Communities

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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. Read more ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Orford, NH Firs