Communities

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Tuftonboro, NH

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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.