the towns of Hanover & Lebanon on the New Hampshire side and Hartford (White River Junction) & Norwich in Vermont. Each Upper Valley town had its own distinctive character and beauty. Hanover is home to Dartmouth College (one of the Ivies and the ninth oldest college in the nation) and enjoys a lively, traditional business district and beautiful countryside. Located near Interstates 89 and 91, Hanover is 2 hours from Boston, 3 hours from Montreal, and 5 hours from New York City. Read more ... |
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Auburn NH Auburn is just minutes from Manchester, but its rural atmosphere makes one think otherwise. The town is primarily a home to commuter to Manchester and other communities. For many years, Auburn had very little population growth. But by the 1960s, Auburn’s rustic charm had been discovered and its population almost doubled. With Manchester’s growth spurt in the 1980s, many new residents came to Auburn for its country atmosphere near the city. New homes continue to be built as the town’s growth continues. Scenic Lake Massabesic, which provides Manchester with its drinking water, is located in Auburn. About a third of the land surrounding the lake is owned by the Manchester Water Works, which has opened it up to hiking, sailing, canoeing and picnicking. The Audubon Society of New Hampshire operates a facility and walking trails at the lake and offers year-round family and school programs. Read more ... |
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Candia NH Candia has retained its rural atmosphere but is no longer a farm community. Instead, most residents commute to jobs in Manchester and other southern New Hampshire communities. Candia is primarily a residential community, with a few small businesses, a kindergarten through eighth grade community school, two private kindergartens and a very active Candia Youth Athletic Association. The spirit of volunteerism is strong in Candia, as was recently demonstrated by residents who built new playing fields for the youth athletic association and developed plans for a new library. Active local organizations include the Junior Women’s Club, Boy and Girl Schouts, church groups, Masons and the PTO. Candia is home to a variety of recreational options, including the 18-hole Candia Woods golf course. Exotic wildlife and sleigh/hay rides at Charmingfare Farm attract visitors from all over the region, as do the town’s excellent riding stables. Read more ... |
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Merrimack NH Merrimack is a town that has seen continuous economic growth over the past 13 years. Residents here are energetic and active in the community, although many are commuters to Manchester, Nashua and Boston. Merrimack’s location between Manchester and Nashua makes it a bridge between both communities. Three interchanges off the F.E. Everett Turnpike provide a quick and easy ride to industrial centers along I-495 in Massachusetts and Greater Boston. The town has four parks, an ice rink, tennis courts, Merrimack River access and town forest and conservation land. Merrimack also offers several playgrounds, historic sites and a large number of fine restaurants, many of which are in restored historic homes. The community is dotted with old homes, small farms and tranquil ponds. The Merrimack School District is one of the region’s best and provides education to children from readiness to 12th grade at three elementary schools, a middle school and a high school. Read more ... |
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Hooksett NH Hooksett's population has grown steadily for the past decade, transforming Hooksett from a small town into the 22nd largest municipality in New Hampshire. Hooksett has kept pace with the increasing demand for housing with dozens of new construction projects. In the past few years, Hooksett has experienced a surge of residential construction that shows no signs of abating. All this growth is attributed to Hooksett’s ideal location between Concord and Manchester, its close proximity to I-93 and other major routes, and its favorable business climate. Outside of the business district, Hooksett turns into a lovely residential town with an old-fashioned village center located along the Merrimack River at the falls. Read more ... |
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Litchfield NH Litchfield has traded an agricultural past for the comfortable mantel of quiet bedroom community. Signs of its heritage remain, as is evident in a drive down the town’s major artery, Route 3A, with its lush green fields, occasional cows and horses, and antique farmhouses. The small town is situated very near I-293 and the Manchester Airport, which makes it ideal for residents who commute almost anywhere. Low crime, privacy and a peaceful atmosphere are several of Litchfield’s benefits. One-acre zoning is intended to preserve the town’s rural quality. Although residences are the most prominent structures in Litchfield, there are a few restaurants and small businesses in town. Litchfield is home to Tee-Off at Mel’s, a popular driving range, batting cage, miniature golf and mini racing car track facility, which lures local athletes from surrounding towns. For serious golfers, the Passaconaway 18-hole golf course is available. Read more ... |
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Rollinsford NH Rollinsford is a small town located in southeastern New Hampshire. The town is situated on the western bank of the Salmon Falls River which divides New Hampshire from Maine. It is located approximately 14 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. Our neigboring cities are Dover, and Somersworth, New Hampshire and South Berwick, Maine. This small New England community is a great place to live and raise a family. Today, the town's character is reflected in its history, enriched by a great number of houses of architectural significance, many in rural settings, and a largely intact 19th century mill village. Read more ... |
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Claremont NH The City of Claremont is situated on the western border of New Hampshire, on the banks of the Connecticut River. Claremont is the largest community within a 30 mile radius and serves as a retail and professional hub for the region. Claremont, with a population of approximately 14,000 is the only city in Sullivan County. The City lies next to Interstate 91, the major north-south route between eastern Canada and the northeastern US. The area offers many recreational opportunities, including skiing, golf, boating, hiking, and even hang gliding. Cultural activities include a beautifully restored Historic Opera House which features world-class entertainment year round. Dartmouth College and its educational and cultural activities are only a short ride away. Claremont is located approximately one hour from Concord, NH, two hours from Boston, and three and one/half hours from either New York City or Montreal. A small airport rounds out the transportation options in the community. Read more ... |
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Goffstown NH Goffstown is a scenic town lodged at the base of the Uncanoonuc Mountains and is enjoying a period of growth and development. Goffstown has been aggressively promoting itself as a good place to live and do business. It has easy access to I-93 and Route 3, and close proximity to the Manchester Airport. Goffstown is home to Saint Anselm College, a well-respected, private liberal arts college. Like many other communities in the Manchester Region, Goffstown is in the midst of expanding its school facilities. Recently the town approved an $11 million renovation and expansion of its high school. Goffstown’s beautiful Uncanoonuc Mountains, Piscataquog River and the recently renovated waterfront at Glen Lake set the backdrop for any number of outdoor adventures. For those who enjoy organized activities, the town’s parks and recreation commission sponsors a wide range of programs for children and adults. Read more ... |
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Londonderry NH Londonderry’s enviable location about 12 miles north of the Massachusetts border and eight miles from the commerce center of Manchester gives the town a strategic location. Londonderry’s dedication to preserving its quality of life while encouraging an expanding business base has made it a particularly popular home for newcomers to the area. With a wide array of housing options including older Colonial and Victorian homes, new single-family homes, condominiums and apartments, Londonderry is prepared for the residential growth that its robust economy is providing. Londonderry is committed to buying the development rights of major apple orchards in town, ensuring these properties remain in agricultural use. In addition, the town has established an official scenic and cultural byway called The Apple Way. Visitors can tour five local orchards through an interpretive program, which incorporates the history of the town with fruit picking, hayrides and other fun activities. Read more ... |
Lebanon New Hampshire Nestled in the Connecticut River Valley midway up state, Lebanon, New Hampshire, is a healthy and thriving community that enjoys both the quiet everyday living of rural life, and the cultural experience of the big city. Recognized as one of the 100 Best Small Towns in America Lebanon's residents are living testimonials that this recognition is richly deserved. Lebanon, New Hampshire is the Crossroads of New England. Read more ... |
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Derry NH Derry is the state’s fourth largest community, behind Manchester, Nashua and Concord. Although technically a town, Derry offers big city amenities including a bustling downtown, which was recently revitalized through the New Hampshire Main Street program. The town invested more than $1.5 million in the restoration of the historic Opera House and transformed the appearance of the downtown streetscape. Outside of the central business district, about 90 percent of Derry is still rural, providing homeowners with privacy and space. Other attractions include an excellent school system and ample recreational facilities, including Beaver Lake, a new health club, golf courses, a bike path system and walking trails. Read more ... |
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Hampton NH While Hampton is known primarily in the summer months for its long stretches of sandy Atlantic shores it is more than just a beach town. Read more ... |
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Dover NH Dover is one of the fastest growing communities in the New Hampshire Seacoast Region. Dover's historic waterfront downtown area includes the scenic brick mill houses that line the Cocheco River. Dover is being re-discovered, and the new interest is driving both revitalization and growth in the form of new home construction. Dover's waterfront features are the Cocheco River, the Bellamy River and Little Bay, which provides Dover with many waterfront properties. Read more ... |
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Greenland NH Visions of a quiet, picturesque New England town come to life in Greenland, New Hampshire. Bordering the waters of the serene Great Bay, this residential community is located just beyond the Portsmouth city limits. Greenland's 13.4 square miles are dotted with many 18th century homes and colonial farm houses including an inn and tavern, visited frequently by George Washington in his travels up and down the coast. Greenland is convenient to both Portsmouth and Exeter. Read more ... |
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Meredith NH Meredith New Hampshire includes the villages of Bear Island, East Bear Island, Leavitt Park, Lovejoy Sands, Meredith and Meredith Center. Meredith is the heart of the NH Lakes Region and is nestled among New Hampshire's largest lakes - Lake Winnipesaukee, Squam, Winnisquam, Waukewan, Kanasatka, Wicwas, Pemigewasset, and Winona. Other areas in the region are Weirs Beach, Center Harbor, Moultonborough, Holderness, Sandwich, Wolfeboro, Bristol, and New Hampton. Read more ... |
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Rye NH Rye, New Hampshire's dramatic oceanfront stretches for nearly eight of New Hampshire's 18 miles of Atlantic coastline and truly defines the feel of one of New Hampshire's oldest towns. from it's beach front homes to the gracious estates on tree lined boulevards, Rye evokes historical New England charm. Rye is home to the Wentworth By The Sea Country Club, the Abenaqui Country Club as well as the private Rye Surf Club. There are several beaches and state parks in Rye including Wallis Sands Beach, Jenness Beach, Rye North Beach and Rye Harbor. The town of Rye is primarily residential and the town's strict growth guidelines keep new construction rates relatively low compared to other Seacoast communities. Much of the construction that happens in the area is confined to rehabbing or updating of existing properties. Rye includes the villages of: Cable Road, Fairhill Manor, Foyes Corner, Langs Corner, Rye, Rye Beach, Rye Harbor, Rye North Beach, Wallis Sands, West Rye. Read more ... |
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Rye NH Rye NH Homes - Rye NH Land - Rye NH Condos - Rye NH Waterfront Read more ... |
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Newmarket NH Newmarket boasts a tranquil downtown waterfront. Newmarket's many waterways, its ticket to prosperity during its manufacturing boom, continue to attract residents in today's rush for waterfront real estate. The town boasts mile after mile of valuable frontage on the Piscassic and Lamprey rivers, which merge on Newmarket's northern boundary, as well as along the sprawling shores of Great Bay. Several small recreational parks are scattered throughout town, including a Little League field, softball fields and two municipal boat launch areas. A tennis and athletic club and nine-hole golf course complement the town's activities. Homes tucked into the steep hills behind Newmarket's main street are compact and convenient to downtown, which offers a plethora of campy storefronts. Other neighborhoods on the outskirts of town are wooded, with homes dotted along their winding roads; farms and pastures line the town's country roads. Read more ... |
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Lee NH Lee NH Read more ... |
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Seabrook NH Seabrook is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the state of Massachusetts on the south. Bordering towns are: Salisbury, Massachusetts, Hampton Falls, Kensington and South Hampton, New Hampshire. Seabrook has excellent highway access with Routes 1-95, 1-A, Routes 107 and 286. Read more ... |
Barrington, NH Barrington bears the family name of the English governor of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Samuel Shute of Barrington Hall, whose brother was Viscount Barrington. It was once the third most populous town in the state. The smelting of iron ore was at the time the area's primary industry. Read more ... |
Dover, NH The quality of life in Dover is unmatched. Dover boasts an exceptional school system, outstanding parks and recreation services, as well as premier medical facilities. The downtown area reflects the city's mill heritage. The Cochecho River graces the banks of the downtown. Members of the community hustle by on shopping or business trips. Dover is nestled between the mountains and the ocean. The community is close to the University of New Hampshire, Pease International Tradeport and harbors a local airport. The city is a short drive to the Port of New Hampshire, the state's only deep water port, scene to industrial barges escorted by tugs, importing and exporting goods to and from the Granite State. Dover is a quick commute to the metropolitan area of Boston, and less than an hour's drive to Boston's Logan International Airport. In addition, there is easy access to rail and highway transportation routes. Read more ... |
Durham, NH A very special place, Durham is a community that deeply values the environment, open spaces, flowing rivers, and the Little and Great Bays. It has beautiful woodlands and parks that are available to the public. It is a scenic community, yet one that is strategically located with respect to the ocean, the mountains, the lakes, and the cosmopolitan areas of Portsmouth, Portland, and Boston. It is a community that houses the University of New Hampshire, the state's premier public university. Finally, Durham is a bustling downtown, complete with historic reminders of ages gone by, but one that still serves to cater to the needs of residents today. Read more ... |
Farmington, NH Farmington is proud of its past, but always looks to and plans for the future. Today, Farmington is a healthy mix of industrial, retail, and service sector business, with a robust downtown that still reflects its past in a quaint and attractive setting. State of New Hampshire Routes 11, 153 and 75 intersect the town, providing important links to the Northeast and Canada.Three municipal parks, ball fields, and conservation areas along the Mad River and other nature walks in town ensure a little bit of everything to pique your interest! Finally, as the "Gateway to the Lakes Region" of New Hampshire, and a breath away from the Seacoast, Farmington offers the best of two worlds. From lounging on the beaches of Maine and New Hampshire to hiking the forests, swimming or water skiing the lakes of New Hampshire's interior, Farmington is the ideal location to work, live and play. Read more ... |
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Lee, NH Established in 1765, Lee was one of the last among the 129 towns chartered by Governor Benning Wentworth. Named for General Charles Lee, friend and kin of the Governor, who had fought with George Washington and others during the French and Indian Wars. Lee also fought under Washington during the American Revolution, and in doing so, forfeited estates in England. Read more ... |
Madbury, NH Madbury is situated on the southeastern section of New Hampshire, comprising about 7,600 acres. It is bounded on its northeast border by the City of Dover; on the southern line by Durham and Lee, and on the west by Barrington. The Barrington line is slightly less than three miles long; and from the corners of this line, the Madbury town lines converge to the southeast until they reach tidewater --a distance of about seven miles to form a wedge shaped triangle, whose base is at Barrington and apex is at a point adjacent to the spot where the Bellamy River enters Little Bay. This location has been variously known as Cedar Point, Tickle Point, and Hill's Neck. The Bellamy River is the only one of any size in Madbury and, until the Bellamy dam was built, Barbadoes Pond was the town's largest body of water. Although it has always been in the center of an industrial area, Madbury itself has always remained rural in character. There was never a village or hamlet in the town. For years lumbering and agriculture were its mainstays. However, quite recently it changed to what is primarily a residential town, and furnishes homes for many whose income is derived from adjacent areas. Read more ... |
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Milton, NH Originally a part of Rochester, this town was long known as Three Ponds or Milton Mills. Located along the Maine border on the Salmon River, it was the location of several mills, and the scene of early manufacturing. The name Milton may have come from a relative of the Wentworth Governors, William Fitzwilliam, Earl of Fitzwilliam and Viscount Milton. Milton is home to Mount Teneriffe, among the earliest of New Hampshire's mountains to be named, and so named in honor of the volcano on the Canary Islands. Read more ... |
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New Durham, NH Granted in 1749 as Cocheco, New Durham was first settled almost entirely by colonists from Durham, New Hampshire. It was incorporated as New Durham in 1762. An early minister in the town, Reverend Benjamin Randall, founded a new religious denomination called the Free-Will Baptists, later known as Free Baptists. Read more ... |
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Rollinsford, NH Long a part of Somersworth, Rollinsford was the site of a 1680 landing on the Salmon River. The town was incorporated in 1849, and given the name of Rollinsford in honor of newlyweds Edward H. and Ellen West Rollins. Rollins went on to be Speaker of the New Hampshire House, chairman of the State Republican Committee, Congressman and Senator from New Hampshire, and founder of the banking firm E.H. Rollins & Sons in Boston. His son, Frank W. Rollins, was New Hampshire's governor in 1900, and the originator of Old Home Week. Read more ... |
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Middleton, NH Granted in 1749, the town was named for Sir Charles Middleton, Lord Barham, who was in charge of convoy service between Barbados and the colonies. Middleton was situated on the road between Exeter and Wolfeboro, the location of Governor John Wentworth's summer home, Kingswood. Neglect of the road caused the Governor to bill the proprietors for repairs that he had to make for safe travel to Kingswood. Read more ... |
Somersworth, NH Somersworth began as a parish of Dover, named Sligo after the Irish county which was home to an early colonial governor. Later, it was called Summersworth, which was contracted to Somersworth when it was incorporated in 1754. It was incorporated as a city in 1893. Situated on the Salmon River, Somersworth has been home to many gristmills, sawmills, and cotton and woolen making establishments. Read more ... |
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Strafford, NH First settled prior to the Revolution, this town takes its name from the county in which it is located. Earl of Strafford was a title of the Wentworth family in England. The name was also adopted by a state militia company in Dover, the Strafford Guards, who later became part of the New Hampshire National Guard. Strafford includes the village of Bow Lake. Read more ... |
Rochester, NH Rochester, known as the Lilac City, is located in southeastern New Hampshire. With a population of almost 31,000, Rochester is the largest city in the seacoast region and fourth largest city in New Hampshire. Encompassing 48 square miles of rolling hills and rivers, Rochester is conveniently located only a short distance from New Hampshire's famous Lakes Region, the White Mountains with its ski resorts and the Seacoast with its superb beaches. Whether covered with its famous lilacs in the spring, flowers blooming in the summer, spectacular autumn foliage or fresh-fallen snow, the Rochester area is a scenic delight. One of Rochester's many attributes is its excellent air, highway, rail and water transportation connections. Major highways include routes 11, 108, 125, 202 and the Spaulding Turnpike (Route 16), a four lane, limited access highway with six exits to the City. This expressway provides easy access to Interstate 95, the Pease International Tradeport, Boston's Logan Airport, Manchester International Airport, the Portland International Jetport and the Port of Portsmouth. The New Hampshire Northcoast rail line and Skyhaven Airport also serve Rochester. Read more ... |
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East Kingston, NH Once a part of Kingston, this area was called Kingston East Parish. It was granted a separate charter in 1738 after some residents petitioned Governor Jonathan Belcher of Massachusetts that its location was too distant from the Kingston school and place of worship. Read more ... |
Epping, NH Granted in 1741, Epping was the last town chartered by Massachusetts Governor Jonathan Belcher prior to the establishment of New Hampshire as an independent province. It was at one time a part of Exeter, and was named for Epping Forest, a suburb of London. Read more ... |
Exeter, NH Exeter was one of the four original towns established in New Hampshire. It was first known as Squamscott, and was given the name Exeter by the settlement's managers, the Exeter Combination, a group of English colonizers. The river location of the town made it a shipbuilding center and West Indies trading port. Exeter is home to the Phillips Exeter Academy, endowed by Colonel John Phillips in 1781, and the American Independence Museum. Read more ... |
Fremont, NH Once a part of Exeter known as Poplin, after an English mill town. The town was renamed Fremont in 1854, after General John C. Fremont, who was the first candidate of the Republican Party in the presidential election of 1856. Benton, in Grafton County, bears the name of Fremont's father-in-law, Senator Thomas Hart Benton. Read more ... |
Greenland, NH Visions of a quiet, picturesque New England town come to life in Greenland, New Hampshire. Bordering the waters of the serene Great Bay, this residential community is located just beyond the Portsmouth city limits. Greenland's 13.4 square miles are dotted with many 18th century homes and colonial farm houses including an inn and tavern, visited frequently by George Washington in his travels up and down the coast. Greenland is convenient to both Portsmouth and Exeter. Read more ... |
Hampstead, NH Rich in history and often described as a picture postcard town with an elegant historic Main St. characterized by antique Colonial homes, Hampstead, NH is located in Rockingham County. The town is 30 miles south of Concord, 30 miles west of Portsmouth, and 20 miles from Hampton Beach on the Seacoast. Hampstead contains 13.4 square miles of land, approximately 8,350 acres, 400 of which are inland water area, wholly or in part Island Pond, Sunset Lake, and Angle Pond, all attracting a significant seasonal population and summer youth camp to town. Read more ... |
Hampton New Hampshire During the summer months Hampton Beach is alive with events and activities with over 80 free evening concerts, weekly fireworks displays and the ever popular Hampton Beach Casino. Some of the more notable events are the Masters of Sand Sculpting competition, the Miss Hampton Beach competition, the Hampton Beach Idol competition and the annual Seafood Festival held towards the end of the summer season. For families, check out the Hampton Beach Children's Festival held in mid August. Read more ... |
Hampton Falls, NH Hampton Falls is primarily a residential community that clings proudly to its rural roots. Route 1 provides a small business community which includes Dodge's Agway, a country store, furniture stores, a Shopper's Village, restaurants and numerous antique shops. Applecrest Orchard is located on Route 88. Applecrest is one of the oldest working apple orchards in the country; as well as one of the town's largest employers and taxpayers. Horse farms are also abundant and operating in Hampton Falls. The building inspector's office still receives requests for permits to build barns. Many residents commute out of town to work. Boston is 45 miles away and Route 95 is easily accessible from town. Portsmouth is 15 miles away. Commuting residents can escape to a small rural town after an easy commute to the cities. Read more ... |
Kensington, NH Kensington, a small rural community of approximately 1800 people, is situated in southeastern Rockingham County, about 8 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. Kensington remains a community of farms, woodlands & pastures, and wetlands; and the roads have names like Stumpfield, Wild Pasture, Drinkwater, Hemlock, Juniper, and Muddy Pond. Approximately 12 square miles in size, Kensington has four state owned roads running through it: Routes 84, 107, 108, and 150. The downtown, though small, serves the needs of the community well: a Town Hall, an elementary school (grades K-5), a library, two churches, Fire Department, Police Department, and a cemetery. Two restaurants, a convenience store, and James R. Rosencrantz form the commercial base of Kensington, with Exeter & Hampton Electric the primary industry in the town. Read more ... |
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Kingston, NH Kingston was the fifth town to be established in New Hampshire, made possible by peace treaties with the Indians following King William's War. The settlement, known as King's Town, was probably named by residents originally from Kingston, Massachusetts. Kingston was once home to Dr. Josiah Bartlett, president of the state from 1790 to 1794, delegate to the Continental Congress, first signer of the Declaration of Independence, and founder of the New Hampshire Medical Society. Read more ... |
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Londonderry, NH This region, first called Nutfield because of the heavy woods, was settled in 1718. In 1722 it was given the name Londonderry, after the Irish settlement of Scots colonists. The Irish name was originally Derry Calgach, Calgach meaning fierce warrior and Derry meaning oak woods. Early settlers spread out into surrounding villages, bringing Scottish and Irish names like as Antrim, Derry, and Dunbarton. Londonderry was the second largest town in early colonial times, and Derry and Windham were formed from it. Read more ... |
New Castle, NH The largest of several islands at the mouth of the Piscataqua River, this town was originally known as Great Island. New Castle is unique in the state, being the only town made up entirely of islands, connected to the mainland by bridges. The smallest town in New Hampshire, which covers .8 square miles, or 512 acres. The town is composed of one large island and several smaller islands, and serves as a scenic residential and recreational community. New Castle is home to the Historic Wentworth By-The-Sea Hotel. The town is served by nine (9) full-time and two (2) part-time employees, aided by volunteer boards and fire department personnel. New Castle houses a U.S. Coast Guard Station at the mouth of the Piscataqua River, Fort Constitution and Fort Stark which are Historic Sites under the direction of the NH Department of Resources and Economic Development. Also in the SW part of town, are the state owned Leach's and Clampit Islands. These five properties combine for a total of 65 acres. Read more ... |
Newfields, NH Located along the west bank of the Squamscott River, Newfields is bordered by Newmarket to the north, Exeter to the south, Stratham to the east, and Epping to the west. Newfields is accessible principally via Route 85, which runs northeast between Routes 101 and 108, and via route 87 which runs east from Route 125. The town is 31 miles from Manchester, 12 miles from Portsmouth, and 11 miles from Hampton. The village of Newfields includes a historic country store, a town hall, a public library, two churches and a post office, all within close proximity along Main Street. The elementary school and fire department are nearby on Piscassic Road, on the east side of the village. The center of Newfields remains a tightly clustered village composed of a mix of antique colonial and federal homes on the side of a hill overlooking the waterfront where the town landing, shipyard, and various workshops and mercantile businesses once thrived. With the increase in population and economic vitality in the seacoast, NH region, Newfieldswith its country charm and attractive natural landscape, has become a popular bedroom community. While significant land development and construction of new homes in the last decade has brought many new residents to the town, along with a corresponding expansion of services and facilities, Newfields retains its proud historic character in large part because all of its residents, both old and new, appreciate and respect its heritage. Read more ... |
Newington, NH Newington is situated in New Hampshire's Seacoast Region, sixty miles northeast of Boston, and sixty miles southwest of Portland. The town is bordered on three sides by the Piscataqua River and the Great Bay Estuary. The first European settlers arrived in the 1620's. Newington's residential district features many historic homes, open fields, and sweeping vistas of Little Bay and Great Bay. Despite the town's comparatively small land area, Newington has more publicly owned conservation land than any other municipality in southeast New Hampshire. Protected tracts include the 120 acre Fox Point which juts far into Little Bay, and the spectacular 1,100 acre Great Bay National Wildlife Refuge which accounts for six miles of shoreline along the Great Bay Estuary. Read more ... |
Newmarket, NH As a small but vital community of about 7,000 located in the seacoast of New Hampshire, the town of Newmarket continues to retain its character as a scenic mill town along the banks of the Lamprey River and Great Bay. Newmarket's historical past as a New England river town saw the growth and changing of its mills from early sawmills to a thriving textile industry which has in turn given way to new venture high tech companies and dozens of smaller businesses. The Lamprey River, winding through the town, plays a special yet changing role in the town's life. Formerly serving as a major water transportation link connecting the inland regions with Portsmouth harbor and the Atlantic ocean, the Lamprey is now appreciated as a significant recreational asset to the region with its opportunities for fishing, boating and access to the larger Great Bay tidal basin area. Read more ... |
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Newton, NH The sixth town to be granted from the Masonian land purchase of 1746, Newton was originally part of South Hampton. A number of the residents felt they were too far away from its church for their convenience, and the town was incorporated as Newtown in 1749 simply because it was a new town. In 1846, the New Hampshire legislature voted to contract the name to Newton. Read more ... |
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North Hampton, NH First settled in 1639, this town was a part of Hampton known as North Hill or North Parish. Residents began petitioning for separation from Hampton as early as 1719, but township was not granted until 1742, following separation of New Hampshire from Massachusetts. North Hampton was the birthplace of General Henry Dearborn, commander-in-chief of the American forces in the War of 1812, for whom Fort Dearborn (Chicago) and Dearborn, Michigan, were named. Read more ... |
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Northwood, NH First settled in 1763, Northwood separated from Nottingham and was incorporated in 1773. The town was also known as North Woods and Northwood Narrows, a name still used. At one time, there were some 12 sawmills in the town, five of which were replaced by shoe factories. More recently, the town has been a popular vacation spot, being home to ten lakes, including Bow, Pleasant, and Harvey Lakes. Read more ... |
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Nottingham, NH Nottingham was named in honor of Daniel Finch, second Earl of Nottingham. The Earl was a close friend of Samuel Shute and Joseph Dudley, Governors of Massachusetts when New Hampshire was under that province's jurisdiction. Among the grantees was Peregrine White, descendant of Peregrine White of the Mayflower, the first child of English parentage born in New England. Read more ... |
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Plaistow, NH Once part of Haverhill, Massachusetts, Plaistow was named in 1749 when it was set aside to be an English plaistowe, meaning an open space or greenwood, near the center of a village where the maypole stood and where sports at holiday times were carried on. Other places in and around the town were named Timburlain, Policy Pond, Spicket Meadow, and Amesbury Peak. Read more ... |
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Portsmouth, NH First settled in 1630 as Piscataqua, the settlement was soon named Strawberry Banke. The name Portsmouth was adopted in 1653 to honor the colony s founder, John Mason, Captain of the Port in Portsmouth, England. Portsmouth became the New Hampshire province s capitol in 1679. It was home to many famous colonials, such as William Whipple, signer of the Declaration of Independence; Governor John Langdon, first US Senate president; and John Paul Jones, naval hero. Portsmouth was incorporated as a city in 1849. The original Strawberry Banke settlement has been preserved as an example of a colonial American town. Read more ... |
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Raymond, NH This town was first settled by families from Exeter as a parish of Chester, known as Freetown, because it was exempt from the usual obligation of reserving its tall pine trees for masts in the royal English Navy. In 1764, the town was named Raymond for Captain William Raymond, who had raised a company of soldiers to fight in the war against Canada. Land in Raymond was granted to soldiers from Beverly, Massachusetts, and it was also known as Beverly-Canada. Read more ... |
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Rye, NH The first settlement in New Hampshire, established by David Thompson in 1623 at Odiorne's Point, and named Pannaway. Originally part of Portsmouth, it was incorporated as a parish of New Castle in 1726. The town is named for the borough of Rye, a flourishing English Channel town. Rye's eight-mile length of coastline is dotted with old names such as Wallis Sands, Jenness Beach, Locke's Neck, Ragged Neck, Rye Harbor, and Odiorne Point. In 1876, four of the Isles of Shoals were annexed to the town, the only New Hampshire town with Atlantic islands. The remaining five islands belong to Maine. Read more ... |
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Salem, NH As early as 1736, Salem was the North Parish of Methuen, Massachusetts, or Methuen District. In 1741, when the boundary line between Massachusetts and New Hampshire was re-established, the North Parish became part of New Hampshire, and was given the name Salem, taken from nearby Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is home to Canobie Lake, the Canobie Lake Amusement Park, and Rockingham Park. Read more ... |
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Sandown, NH Once part of Kingston, Sandown was incorporated as a separate town in 1756. It was named for picturesque Sandown on the Isle of Wight. The first minister of Sandown, Reverend Joseph Cotton, built the Sandown Church in 1773. The church had an eleven-foot high pulpit and marble columns supporting the gallery, and is still an excellent example of early New England church architecture. Read more ... |
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Seabrook, NH Seabrook was first settled in 1638 when it was part of Hampton. It was incorporated as a separate town in 1768, and named Seabrook after the Seabrook River. The boundary between Hampton and Seabrook was subject to periodic dispute for nearly two centuries, and was finally settled by court decision in 1953. Seabrook is now home to the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant, itself source of much dispute and controversy. Read more ... |
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South Hampton, NH One of the first towns granted by Governor Benning Wentworth, South Hampton was chartered in 1742 from parts of Amesbury and Salisbury, Massachusetts. Over the years, the town lost territory to Hampton Falls, Seabrook, and Newton, but gained territory from East Kingston. At one time, the town was home to over twelve different religious sects. Read more ... |
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Stratham, NH Settled in 1631, this area, called Winnicutt by the Indians, was known as Squamscott Patent or Point of Rocks because of its location between the Great Bay and the Squamscott River. The sixth town to be incorporated in New Hampshire, the town was named for a friend of Governor Samuel Shute of Massachusetts, Wriothesley Russell, Baron Howland of Streatham. Read more ... |
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Windham, NH The second town to be incorporated by Governor Benning Wentworth, Windham was separated from Londonderry in 1741. It was named for Sir Charles Wyndham, Earl of Egremont and Baron Cockermouth, who was a member of Parliament and Secretary of State when the Rockingham government favored conciliation with the American colonies. Read more ... |
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Chester, NH First called the chestnut country, it may have been the first of the settlement grants by Massachusetts selected for expansion of growing populations in the seacoast. The name may have derived from Cheshire, Chester being the county seat of Cheshire in England. Earl of Chester is a title held by the Prince of Wales. Read more ... |
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Danville, NH One of several parishes of Kingston, first settled in 1694. It was chartered in 1760 as Hawke, in honor of Admiral Sir Edward Hawke. Never a popular name, the town was renamed in 1836 in honor of early settlers. There were at least three Daniels among them, which probably prompted the selection of the name Danville. Read more ... |
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Deerfield, NH Once a parish of Nottingham, Deerfield was incorporated as a town in 1766. It was named for Deerfield, Massachusetts, home of several early settlers. The town was home to John Simpson, who achieved fame by firing the first shot in the revolution, disobeying orders not to fire until you see the whites of their eyes. Read more ... |
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Atkinson, NH Named for Colonel Theodore Atkinson, whose farm once covered nearly all of the area set aside from Plaistow that became the town. He was a brother-in-law to Governor Benning Wentworth, and served as secretary of the colony until the Revolution. Read more ... |
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Auburn, NH Once part of Chester, it was known as Chester Woods, Chester West Parish, Long Meadow, and then Auburn. The name comes from English literature by Goldsmith, as did Auburns in New York, Massachusetts, and Maine. Auburn includes a large portion of Lake Massabesic, water supply for the City of Manchester. Read more ... |
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Brentwood, NH Originally known as Brentwood Parish, a parish of Exeter. This and several other towns were separated from their parent communities due to overpopulation. The name was taken from Brentwood, England, a suburb of London containing the king's forest, the burning of which gave it the name Burnt Wood. Read more ... |
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Candia, NH Once a part of Chester, the town was known as Charmingfare, probably because of the many bridle paths or parades through pleasant scenery. It was named Candia in 1763 by Governor Benning Wentworth, possibly in memory of his sea travels following his graduation from Harvard. Candia was the name of the principal city of Crete. Read more ... |
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Derry, NH Although first settled in 1719, Derry was not incorporated until 1827. It was for a long time part of Londonderry, which included Windham and portions of Manchester, Salem, and Hudson. The town was named for the Isle of Derry, Ireland, the Gaelic word Doire meaning oak woods. Derry is the location of Robert Frost's farm, and the birthplace of astronaut Alan Shepard. It is also the location of two of America's oldest private schools, Pinkerton Academy, founded in 1814 and still in operation, and the Adams Female Seminary. Read more ... |
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Merrimack, NH Although first occupied in 1665, settlement did not begin until 1722, when the establishment of Brenton's Farm (Litchfield) presented the need of a ferry across the river to reach new settlements. The ferry concession was owned by Edward Lutwyche. When the town was separated from Nashua (then Dunstable) in 1746, it was given the name of the river, Merrimack. In 1774, Lutwyche's Ferry was sold to Revolutionary War patriot Matthew Thornton, giving it the current name of Thornton's Ferry. Read more ... |
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Allenstown, NH First granted in 1721, the town was named after Samuel Allen, governor of the province in the late 1600's. A portion of Bow was annexed in 1815, and a portion of Hooksett in 1853. Home of Bear Brook State Park, the area was once known as excellent bear country, and a good hunting ground for wild geese and ducks. Read more ... |
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Andover, NH First settled by Dr. Anthony Emery, the town was named Emerystown. It was then named New Breton, after Cape Breton, site of a campaign against the French. The town was incorporated in 1779 as Andover, the year Phillips Andover Academy was completed. The school's founder, John Phillips, was a college friend of Dr. Emery. Andover includes the villages of Cillyville and Potter Place. Read more ... |
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Boscawen, NH Named for an English admiral, Edward Boscawen, who fought under General Amherst in the conquest of Canada. One of the first log forts was located here. The Contoocook Fort on the Merrimack, built in 1739, was used for protection against the Indians. Boscawen includes the village of Gerrish, and is home to the State Veterans Cemetery. Read more ... |
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Bow, NH One of several towns established in the Merrimack Valley to alleviate population congestion in the seacoast, which formed a 'bow' on the map. There is also a bend in the Merrimack River within its borders, and the name Bow may have come from either source. Bow is the birthplace of Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the First Church of Christ, Scientist and leader of the Christian Science movement. Read more ... |
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Bradford, NH First granted in 1771, the town was named New Bradford, then Bradfordton, and finally was incorporated as Bradford in 1787, the year of the constitutional convention. New Hampshire's delegation was not going to approve the constitution, but under the leadership of Bradford s Thomas Stickney the delegation approved ratification, and, being the ninth state to do so, gave the United States its constitution. Bradford includes the villages of Bradford Center and Melvin Mills, and Lake Massasecum. Read more ... |
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Canterbury, NH First granted in 1727, the town was named for William Wake, Archbishop of Canterbury. Canterbury in England is famous for its cathedral, and for being the center of English Christianity since 597 AD. The town was originally a fort or trading post where the Penacook Indians came to trade. Canterbury was home to the last colony of Shakers, and the Canterbury Shaker Village is now a museum. Read more ... |
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Chichester, NH Chichester is one of seven towns granted in 1727 when New Hampshire was still a part of Massachusetts. As were several other towns, it was named in honor of Thomas Pelham Holles, Duke of Newcastle, Earl of Chichester, and England s Secretary of State. Read more ... |
Concord, NH The first settlement in 1659 was named Penacook, for the Indian name 'Pannukog,' meaning crooked place or bend in the river. The first land grant was in 1725, and the town was incorporated as Rumford in 1733. The name was changed to Concord in 1765 upon resolution of a bitter boundary dispute between Rumford and Bow. Concord became the state capital in 1808. The State House, built in 1818 and first occupied in 1819, is the oldest in continuous use in the country. In 1853, the State granted Concord a city charter. It was in Concord that the Abbotts built the famous Concord Coach, modeled after King George III's coronation coach. Read more ... |
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Danbury, NH The town was not an original colonial grant, but was formed in 1795 from part of Alexandria to the north, and later added land annexed from Wilmot and Hill. The name was taken from Danbury, England, the site of an eleventh century Danish camp. Danbury, Connecticut was also named for the site, and a settler originally from there suggested the name. Read more ... |
Dunbarton, NH First granted in 1735 as Gorham's-town to soldiers returning from the Canada Expedition, and regranted in 1748 as Starkstown to Scots-Irish settlers led by Archibald Stark. It was incorporated in 1765 as Dunbarton, named for Dumbartonshire in Scotland, hometown to Archibald Stark. Stark's son was General John Stark, patriot of Bunker Hill and the Battle of Bennington, and his grandson Caleb was a famous industrialist who established textile mills in Manchester. Read more ... |
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Epsom, NH One of seven towns granted by the Governor of Massachusetts before New Hampshire became an independent province. Epsom was named for Epsom, England, home of the Earl of Derby, whose horse racing 'derby' at Epsom Downs was famous. Epsom, England was also known for its mineral springs, the source of Epsom salts. New Hampshire's Epsom includes the village of Gossville. Read more ... |
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Franklin, NH Situated as the junction of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee Rivers, the town was originally known as Pemigewasset Village. It was taken from portions of Salisbury, Andover, Sanbornton, and Northfield. The name Franklin was adopted in 1820 in honor of Benjamin Franklin, and the town was incorporated as a city in 1895. Read more ... |
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Henniker, NH First known as Number 6, part of a line of settlements running between the Merrimack and Connecticut Rivers, and the area was settled by families from Marlborough, Massachusetts, naming it New Marlborough. In 1752 the land was granted to Andrew Todd, who named it Todd's-town. In 1768, Henniker was named for Sir John Henniker, a London merchant who had shipping interests in Boston and Portsmouth prior to the revolution, giving it the distinction of being the only place named Henniker on earth. Read more ... |
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Hill, NH First granted in 1753 to a group of settlers from Chester, New Hampshire, the town was known as New Chester. In 1837, the town was renamed in honor of Isaac Hill, a Democrat who served as governor, and as senator in President James Buchanan's administration. In 1941, the entire village of Hill was moved to higher ground to allow the original land to be used for a Merrimack River flood control project. Read more ... |
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Hooksett, NH First known as Chester Woods and Rowe's Corner, this town was called Hooksett for nearly fifty years before being incorporated. The name may have come from a hook-shaped island in the Merrimack or from early fishermen, who called the area Hookline Falls. Rocky ledges flank the Merrimack River, and there were several cross-river ferries located here, as well as lumber mills and a brick-making establishment powered by the falls. In 1794, the lottery-funded Hooksett Canal became part of the transportation facilities of the Amoskeag cotton mills in Manchester. Read more ... |
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Hopkinton, NH First granted in 1735 as New Hampshire Number 5 to settlers from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, who renamed the town New Hopkinton. Setting the pattern for future towns, settlers were required to build homes, fence in their acreage, plant it with English grass, and provide a home for a minister, all within seven years. Contoocook village, a substantial portion of the town, was named for a tribe of Penacook Indians who once lived there, as was the Contoocook River which flows through the town. Read more ... |
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Loudon, NH Chartered by Governor John Wentworth in 1773, Loudon was originally a part of Canterbury. It was named in honor of John Campbell, fourth Earl of Loudoun, a Scottish soldier and aide-de-camp to the king during the Seven Years' War. Under Lord Loudoun's orders Major Robert Rogers organized the famous Roger's Rangers frontier fighters. One of Lord Loudoun's aides, John Loudoun McAdam, is known for developing the macadamizing process of road surfacing. Loudon is home to the New Hampshire International Speedway. Read more ... |
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New London, NH First granted in 1753 as Heidelberg, in honor of George II's visit to his German possessions at the time. The town was granted again in 1773 as Alexandria Addition, but the name didn't last. It was incorporated as New Londonderry, shortened to New London, in 1779. New London is home to Colby-Sawyer College, and includes the village of Elkins on Pleasant Lake. Read more ... |
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Newbury, NH Situated at the south end of Lake Sunapee, this town has gone through numerous name changes. It started in 1753 as Dantzic, after the Baltic seaport. The first provincial grant in 1754 named the town Hereford, in honor of Edward Devereaux, Viscount Hereford. Governor John Wentworth renewed the grant in 1772 under the name Fishersfield, for his brother-in-law John Fisher. The town finally incorporated as Newbury in 1837, as suggested by settlers originally from Newbury, Massachusetts. Newbury is home to Mount Sunapee, portions of Lake Sunapee, and the village of Blodgett's Landing. Read more ... |
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Northfield, NH One of the first towns created following the Revolution, Northfield was granted in 1780 from part of Canterbury. The town organized one of the first local libraries, called the Northfield Improving Society for the Promotion of Useful Knowledge, the same title used in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin for the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia. The library was chartered by the state in 1718, operating with a membership fee of $5 annually, and continued in existence under the original name until 1842. Read more ... |
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Pembroke, NH First granted in 1728, the town was known as Lovewell's Town, in honor of Captain John Lovewell, who built the stockade fort at Ossipee. Shortly afterward, the town took the name Suncook, the Indian name of the river flowing through the area. When the town was incorporated in 1759, it was given the name Pembroke in honor of Henry Herbert, ninth Earl of Pembroke in southern Wales. Read more ... |
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Pittsfield, NH For many years prior to its 1782 incorporation, this town was an unnamed parish of Chichester. Like Pittsburg in the north, Pittsfield was named for William Pitt, Prime Minister of England, and a great friend of the Colonies prior to the American Revolution. The town was settled by several families originally from Hampton. Read more ... |
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Salisbury, NH First granted in 1736, before New Hampshire was a separate colony, the town was named Baker's Town, in honor of Captain Thomas Baker, a famous Indian scout. Following establishment of New Hampshire, Governor Benning Wentworth regranted it as Stevenstown. It was also held the names Gerrishtown and New Salisbury, incorporating as Salisbury in 1768 after Salisbury, Massachusetts. Salisbury is the birthplace of Daniel Webster. Read more ... |
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Sutton, NH First settled in 1748, the land had been granted to Obadiah Perry and others from Haverhill, Massachusetts, and named Perrystown. Because it was located in Indian country near Mount Kearsarge, many settlers forfeited their claims. The land was regranted in 1784 to settlers from Sutton, Massachusetts. Sutton was at one time home to a religious sect known as the Osgoodites. Read more ... |
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Warner, NH First granted as Number 1 in 1735, this town was named New Amesbury, Jennesstown, Waterloo, and Ryetown before it was incorporated as Warner in 1774. It was named for a leading citizen and relative of Governor John Wentworth, Jonathan Warner. It was one of the last towns established under English province rule prior to the American Revolution. Warner includes the village of Davisville. Read more ... |
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Webster, NH Originally a part of Boscawen, this town was named for Daniel Webster, famous American lawyer and statesman. Webster served as Secretary of State during the administrations of Presidents Harrison, Tyler, and Fillmore. Mount Webster and Webster Lake were also named for him. Read more ... |
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Wilmot, NH Originally a part of New London, Wilmot was carved out of the gore of Mount Kearsarge and incorporated in 1807. It was named in honor of Dr. James Wilmot, a scholar and clergyman, and rector at Barton-on-Heath in Warwickshire, England. Dr. Wilmot had joined with William Pitt, the Marquis of Rockingham, and others in protesting the treatment of the American colonies by the British crown. Read more ... |
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Lyndeborough, NH First known as Salem-Canada, this land was granted to soldiers from Salem, Massachusetts, who had fought in New England's first war with Canada about 1690. When the new provincial government in New Hampshire came into being in 1763, a portion of Salem-Canada was regranted to Benjamin Lynde. Mr. Lynde was a chief justice of Massachusetts and presided over the trial involving the Boston Massacre. In the latter part of the 1800's, Lyndeborough was known as a glass-making center. Read more ... |
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Hillsborough, NH First granted in 1735 by Governor Jonathan Belcher of Massachusetts as Number 7, one in a line of nine towns set up as defense barriers against Indian attacks. The towns were renamed following the 1741 establishment of New Hampshire as a separate province. In 1748, the town was named for Wills Hill, Earl of Hillsborough, as was Hillsborough County, created in 1769 by Governor John Wentworth. Hillsborough is the birthplace of Franklin Pierce, fourteenth President of the United States, the only President from New Hampshire. Read more ... |
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Hancock, NH Hancock started as an unidentified settlement on the Contoocook River, in lands known as Society land or Cumberland, which had been reserved for the proprietors of the lands which became New Hampshire. First settled in 1764, the town was named Hancock in 1779 in honor of John Hancock, first governor of Massachusetts, president of the Continental Congress, and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Read more ... |
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Goffstown, NH This town, as part of Massachusetts, went through the names Narragansett Number 4, Piscataquog Village, and Shovestown before installation of the New Hampshire provincial government. In 1748, the area was regranted to new settlers, including Colonel John Goffe, for whom the town was officially named. The town includes the village of Grasmere, named for the English home of poets Wordsworth and Coleridge. Read more ... |
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Francestown, NH Named for Frances Deering Wentworth, wife of Governor John Wentworth. Situated on the Second New Hampshire Turnpike, the sole route between Boston and Vermont, the town once collected a toll of one cent per mile from travelling coaches and wagons. Francestown was also the site of a high-quality soapstone quarry, which was mined until the 1890's. Read more ... |
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Deering, NH Granted in 1774 by Governor John Wentworth, the town was named Deering, the family name of his wife, Frances Deering Wentworth. At the time of the Revolution, John and Frances Wentworth left for Nova Scotia, then went to England, where Frances became a lady-in-waiting to Queen Charlotte, wife of George III. Read more ... |
Bedford, NH Established in 1730 as Narragansett Number 5 for the benefit of soldiers who fought against the Narragansett Indians in Rhode Island. It was regranted first as Souhegan East, then as Bedford in 1750. The town was named for Lord John Russell, fourth Duke of Bedford, a close friend of Governor Benning Wentworth. Read more ... |
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Antrim, NH This town was settled prior to the American Revolution, but did not get its incorporated name until 1777. It was named for County Antrim in Ireland, which was the native home of the land s owner, Philip Riley. The town was home to the now-defunct Nathaniel Hawthorne College. Read more ... |
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Amherst, NH First granted in 1728 as Narragansett Number 3, the town was named after Lord Jeffrey Amherst, commander-in-chief of the colonials in the French and Indian War. Amherst was the birthplace of Horace Greeley, founder of the New York Tribune. The town is home to Baboosic Lake. Read more ... |
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Hollis, NH Incorporated in 1746 by Governor Benning Wentworth, the town takes its name from a very old English family. Governor Wentworth's ancestor, Thomas Wentworth, first Earl of Strafford, was married to Arabella Holles, daughter of John Holles, Earl of Clare. Hollis was first called West Dunstable, or Nittisset, which at one time was part of Groton, Massachusetts, and is now Nashua. Read more ... |
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Mason, NH First known as Number 1, the first in a line of border towns including area allotted to this state by Massachusetts upon establishment of New Hampshire as a separate state in 1741. The town's charter was granted in 1749, and in 1768, Governor John Wentworth named it in honor of New Hampshire's founder, Captain John Mason. Captain Mason was the holder of patent with title to the land that became New Hampshire. Mason is the boyhood home of Uncle Sam, Samuel Wilson. Read more ... |
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Bennington, NH Taken from portions of Hancock, Greenfield, Deering, and Francestown, the town was named in commemoration of the Battle of Bennington, fought on August 14-16, 1777, near Bennington, Vermont. Vermont's Bennington was named for Governor Benning Wentworth, who was responsible for naming many towns in New Hampshire and Vermont. Read more ... |
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Greenfield, NH First settled in 1753 by the Lynde family, the town was known as Lyndeborough Addition. The Monadnock hills cut residents off from church and school, so in 1791 they petitioned for the right to form their own town. The name was chosen to indicate the town's location on a level, fertile ground between the hills. Greenfield is home to the Crotched Mountain Foundation, a rehabilitation center for handicapped children; the Crotched Mountain Ski Area; and Greenfield State Park, on Otter Lake. Read more ... |
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Hudson, NH Once a part of Nottingham, Massachusetts, the town was separated in 1741, and named Nottingham West. Owing to confusion with the town of Nottingham in the north, voters petitioned to have the town renamed in 1830. The name Hudson was chosen because of its position near the Merrimack River, once supposed to flow east from the Hudson River, creating the boundary line between Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Read more ... |
Milford New Hampshire The Town of Milford has a rich history. Separated from Amherst and established as an independent town in 1794, Milford was a prime stop on the Underground Railroad. Located in southern New Hampshire on the banks of the Souhegan River, the town is named after the River's shallow Mill Ford, so called after the many mills at this location in the eighteenth century. Milford is still a favorable spot for business. Made famous by the thriving granite industry and known as The Granite Town in the Granite State, Milford is home to manufacturing, information and service oriented businesses. The town is also a hotspot for tourism and is especially known for its antique shops and country craft stores. The town is about 10 miles West of Nashua NH and is accessible from Nashua off of route 3 exits 7 or 8, following route 101 A West, or from the North from Manchester, following route 101 West. Read more ... |
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Litchfield, NH Known as Naticook until 1729 when the land was granted as Brenton's Farm to William Brenton, Governor of Rhode Island and son-in-law to Governor Cranston. Following Brenton's death in 1749, the land was granted to new settlers, and named in honor of George Henry Lee, Earl of Litchfield. Litchfield was the opposite landing-site of Thornton's Ferry, originating across the Merrimack River in the town of Merrimack. Read more ... |
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Greenville, NH Once a part of Mason, Greenville is one of the state's newest and smallest towns, incorporated in 1872. The town is located at the High Falls on the Souhegan River, whose plentiful water power provided the town with the state's first industries, making cotton and woolen goods. Read more ... |
Brookline, NH First a part of Dunstable, then settled as West Hollis, the town was granted in 1769 as Raby. Governor John Wentworth named the town in honor of his cousin, fourth Earl of Strafford and Baron of Raby Castle, in County Durham, England. The town was renamed in 1798 at the suggestion of one of the town's leading citizens, who hailed from Brookline, Massachusetts. Read more ... |
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Mont Vernon, NH Named in honor of George Washington's Virginia estate, which got its name from Admiral Edward Vernon. George Washington's brother, Lawrence, the original owner of the estate, served under Admiral Vernon as an officer. Although probably not the reason for selecting this name, Admiral Vernon was also a close friend of Governor Wentworth. Read more ... |
Nashua New Hampshire Nashua is New Hampshire's second largest city and has twice been named "Best Place to Live in America" in an annual survey conducted by Money Magazine. The cities close proximity to Boston (only thirty minutes away), the seacoast and the White Mountains has attracted residents and businesses alike over the years. Nashua has several cultural events like The Nashua Symphony Orchestra, Taste of Downtown, Winter Holiday Stroll and several exhibits presented by The Rivier College Art Gallery. Read more ... |
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New Boston, NH First granted by Governor Jonathan Belcher of Massachusetts in 1736 to several Boston families. The town was to have been called Lanestown or Piscataquog Township. Not all the grantees took up their claims, and the land was regranted ten years later to colonizers from Londonderry, New Hampshire. In 1763, Governor Benning Wentworth formally adopted the long-used name of New Boston. Read more ... |
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New Ipswich, NH Granted in 1735, this town was named by settlers from Ipswich, Massachusetts. New Hampshire's provincial government incorporated the town as Ipswich in 1762 and as New Ipswich in 1766. New Hampshire s first cotton mill was built here in 1804, ancestor to the cotton-producing centers of Waltham and Lawrence, Massachusetts, and Manchester, New Hampshire. Read more ... |
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Pelham, NH Chartered in 1746, this town takes its name from Henry Pelham, Prime Minister of England, a relation of Governor Benning Wentworth, and younger brother of Thomas Pelham Holles. The town was originally a part of Old Dunstable, which was split when the New Hampshire-Massachusetts boundary line was changed in 1741. Read more ... |
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Peterborough, NH Although not known for certain, this town was probably named from Charles Mordaunt, third Earl of Peterborough. Other possibilities include it having been named Peter's Borough for Peter Prescott, clerk of the Masonian Proprietors, or for St. Petersburg in Russia. Peterborough was among the soldier's towns named during the term of Governor Jonathan Belcher when New Hampshire was still a province of Massachusetts. The town had the first free public library supported by taxation, and the first mill in the state that wove cloth mechanically. It is home to the MacDowell Colony, a retreat for writers, artists, and composers. Guests have included Edward Arlington Robinson, Leonard Bernstein, and Thornton Wilder, whose play Our Town was inspired by Peterborough. Read more ... |
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Sharon, NH Sharon was first settled in 1738 as part of Peterborough, known as Peterborough Slip or Sliptown. It was incorporated as Sharon in 1791 following the readjustment of a number of town lines. The name was that of a Connecticut town from which many settlers had come. Sharon is home to the Sharon Arts Center, founded in 1947 to offer courses in arts and crafts, and provide a gallery for exhibitions by local artists. Read more ... |
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Temple, NH Like Sharon, this town was originally known as Peterborough Slip when first granted in 1750. Temple was incorporated in 1768 in honor of John Temple, lieutenant governor under John Wentworth. Temple was son-in-law to James Bowdoin, for whom Bowdoin College is named. Temple was home to the Temple Glass Works, founded in 1780. The short life of the business makes Temple glass rare and sought after today. Read more ... |
Weare, NH Starting as a 1735 grant to soldiers in the Canadian wars, this town was named Beverly-Canada, for the soldiers' home town of Beverly, Massachusetts. It then went through the names Halestown, Robiestown, and Wearestown. In 1764 it was incorporated as Weare, in honor of Colonel Meshech Weare, who served as the town's first clerk. Colonel Weare served New Hampshire as its first president from 1776 until 1785. Read more ... |
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Wilton, NH Wilton started as Number 2, one of the towns on the state's border laid out in the 1730's, intended to provide protection against Indian attacks. The town was first granted in 1749, and was regranted in 1762 as Wilton. It was probably named for Sir Joseph Wilton, a famous English sculptor. Wilton's coach design for King George III's coronation was later used as a model for the Concord Coach. Read more ... |
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Windsor, NH Originally known as Campbell's Gore, this town was incorporated as Windsor, after Windsor, Connecticut, the hometown of James Campbell, an early grant recipient. Windsor is the smallest town in New Hampshire south of the White Mountains. Read more ... |
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Alexandria, NH First granted in 1753, Alexandria was named for Alexandria, Virginia, location of a conference that resulted in the declaration of the French and Indian War. Alexandria NH was the birthplace of Luther C. Ladd, the first enlisted soldier to lose his life in the Civil War. Read more ... |
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Ashland, NH Once the southwest section of Holderness, Ashland was not incorporated until 1868. It was named in honor of Henry Clay, for his birthplace in Ashland, Virginia, and his estate in Kentucky. Ashland includes the geographic center of the state, located just west of Lake Winnipesaukee. Read more ... |
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Bath, NH The charter of the town of Bath, granted in 1761, set aside land in equal shares for 68 families, with a church and a school. The town was named for one of England's prominent statesmen, William Pulteney, first Earl of Bath. Read more ... |
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Benton, NH Originally granted in 1764 as Coventry, after a town in Connecticut. Renamed Benton after Thomas Hart Benton, senator from Missouri, and incorporated as such in 1840. Senator Benton was known for championing Western expansion. Benton is the site of Mount Moosilauke. Read more ... |
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Bethlehem, NH First established in 1774 as Lloyd's Hills, the town was incorporated on December 27, 1799, as Bethlehem. The name was selected on the last Christmas Day in the century. Bethlehem was the last of the provincial land grants in the state. The town is home to Mount Agassiz, named for Jean Louis Rudolph Agassiz, explorer and naturalist. Today, the town is known for its special Christmas postal cancellation stamp. Read more ... |
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Bridgewater, NH Bridgewater received its charter in 1788, when it was part of the town of New Chester. New Chester was separated into Bridgewater, Hill, Bristol, Danbury, and Wilmot. Early settlers of the area were from Bridgewater, Massachusetts, thus giving the town its name. The town line follows the eastern shore of Newfound Lake. Read more ... |
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Bristol, NH Extensive deposits of fine sand or clay similar to the Bristol sand used in Bristol, England, to make fine china and pottery gave the town its name. Here the sand was used to make a superior quality brick, marketed as Bristol brick. The town was center of manufacturing in the early days for goods such as paper, leather, woolens, flannel, bedsteads, and piano stools. Bristol includes the lower two-thirds of Newfound Lake. Read more ... |
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Campton, NH First granted in 1761, the town was probably named Campton by Governor Benning Wentworth in honor of his friend Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington. Compton was influential in Wentworth's becoming governor in 1741. Campton was the boyhood home of Sylvester Marsh, builder of Mount Washington's Cog Railway. Read more ... |
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Canaan, NH Chartered in 1761, the town probably took its name from the hometown of early settlers from Canaan, Connecticut, which was named for the Biblical land. Read more ... |
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Dorchester, NH First chartered in 1761, the town was probably given its name in honor of ancestors of Governor Benning Wentworth, who held the titles Marquis of Dorchester and Earl of Kingston. Due to the failure of grantees to take up their claims, the town was granted twice more, once in 1766 and again in 1772, retaining the name Dorchester throughout. Read more ... |
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Easton, NH Once a part of Landaff known as Eastern Landaff, the town's name seems to be a corruption of the word Eastern and it was incorporated as Easton. Asa Kinsman was a pioneer settler of the town, and it is for him that Mount Kinsman, the Kinsman Range, and Kinsman Notch are named. Read more ... |
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Enfield, NH First named Enfield by settlers from Enfield, Connecticut, the town was renamed Relhan in 1766 to honor Dr. Anthony Relhan. The doctor was a promoter of sea-bathing as a curative, making Brighton a fashionable English resort. The town was renamed Enfield in 1784 after the Revolution. Enfield was the site of a Shaker community in the early 1800's, whose buildings are now occupied by the La Salette Brotherhood of Montreal. The Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette is well-known for its Christmas holiday display. Enfield is home to Mascoma Lake and includes the villages of Upper and Lower Shaker Village, and Lockehaven. Read more ... |
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Franconia, NH First granted in 1764 as Indian Head, settlers were unable to meet the terms of charter, and it was regranted in 1772 as Morristown. In 1782 the town was renamed Franconia, due to its resemblance to the Franconian Alps in Germany. The area of Franconia Notch is well known for its natural features, including the Old Man of the Mountains; Profile and Echo Lakes, The Flume, The Basin, and Mounts Lafayette, Lincoln, and Garfield. The Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway was the first passenger tramway built in North America. Franconia is also the site of a rich iron deposit. Read more ... |
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Grafton, NH Like Grafton County, the town was named for Augustus Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Grafton, Earl of Arlington and Euston, Viscount Thetford, and Baron Sudbury. The Duke was a pro-American member of English government prior to the Revolution, and related to Governor Benning Wentworth. First granted in 1761, the town was granted again in 1769 to new colonists, including John Hancock and James Otis, well-known Boston patriots. Read more ... |
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Groton, NH First named Cockermouth in 1761, after Charles Wyndham, Baron Cockermouth and Earl of Egremont, who succeeded William Pitt as Secretary of State. At the time of the original grant, few grantees had taken up their claims, and the land was regranted in 1776. In 1792, a later grantee, Samuel Blood, succeeded in renaming the town Groton after his hometown in Massachusetts. Read more ... |
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Hanover, NH Granted in 1761, the town was named for Hanover Parish, home parish of settlers from Lisbon, Connecticut. Governor Benning Wentworth selected Hanover as the site of Dartmouth College, with Eleazer Wheelock, minister at Lebanon, Connecticut, as its first president. Dartmouth College's first mission was education of the Indians, and later added the mission to educate English youths to be missionaries among the Indians. Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital, now the Dartmouth Medical School, is also located here. Hanover includes the village of Etna, named for Sicily's volcanic mountain. Read more ... |
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Haverhill, NH Settled by citizens from Haverhill, Massachusetts, the town was first known as Lower Coos. In 1773, Haverhill became the county seat of Grafton County. It was the terminus of the Old Province Road, which connected the northern and western settlements with the seacoast. The village of Woodsville, named for John L. Woods of Wells River, Vermont, was once a very important railroad center. Woods operated a sawmill on the Ammonoosuc River, and developed a railroad supply enterprise following the establishment of the Boston, Concord, and Montreal Railroad. The village of Pike was settled by future employees of the Pike Manufacturing Company, which was, for a time, the world's leading manufacturer of whetstones. Read more ... |
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Hebron, NH Originally part of Cockermouth, which was separated in 1792 when that town was renamed Groton. Hebron was named in honor of Hebron, Connecticut, the native town of many settlers, just as Groton, Connecticut, was home to many settlers in Groton. The Phelps family was prominent among this group, and Samuel Phelps' father-in-law, General Israel Morey, is known as the inventor of an early steamboat. Read more ... |
Holderness, NH The Town of Holderness is in central New Hampshire, nestled between the foothills of the White Mountains and the shores of the Squam Lakes. From early times, Native Americans and then European settlers used the Lakes as a trade route. Goods from the North Country floated across Squam Lake, down the Squam River to the Pemigewasset, and then to the Merrimack and the seacoast. Today Holderness is still small and still largely rural. The breathtaking natural beauty of the lakes and mountains is still what draws visitors and residents alike all year round. Yet it doesn't take long to discover that Holderness and the surrounding towns have wonderful educational, cultural, and commercial assets as well. Shopping, theater, music, restaurants, galleries, and bookstores are within a few miles of Holderness Village. Read more ... |
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Landaff, NH First granted in 1764 as Whitcherville, the town was granted to some sixty colonists. In 1770, Governor John Wentworth, discovering that few had settled their claims, proposed using the site for Dartmouth College, but when some refused to give up their claims, chose Hanover instead. The name on the town's charter is Llandaff, for the Bishop of Llandaff in Cardiff, Wales, chaplain to King George III. Read more ... |
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Lebanon, NH The name Lebanon comes from the biblical cedars of ancient Lebanon, being the Semitic word meaning white, referring to the nearby mountain with perpetual snows on its summit. Established in 1761, the name was probably selected by the many early settlers who were from Lebanon, Connecticut, including Eleazar Wheelock, founder of Dartmouth College. Lebanon was the original home of the Indian Charity School from which Dartmouth is descended. Lebanon was incorporated as a city in 1957. Read more ... |
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Lincoln, NH Long before to Abraham Lincoln's birth, the town was named in 1764 for Henry Clinton, ninth Earl of Lincoln, a cousin to the Wentworths. He held the position of Comptroller of Customs for the port of London under George II and George III, which was important to trade between America and England. A portion of Lincoln, known as Pullman, was one of the earliest lumber towns. Lincoln is second-largest town in land area; only Pittsburg is larger. Read more ... |
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Lisbon, NH First granted in 1763 as Concord, in 1764 the town was renamed Chiswick, after the Duke of Devonshire's castle, when Rumford took the name Concord. In 1768 the town was renamed Gunthwaite after a relation of Governor John Wentworth. The name Lisbon was selected in 1824 by Governor Levi Woodbury, whose friend Colonel William Jarvis had been consul at Lisbon, Portugal. Lisbon once included land that is now part of Littleton and Sugar Hill. Read more ... |
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Littleton, NH Part of Lisbon until 1770, when it was granted as Apthorp in honor of George Apthorp, head of one of the wealthiest mercantile establishments in Boston. The land was later passed to the Apthorp family's associates from Newburyport, Massachusetts, headed by Colonel Moses Little. Colonel Little held the post of Surveyor of the King's Woods, and the town was named Littleton in his honor the same year New Hampshire became a state. Read more ... |
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Lyman, NH Granted in 1761, the town was named for General Phineas Lyman, an active commander in the Seven Years' War with France and Spain. General Lyman was compensated for his services by grants in Lyman, Grantham, and Lisbon, and eleven towns in what is now Vermont. A section of Lyman was taken by legislature in 1854 to form the town of Monroe. Read more ... |
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Lyme, NH Another of the many towns granted along the Connecticut River in 1761, Lyme takes its name from Old Lyme, which lies at the mouth of the Connecticut River. Most of the grantees were from Palmer and Brimfield in Massachusetts, or from Londonderry, New Hampshire. Read more ... |
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Monroe, NH This town was first known as Hurd's Location, and then as West Lyman. It was separated from Lyman in 1854, and given the name Monroe in honor of President James Monroe, who toured the region during his presidency. Monroe contains part of the Ammonoosuc Gold Fields, extensive mineral deposits that have never been successfully mined. Read more ... |
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Orange, NH Granted in 1769, the town was first named Cardigan, for George Brudenell, fourth Earl of Cardigan. The original name is still used in Mount Cardigan and Cardigan State Park. Voters made several attempts to change the name following the Revolution, trying the names Bradford, Middletown, Liscomb, and finally Orange. Orange was probably chosen because of the large quantities of yellow-orange ochre found in Mount Cardigan. Read more ... |
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Orford, NH First called Number 7 in a line of Connecticut River fort towns, this town was named for Robert Walpole, Earl of Orford, and England's first Prime Minister. An original grantee was General Israel Morey, whose son Samuel discovered a way to separate hydrogen from oxygen in water, using the knowledge to develop the first marine steam engine. The first steamboat was demonstrated on the river at Orford. Read more ... |
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Piermont, NH Situated on the Connecticut River just west of the White Mountain National Forest, this town's name is taken from Piedmont in the Italian Alps, a re-spelling of the Italian Piemonte. The town is home to Lake Tarleton, which once was on the property of Colonel William Tarleton. The Colonel kept a tavern in Piermont, fought in the Revolution, was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1791, and a member of the presidential Electoral College in 1804. Read more ... |
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Plymouth, NH Part of a large plot of undivided land in the Pemigewasset Valley, this town was first named New Plymouth, after the original Plymouth colony in Massachusetts. The grant for this town went to settlers from Hollis, all of whom had been soldiers in the Seven Years' War. Some had originally come from Plymouth, Massachusetts. Plymouth is the home of Plymouth State University. Read more ... |
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Rumney, NH First granted in 1761 to settlers from the Connecticut River towns of East Haddam and Colchester, this town is named for Robert Marsham, second Baron Romney. Not all grantees complied with the charter, and in 1767 the town was regranted to a new group of settlers. Situated in the Baker River Valley, the town includes the villages of West Rumney and Rumney Depot. Read more ... |
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Sugar Hill, NH This town is New Hampshire's youngest, incorporated in 1962. After considerable litigation, it was carved out of Lisbon to be an independent voting unit. The name Sugar Hill comes from a large grove of sugar maples in the hills. Read more ... |
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Thornton, NH Chartered in 1763, this town was named for Dr. Matthew Thornton, a grant given to him in return for his service as surgeon in the Pepperell expedition. Dr. Thornton, whose practice was in Merrimack, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, a justice of the Superior Court, speaker of the House of Representatives, member of the State Senate, delegate to the Continental Congress, and president of the state following the Revolutionary War. Read more ... |
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Warren, NH Granted in 1764, this town was named in honor of Admiral Sir Peter Warren. Admiral Warren commanded the fleet during the conflict with Canada, ending in the capture of Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, in 1745. This action united the colonies with a common goal, and provided them with fishing and fur trading rights. Warren is the site of a state fish hatchery, and includes the village of Glencliff. Read more ... |
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Waterville Valley, NH First settled in the 1760's, Waterville Valley has long been a popular New Hampshire resort area. Incorporated in 1829 as Waterville, it was a thriving town, but lost population over the years and then lost land when the White Mountain National Forest was established. In 1967, by an act of the General Court, the town officially adopted the name Waterville Valley. The town is home to the Waterville Valley Ski Area. Read more ... |
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Wentworth, NH First chartered in 1766, this town was originally reserved for the private use of Governor Benning Wentworth. When John Wentworth succeeded his uncle as governor, one of his first acts was to grant the tract to a group of settlers, naming it Wentworth in his uncle's honor. Most of the new colonists came from Salisbury, Massachusetts. Wentworth is in the Baker River Valley near Carr Mountain. Read more ... |
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Woodstock, NH First granted in 1763, Governor Benning Wentworth named the town Peeling after an English town. Many of the first colonists were originally from Lebanon, Connecticut. In 1771, Governor John Wentworth gave it the name Fairfield, after Fairfield, Connecticut. The town was renamed Woodstock in 1840, for a historic palace in Woodstock, England. Read more ... |
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Carroll, NH Originally granted as Bretton Woods in 1772, for Bretton Hall, an estate of Governor John Wentworth. The town was renamed Carroll in 1832, for Charles Carroll of Maryland, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The town includes the villages of Fabyan's, Bretton Woods, and Twin Mountain. Bretton Woods is home to the Mount Washington Hotel, site of the July 1944 International Monetary Conference that resulted in the creation of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Nearby is Mount Washington s Cog Railway, the world's first mountain-climbing cog railway, in operation since 1869. Read more ... |
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Clarksville, NH Part of a large tract granted to Dartmouth College, portions of the land were sold to raise cash for the college. Purchased by Joseph Murdock of Norwich, Vermont, and Benjamin Clark of Boston, and cleared for settlement by the Clark family, the town was named Clarksville. It was also known as Dartmouth College Grant until 1872. The town is south only to Pittsburg. Read more ... |
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Colebrook, NH First granted in 1762, the territory was named Dryden, after English poet and playwright John Dryden. Due to the inability of grantees to settle the area, it was regranted in 1770 to new colonizers, who renamed the grant Colebrook, after Sir George Colebrooke of England, the East India Company s chairman of the board. Read more ... |
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Columbia, NH First chartered in 1762, and named Preston for Richard Graham, Viscount Preston of Scotland. The town was regranted in 1770 due to the settlers' failure to meet the terms of the grant, and renamed Cockburntown, after Sir James Cockburn of Scotland. It kept that name until 1811, when Governor John Langdon renamed the town Columbia in the spirit of patriotism preceding the War of 1812. Read more ... |
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Dalton, NH Once a part of Littleton, the town went through several name changes. Starting in 1764 as Chiswick, after the Duke of Devonshire's Castle, in 1770 the name changed to Apthorp, honoring the Apthorp family. Finally in 1784, it was changed to Dalton, for Tristram Dalton, one of New England's foremost colonial merchants. Read more ... |
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Dummer, NH First granted in 1773, Dummer was named for Governor William Dummer of Massachusetts, whose achievements included a peace treaty with the Indians which lasted nearly twenty years. Fort Dummer, one of New England's earliest forts, was also named for Governor Dummer. The town was not incorporated until 1848. Read more ... |
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Errol, NH First chartered in 1774, Errol was named for James Hay of Scotland, fifteenth Earl of Erroll, and owner of Linlithgow Castle, the birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots, and King James V. Sitting on the northern end of Maine border, this sparsely populated town is a popular vacation site for snowmobilers. Errol is home to half of Umbagog Lake, and has more inland water area than any town in Coos County. Read more ... |
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Gorham, NH First chartered as a part of Shelburne in 1770. The town was incorporated in 1836 and renamed Gorham at the suggestion of Sylvester Davis, a resident from Gorham, Maine, and a relative of the Gorham family who founded that town in 1764. Read more ... |
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Jefferson, NH First granted in 1765, the location was so deep in unexplored territory that few took up their claims. One who did was Colonel Joseph Whipple of Portsmouth, who cut trails through the forests to build a manor house. He named the town Dartmouth after William Legge, Earl of Dartmouth and patron of Dartmouth College. Brother to William Whipple, signer of the Declaration of Independence, Colonel Whipple renamed the town Jefferson in 1796, four years prior to Thomas Jefferson's election as President. Read more ... |
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Lancaster, NH First granted in 1763, Lancaster was an early settlement on the northern portion of the Connecticut River subject to many Indian troubles. The town was named for Lancaster, Massachusetts, hometown of an early settler. Reverend Joshua Weeks, a grantee of the town, was among the group of explorers who named the mountains in the Presidential Range. Other grantees included Nash and Sawyer, who discovered the White Mountain Notch, making a shorter route to Portland possible. Read more ... |
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Milan, NH First named Paulsbourg in 1771, after Paul Wentworth, the governor's cousin. Among the first grantees were relatives of the Harris family, who had established one of the first woolen mills in America at Harrisville. In 1824, Governor Levi Woodbury, who was interested in expanding wool culture in New Hampshire, authorized naming the town in honor of Milan Harris. In the middle 1800's, there was a large vein of gold discovered in the hills, which was mined for several years. Milan is the site of the Berlin Ski Jump. Read more ... |
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Northumberland, NH The town was first named Stonington in 1761, probably due to Governor Benning Wentworth's shipbuilding interests in Stonington, Connecticut. It was renamed Northumberland in honor of Hugh Smithson, first Duke of Northumberland. The Duke's son, James Smithson, is remembered for leaving a legacy of more than a half million dollars for the founding of the Smithsonian Institution. Most of Northumberland's residents live in the village of Groveton. Read more ... |
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Pittsburg, NH Originally known as Indian Stream, Pittsburg is distinguished by having the largest amount of land area of any township. Covering the entire top of the state, the area includes Lake Francis, the three Connecticut Lakes, and the international boundary post erected on the 45th Parallel, halfway between the North Pole and the Equator. For a while, starting in 1832, Pittsburg was home to the Indian Stream Republic, a colony that established its own constitution and separate government. The Indian Stream Republic existed for over four years, then became a part of New Hampshire, and was incorporated with Pittsburg in 1840. The name Pittsburg is in honor of William Pitt, Prime Minister of England. Read more ... |
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Randolph, NH In the charter of 1772, this town was named Durand, after John Durand, a member of the London Board of Trade and an associate of Governor John Wentworth. In 1824, Governor Levi Woodbury renamed it Randolph, in honor of his friend John Randolph of Virginia. Randolph was a long-time member of the House of Representatives, an advocate of states' rights, and a descendant of Pocahontas. Read more ... |
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Shelburne, NH First chartered in 1769, this town was named for William Petty Fitzmaurice, Earl of Shelburne. Lord Shelburne was a supporter of independence for the American colonies, and at his insistence, the king recognized the independence of the United States. Remaining unsettled for quite some time after the charter was made, the town was incorporated in 1821 when Shelburne voters chose to keep the name. Read more ... |
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Stark, NH First granted in 1774, this town was named Percy, in honor of Hugh Smithson, Earl Percy and first Duke of Northumberland. The town retained this name until 1832, when in was renamed Stark in honor of General John Stark, hero of Bunker Hill and the Battle of Bennington. New Hampshire owes its motto, Live Free or Die, to General Stark. Stark, the first to carry the new thirteen-star American flag into battle, wrote those words in July 1809, in commemoration of the Battle of Bennington. Read more ... |
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Stewartstown, NH First granted in 1770, this town was highly disputed territory. Governor John Wentworth passed the grant to developers, including Sir John Stuart, Lord Bute, for whom the town was named Stuart. Following the Revolution when English grants reverted to the colonies, the town was incorporated as Stewartstown, using the original Scottish spelling. The famous Penobscot Indian chief Metallak is buried in the town cemetery. Read more ... |
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Stratford, NH First granted in 1762 to early settlers mostly from Woodbury, Connecticut, this town was originally named Woodbury. Indian troubles had many families forfeiting their claims, and it was regranted in 1773 as Stratford, also a town in Connecticut. The name is also in honor of Stratford-on-Avon, Shakespeare's home. The entire tract was one of the largest granted in New Hampshire, a total of 48,603 acres. Read more ... |
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Whitefield, NH The last town to be granted under the English provincial government, Whitefield was granted on July 4, 1774, exactly two years before adoption of the Declaration of Independence. It was named for George Whitefield, a famous English evangelist, and friend of the Earl of Dartmouth. Early grantees included Jeremy Belknap, historian, and John Langdon, who succeeded John Wentworth as governor. Read more ... |
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Berlin, NH First granted in 1771 as Maynesborough, after Sir William Mayne, an associate of Governor John Wentworth in the West Indies trade. The area was not settled by the original grantees, and the town was renamed Berlin in 1829 by new settlers from Berlin, Massachusetts. Berlin was incorporated as a city in 1897. It is the northernmost city in the state, and includes the village of Cascade. Read more ... |
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Alstead, NH Alstead began in 1735 as one in a line of nine forts intended to protect southwestern New Hampshire from Indian attacks. The town was named for Johann Henrich Alsted, who compiled an early encyclopedia that was popular at Harvard College. Alstead is the location of New Hampshire's first paper mill, established in 1793. Read more ... |
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Chesterfield, NH Established in 1735, this town was the site of Fort Number 1 in the line of forts bordering the Connecticut River, and was later known as Fort Dummer. The town was incorporated in 1752 as Chesterfield, after Philip Stanhope, fourth Earl of Chesterfield. Chesterfield includes the village of Spofford, and Spofford Lake. Read more ... |
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Dublin, NH First granted in 1749 as Monadnock, and incorporated in 1771 as Dublin. The town was originally settled as North Monadnock, or Number 3, one of a group of eight towns in the region settled by Scots colonists. The name was taken from Dublin, Ireland. Dublin is home to Yankee Publishing, Inc., publishers of Yankee Magazine and the Old Farmer's Almanac. Read more ... |
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Fitzwilliam, NH Originally settled as Monadnock Number 4, one in a line of eight towns settled by Scottish colonists. The town was named for William, fourth Earl of Fitzwilliam and cousin to Governor Wentworth. An early grantee in Fitzwilliam was Matthew Thornton, signer of the Declaration of Independence. Fitzwilliam claims one of the earliest granite quarries in New Hampshire, and is home to Rhododendron State Park. Read more ... |
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Gilsum, NH First granted in 1752, the town was named Boyle, after Richard Boyle, Earl of Burlington and famous architect. Burlington, Vermont, was also named after him. No claims were settled within the set time because of danger from Indian attacks. A new charter was issued in 1763 to members of the Gilbert and Sumner families, and the town was named Gilsum in their honor. Gilsum's Lower Village is the site of the much-photographed Stone Arch over the Ashuelot River. Read more ... |
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Harrisville, NH First settled in 1760, the town was once part of Hancock, Dublin, Roxbury, Nelson, and Marlborough. It became a mill center when the Harris family built of one of the first woolen mills in New England. The town was known as Twitchellville, after Abel Twitchell, whose daughter had married into the Harris family. When the business name was changed to Cheshire Mills, the town incorporated as Harrisville. Read more ... |
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Hinsdale, NH Tucked into the farthest southwestern corner of the state, Hinsdale was named for Colonel Ebenezer Hinsdale in 1753. Colonel Hinsdale was from a prominent family in Deerfield, and he was once chaplain of Fort Dummer, an important trading post on the Connecticut River. He later enlisted as an officer, and then established the trading post at Fort Hinsdale, reportedly at his own expense. Read more ... |
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Jaffrey, NH First granted in 1736 to soldiers from Rowley, Massachusetts, returning from the war in Canada, the town was known as Rowley-Canada. In 1749 the town was re-chartered as Monadnock Number 2, sometimes called Middle Monadnock or Middletown. It was one of the first towns established under the New Hampshire proprietors' purchase of undivided lands under the Masonian claim. The town was regranted in 1767, and incorporated in 1773 as Jaffrey, in honor of George Jaffrey, member of a prominent Portsmouth family. George Jaffrey's son was a life trustee of Dartmouth College, and designer of the official college seal. Read more ... |
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Keene, NH First granted in 1735 as Upper Ashuelot to soldiers in the wars against Canada, and intended to be a fort town. Establishment of the Massachusetts-New Hampshire boundary in 1753 made it one of the largest towns in New England. Under regrant by the New Hampshire governor, the town was named Keene, in honor of Sir Benjamin Keene of England, an associate of Governor Wentworth in the Spanish West Indies trade. Keene was incorporated as a city in 1873, and is home to Keene State College. Read more ... |
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Marlborough, NH Marlborough was first granted in 1752 as Monadnock Number 5, one of the fort towns first known only by number. The town was at one time called Oxford, then New Marlborough, but was incorporated as Marlborough. Many of the settlers were from Marlborough, Massachusetts, which had been named for John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, in the late 1600's. Read more ... |
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Marlow, NH First named Addison, after Joseph Addison, Secretary of State for England, who signed the appointment papers making John Wentworth Lieutenant Governor of New Hampshire under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts in 1717. As a result of the French War, few original grantees settled there, and the town was regranted in 1761 as Marlow, in honor of Christopher Marlowe, the famed author and playwright. Read more ... |
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Nelson, NH One of the original border towns, Nelson was first known as Monadnock Number 6. In 1767, it was renamed Packersfield after Thomas Packer, one of the grantees, who was high sheriff of Portsmouth. It kept that name until 1814, when it was renamed in honor of Lord Horatio Nelson, who died on board the British ship Victory in the war against Napoleon. Nelson includes the village of Munsonville. Read more ... |
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Richmond, NH First granted to soldiers returning from the war in Canada, this town was named Sylvester Canada, in honor of Captain Joseph Sylvester. When New Hampshire because a separate province, Sylvester Canada was reincorporated as Richmond, in honor of the governor's English friend, Charles Lennox, Duke of Richmond, a staunch advocate of colonial independence. Read more ... |
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Rindge, NH Granted to soldiers from Rowley, Massachusetts, returning from the war in Canada, the town was known as Rowley-Canada. In 1749, the town was renamed Monadnock Number 1, or South Monadnock. It was incorporated as Rindge in 1768, in honor of Captain Daniel Rindge, one of the original grant holders. Rindge is the home of Franklin Pierce College, and the Cathedral of the Pines, a multi-denominational outdoor chapel. Read more ... |
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Roxbury, NH Roxbury was once a part of Monadnock Number 5, one of the settlements reserved for soldiers of the French wars. Monadnock Number 5 became Marlborough, and in 1812, a group of citizens successfully petitioned for incorporation as a separate town. It was named Roxbury after their old village, now part of Boston. Read more ... |
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Stoddard, NH First granted in 1752, this town was originally known as Monadnock Number 7. It briefly held the name Limerick before being incorporated as Stoddard in 1774, in honor of Colonel Sampson Stoddard. Colonel Stoddard was appointed to survey southwestern New Hampshire by the colonial government, receiving several land grants for the service. Between 1840 and 1873, Stoddard was a center of glass manufacturing, home to four glass factories whose products are much prized today. Read more ... |
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Sullivan, NH Carved out of portions of Gilsum, Stoddard, Nelson, and Keene, this town was named in honor of General John Sullivan, a Revolutionary War hero. General Sullivan served as a member of the Continental Congress, Adjutant General to Washington, and Major General of the Northern Army. He was elected President of New Hampshire in 1786, and the town of Sullivan was created the following year. Read more ... |
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Surry, NH Chartered in 1769 from a part of Westmoreland, the town was named for Charles Howard, Earl of Surrey, Duke of Norfolk, and hereditary Earl Marshal of England. The county of Surrey in England was known for manufacture of pleasure carriages called surreys, introduced to America in 1872. Surry is an excellent geological area, containing quantities of quartz bearing veins of gold, silver, copper, and lead. Read more ... |
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Swanzey, NH First granted in 1733 as Lower Ashuelot, this town was one of the fort towns established by Governor Belcher of Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1753, and named Swanzey at the suggestion of Governor Brenton of Rhode Island. The governor was a large land owner in Brenton's Farm, now Litchfield, and Swansea, Massachusetts, named for Swansea in Wales. Read more ... |
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Troy, NH Troy was separated from Marlborough in 1815, and included parts of Fitzwilliam, Swanzey, and Richmond. A prominent citizen and friend of Governor John Taylor Gilman, Captain Benjamin Mann of Mason, suggested the name Troy. His daughter Betsy was married to Samuel Wilson, famous as Uncle Sam, and at that time a resident of Troy, New York. At least seven members to Wilson's family were living in the town at the time, thus securing the name. Read more ... |
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Walpole, NH Settled as early as 1736 as Great Falls or Lunenburg, this town was not granted by New Hampshire until 1752, when it was named Bellowstown. Colonel Benjamin Bellows, for whom Bellows Falls, Vermont, was named, built a large fort at Walpole for defense against Indian attack. In 1761 the grant was renewed, and the town was renamed Walpole, in honor of Sir Robert Walpole, first Prime Minister of England. Read more ... |
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Westmoreland, NH Once known as Great Meadows, this town was established in 1735 as Number 2 in the line of Connecticut River fort towns designed to protect the colonies from Indian attack. When New Hampshire became an independent province, it was granted to settlers as Westmoreland, named for John Fane, seventh Earl of Westmoreland. The meetinghouse in Westmoreland, built in 1762, has a Paul Revere bell. Read more ... |
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Winchester, NH Originally named Arlington, in honor of Charles Fitzroy, Earl of Arlington, this town was one of those established in 1733 as protection for the Massachusetts border at the Connecticut River. After becoming part of the New Hampshire province in 1741, the town was granted to Colonel Josiah Willard, commander of Fort Dummer. Following the wars, it was incorporated as Winchester, for Charles Paulet, Marquis of Winchester, third Duke of Bolton, and constable of the Tower of London. Read more ... |
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Albany, NH First chartered in 1766 as Burton, for General Jonathan Burton of Wilton. The town was incorporated and renamed Albany in 1833, when the New York Central railroad from New York City to Albany was chartered. Albany includes Mount Chocorua, Mount Paugus and the southeastern corner of the White Mountain National Forest. Read more ... |
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Tuftonboro is the only New Hampshire town owned by just one man, John Tufton Mason, for whom the town was named. Mason was heir to the Masonian Claim, the undivided lands of northern New Hampshire, which he sold to a group of Portsmouth merchants in 1746, thereafter known as the Masonian Proprietors. They disposed of the land via grants to prospective settlers prior to the American Revolution. Situated on the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee, Tuftonboro includes the villages of Melvin Corner, Melvin Village, and Mirror Lake. Read more ... |
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Moultonborough, NH The first settlers were grantees from Hampton, among whom were at least 16 Moultons, giving the town its name. Colonel Jonathan Moulton was considered to be one of the richest men in the province at the start of the American Revolution. Moultonborough was chartered in 1763, and at the time was described as being near Winnepisseoky Pond. Read more ... |
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Bartlett, NH Named for Dr. Josiah Bartlett, the first chief executive to bear the name governor, a representative to the Continental Congress, and one of New Hampshire's three signers of the Declaration of Independence, placing his signature directly under that of John Hancock. Dr. Bartlett founded the New Hampshire Medical Society in 1791. The town includes the villages of Glen, Lower Bartlett, and Intervale. Read more ... |
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Brookfield, NH Settled in 1726 by Scotch-Irish immigrants, the town was first named Coleraine. It was later named Brookfield, after a town of the same name in Massachusetts, and was made part of Middleton. In 1794, it became an independent town, a popular settlement for farmers because of the fertile ground. Read more ... |
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Chatham, NH First granted in 1767, the town was named in honor of William Pitt, Earl of Chatham and Prime Minister of England. Chatham was regranted in 1770 to a group including Abiel Chandler, founder of the Chandler Scientific School at Dartmouth College, and Samuel Langdon, president of Harvard College and creator of the Blanchard Map of the North Country. Read more ... |
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Conway, NH Named for Henry Seymour Conway, ambitious son of a prominent English family, who was elected to the House of Commons at age twenty, fought at Culloden, and became Secretary of State. Early settlers had named the area Pequawket, known colloquially as Pigwacket, after the nearby mountain. Conway boasts many natural features such as Cathedral Ledge, Echo Lake, and Mount Cranmore. Conway includes the villages of North Conway, Center Conway, Intervale, Redstone, and Kearsarge. Read more ... |
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Eaton, NH Named for Governor Theophilus Eaton of Connecticut, a generous contributor to the funds needed to settle Massachusetts in 1630. He later founded a colony at New Haven, Connecticut, along with John Davenport and David Yale, great-grandfather of Yale University s founder. Eaton includes the village of Snowville, named for the Snow family who started a sawmill there in 1825. Read more ... |
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Effingham, NH This town was first settled by the Leavitts of Hampton, and named Leavittstown. In 1749, the land was granted by Governor Benning Wentworth, and he named it Effingham for the Howard family, who were Earls of Effingham. Read more ... |
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Freedom, NH Following an influx of new settlers from Maine into Effingham, there was a conflict of culture and religion between them and people from the seacoast area who already populated Effingham. As a result, a section of that town known as North Effingham was separated into a town of its own. The newly incorporated town was appropriately named Freedom. Read more ... |
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Hart's Location, NH Given the name of Colonel John Hart of Portsmouth, this long, narrow piece of land encompasses Crawford Notch. It was regranted in 1772 to Thomas Chadbourne of Portsmouth. Hart's Location was the site of the famous Willey's Slide, an avalanche that killed Samuel Willey and his entire family in 1826. Mount Willey is named in their honor, as is the village of Avalanche. The town is also the gravesite of Abel Crawford, for whom Crawford Notch is named. Read more ... |
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Jackson, NH Once consisting of several large land grants given by Governor John Wentworth, the town was first named New Madbury, after the seacoast town. In 1800, the town was renamed in honor of President John Adams, who was then in office. The name Adams stuck until 1829, when Andrew Jackson was inaugurated President. Governor Benjamin Pierce, a staunch backer of President Jackson, was influential in changing the name of the town to Jackson. Read more ... |
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Madison, NH This area was one of the first to have land grants set aside for soldiers who had survived the Seven Years' War against France. The land covered by these grants, parts of Eaton and Albany, was incorporated in 1852 as Madison, in honor of President James Madison who was born 100 years earlier. Read more ... |
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Ossipee, NH Originally known as Wigwam Village, and then New Garden, the town was named for the Ossipee Indians, one of the twelve Algonquin tribes. It was once the site of an Indian stockade fort, designed to protect the tribe from Mohawks in the west. In 1725, the Indian stockade was destroyed, and then rebuilt by Captain John Lovewell. The new fort was one of the largest in New England. Read more ... |
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Sandwich, NH Chartered in 1763, the land was considered so inaccessible that the grant was enlarged, making Sandwich one of the largest towns in the state. It was named in honor of John Montagu, fourth Earl of Sandwich. The Earl is known as the inventor of the sandwich, requesting from his servant a thin slab of meat placed between two slices of bread, which he consumed while intent upon the gaming table. The town of Sandwich is in the Sandwich Range, with seventeen listed peaks, including Sandwich Dome. Read more ... |
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Tamworth, NH Granted in 1766, this town was named in honor of Admiral Washington Shirley, Viscount Tamworth, a close friend of Governor Benning Wentworth. The Admiral's daughter, Selina Shirley, was instrumental in the founding of Dartmouth College. Tamworth includes the villages of Chocorua, Wonalancet, and Whittier. Mount Whittier in Ossipee, like the village, was named for poet John Greenleaf Whittier. Read more ... |
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Wakefield, NH Settled by colonists from Dover and Somersworth, this town went through the names Ham's-town, East-town, and Watertown before it was incorporated as Wakefield in 1774. Wakefield in Yorkshire, England, was the location of Wentworth Castle, the home of Wentworth ancestors. Wakefield includes the villages of Union and Sanbornville. Read more ... |
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Barnstead, NH Granted in 1727, the town was established to deal with rapidly expanding population in the seacoast area. A majority of new settlers came from either Barnstable on Cape Cod or Hampstead on Long Island, and the town's name is a conjunction of the two. The town includes three villages, South Barnstead, Center Barnstead, and Barnstead; and is home to at least nine lakes and ponds. Read more ... |
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Belmont, NH First chartered in 1727 as a parish of Gilmanton, known as Upper Gilmanton. In 1859, the voters of the town petitioned to rename the town Belmont, to honor Mr. August Belmont, a New York financier, in hopes that he might make a financial contribution to the town. Mr. Belmont, however, never even bothered to acknowledge the act. The town borders Lake Winnisquam. Read more ... |
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Gilmanton, NH First known as Gilmantown, the town was home to the Gilman family, of which there were 24 members receiving land grants. At one time it was the second-largest town in the state, following Portsmouth. The original town was larger than it is now, with villages and parishes including Belmont, Gunstock Parish (Gilford), Hurricane, Tioga, Factory Village, and Lakeport. A parish first called Averytown, the site of an unprofitable iron-mining enterprise, is still known as Gilmanton Iron Works. Read more ... |
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New Hampton, NH Granted in 1765, this town was first named Moultonborough Addition, after Colonel Jonathan Moulton, who held the position of town moderator. In 1777, he renamed the town New Hampton, after his native home of Hampton, New Hampshire. The New Hampton School, established in 1821, is located in New Hampton. Read more ... |
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Sanbornton, NH Granted in 1748, this town was named Sanborntown, after John Sanborn, a close friend of Governor Benning Wentworth. It was one of the first four towns to be given a charter by the Masonian Proprietors. The town was the site of the colonial army s winter quarters during the Canada Expedition in 1746. Sanbornton includes the villages of North Sanbornton and Gaza, named for the biblical land. Read more ... |
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Tilton, NH A part of Sanbornton until 1869, this town was known as Sanbornton Bridge and Bridge Village. It was incorporated as Tilton, in honor of Nathaniel Tilton, whose grandson Charles was a prominent citizen of the town. Nathaniel established an iron foundry and the area's first hotel, the Dexter House. Charles donated many statues to the town, including the Tilton Arch, and his estate is now part of the Tilton School. Tilton includes the village of Lochmere. Read more ... |
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Meredith, NH Meredith was first known as Palmer's Town, in honor of Samuel Palmer, a teacher of surveying and navigation, who had laid out much of the land surrounding Lake Winnipesaukee. One of the first towns to have a charter granted by the Masonian Proprietors, many new settlers were from Salem, Massachusetts, and the town was renamed New Salem. In 1768, the land was regranted and named after Sir William Meredith, who opposed taxation on the colonies. Read more ... |
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Alton, NH Originally called New Durham Gore, because of Mount Major's rocky terrain, the town was settled by a group from Roxbury, Massachusetts. The name Roxbury had already been used, so the town was named for the Alton family. The town fronts Alton Bay, the southeastern point of Lake Winnipesaukee, and its 19.3 square miles of inland water area is the largest of any town in New Hampshire. Read more ... |
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Center Harbor, NH Center Harbor gets its name from two sources: from its location, centered between Meredith and Moultonborough Harbors, and also for the Senter family, who were owners of a large amount of property in the area. The town was a landing place for lake steamers and stagecoaches, making it a popular summer resort. Center Harbor was a favorite spot of John Greenleaf Whittier, and the home of Dudley Leavitt, author of the first Farmer's Almanac in 1797. Read more ... |
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Laconia, NH First explored in the 1620's, Laconia was for many years a part of Meredith and Gilford known as Meredith Bridge. Early explorers had hoped to follow the Piscataqua River north to Lake Champlain, in search of the great lakes and rivers of Canada told of in Indian lore. These explorers were known as the Laconia Adventurers, Laconia being a region of ancient Greece. Incorporated as a city in 1893, Laconia includes the villages of Lakeport and Weirs Beach. "Weirs" is the name of primitive fishing devices discovered at the outlet of Lake Winnipesaukee. Read more ... |
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Gilford, NH Once a part of Gilmanton called Gunstock Parish, the town was named for a key battle at the end of the revolution, the Battle of Guilford Court House, North Carolina. Sargent Lemuel B. Mason, who had fought in that battle, had retired to Gunstock Parish. In 1812, he successfully proposed incorporation of a new town to be named Gilford. North Carolina's Guilford Court House has long since been renamed Martinsville. The original name is used by the Gunstock recreation area on Belknap Mountain. Read more ... |
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Acworth, NH Acworth was first chartered in 1752 as Burnet, in honor of William Burnet, colonial governor of Massachusetts and New Hampshire in 1728. However, no settlements were made under this charter. In 1766, the town was regranted under the name Acworth, honoring Sir Jacob Acworth of the British Admiralty, who had Portsmouth shipping interests. Read more ... |
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Charlestown, NH Named in honor of Admiral Sir Charles Knowles of the British Navy, then governor of Jamaica. Charlestown was originally the site of Number Four, the fourth in a line of forts on the Connecticut River border established as trading posts. A reproduction of Fort Number Four is now a historical site. A historical marker commemorating the fort was erected in 1958— the second such marker erected in the NH Historical Marker Program. Read more ... |
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Claremont, NH Named in honor of Thomas Pelham Holles, Earl of Clare and Duke of Newcastle, builder of Claremont Castle, and a cousin to Governor Benning Wentworth. The original grant was a six-mile square area bordering the Connecticut River. Claremont was incorporated as a city by popular vote in 1947. It is the home of New Hampshire's first Roman Catholic Church, built in 1823. Read more ... |
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Cornish, NH Established in 1763, the town was once known as Mast Camp, because it was the shipping point for the tall masts floated down the river by the English. It was named for Sir Samuel Cornish, a distinguished admiral of the Royal Navy. Cornish is now a well-known summer resort for artists and writers, with residents including Maxfield Parish and Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Read more ... |
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Croydon, NH Named for a suburb of London, the location of a palace under which several archbishops of Canterbury were buried. Among the grantees was Captain Stephen Hall, whose grandson Samuel Read Hall (b. 1795) developed plans resulting in the present American school system. Professor Hall was reputed to be the first teacher to use a blackboard. Read more ... |
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Goshen, NH First settled in 1768 as part of Saville, now Sunapee. The town was incorporated in 1791, with portions of territory from Newbury, Lempster, Unity, Newport, and Sunapee. It was named Goshen, probably because many residents had relatives in Goshen, Connecticut, and had served in a Revolutionary regiment with soldiers from that same town. Read more ... |
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Grantham, NH Named for Thomas Robinson, first Baron Grantham, friend of Governor Wentworth, an active supporter of American independence, and known as a diplomat in Europe. He was present at the negotiations leading to the 1748 signing of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle that ended the War of Austrian Succession, of which the French and Indian War in the Americas were a side struggle. Later, the Baron was one of Great Britain's first postmaster-generals. Read more ... |
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Langdon, NH Carved out of several adjacent towns, Langdon was named in honor of Governor John Langdon. Governor Langdon's political career included: delegation to the Constitutional Convention; serving on a committee with Benjamin Franklin and John Adams to secure military supplies for the American forces; serving as a member of the State senate; serving as speaker of the House of Representatives; serving as president pro-tem of the Senate in the first United State Congress; supervision of the canvass of electoral votes to elect Washington as President; and eight terms as Governor of New Hampshire. Read more ... |
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Lempster, NH This town was originally granted in 1735 by Massachusetts Governor Belcher as Number 9, the ninth in a line of forts established to guard against Indian attacks. It was regranted in 1753 by Governor Benning Wentworth, as Dupplin, after Sir Thomas Hay, Lord Dupplin of Scotland, who had been in charge of the settlement of Nova Scotia. Following the Peace of Paris in 1761, when terms of many grants had not been carried out, the town was regranted as Lempster, named for Sir Thomas Fermor of Lempster, England, who was a Wentworth relation. Read more ... |
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Newport, NH First settled in 1753, the town was named Grenville, after George Grenville, William Pitt's brother-in-law. In 1761, the town was incorporated as Newport, for Henry Newport, a distinguished English soldier and statesman. An early settler of the town was Gordon Buell, whose daughter, Sarah Josepha Buell Hale, was one of the first women editors in America. She edited the book Poems for Children that included Mary Had A Little Lamb. She was also known for a successful appeal to President Lincoln for creation of a national holiday to be known as Thanksgiving Day. Newport is the county seat of Sullivan County, and includes the villages of Kellyville and Guild. Read more ... |
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Plainfield, NH Settled by a group from Plainfield, Connecticut, Plainfield is one of the towns granted by Governor Benning Wentworth in 1761 at the beginning of the reign of King George III. A part of Plainfield known as Meriden Parish, named for the farm of Massachusetts Governor Jonathan Belcher, became the site of Kimball Union Academy, built in 1813. Read more ... |
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Springfield, NH Granted to families all from Portsmouth and led by Captain John Fisher, brother-in-law to Governor John Wentworth, this town was first settled in 1769 as Protectworth. Captain Fisher, however, chose to side with Governor Wentworth in loyalty to England, and had all his holdings confiscated by the colonies. When the town was incorporated in 1794, the name Springfield was adopted, a name common to many American cities and towns. Read more ... |
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Sunapee, NH Like many other towns, this one went through four name changes before its incorporation: Savile, Corey's Town, and then Wendell, for one of the Masonian proprietors, John Wendell. The name Sunapee was substituted for Wendell by the Legislature in 1850. The town, Lake Sunapee, and Mount Sunapee share the name which comes from the Algonquin Indian words suna, meaning goose, and apee, meaning lake. The Indians called the area Goose Lake because it was a favorite spot of wild geese. Sunapee includes the village of George's Mills. Read more ... |
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Unity, NH First granted in 1753, this town was named Buckingham, after John Hobart, first Earl of Buckinghamshire. Grants of this area were given by the early Massachusetts government to settlers from Hampton and Kingston, and also by Governor Benning Wentworth, to settlers from Connecticut. Upon friendly resolution of the claim dispute in 1764, the town was renamed Unity. Read more ... |
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Washington, NH First granted in 1735, the town was one of the fort towns designated to protect the colonies from Indian attack, named Monadnock Number 8. In December 1776, the newly established American revolutionary government incorporated the town as Washington, in honor of General George Washington. It was the first town in the United States to bear the name. Read more ... |
Wolfeboro New Hampshire Wolfeboro is located on Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire's largest lake, and prides itself as being the oldest summer resort in America. The relaxed New England atmosphere and unmatched scenic beauty draws thousands of visitors each year. Along with seasonal recreational activities Wolfeboro NH sponsors several cultural venues like The Great Waters Music Festival, NH Boat Museum and The Wright Museum. Wolfeboro also serves as a port for The MS Mount Washington arguably one of New Hampshire's most enjoyable attractions. Read more ... |
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Alton, NH Originally called New Durham Gore, because of Mount Major's rocky terrain, the town was settled by a group from Roxbury, Massachusetts. The name Roxbury had already been used, so the town was named for the Alton family. The town fronts Alton Bay, the southeastern point of Lake Winnipesaukee, and its 19.3 square miles of inland water area is the largest of any town in New Hampshire. Read more ... |
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