These 7 New Hampshire Towns Have The Best Historic Districts
With settlements going back to the 1600s, there are plenty of cities in New Hampshire that are saturated with history. But with so many historical sites to visit, picking which of them to add to the itinerary can be a daunting task. This list explores the more historic towns that New Hampshire has to offer, and consolidates the list into a best of the best. Here to bring a spotlight to some underappreciated towns in New Hampshire, here are seven historic settlements you do not want to miss.
Concord
Starting with the state capital, the city of Concord might not be an under-the-radar choice, but its historic district is so impressive that it deserves to be showcased. Preserving much of the infrastructure and buildings of the original city's foundation, Concord's historic downtown encourages a self-guided walking tour to best experience all that the oldest buildings and streets have to offer.
There are 62 locations listed on the tour, which runs about an hour and a half. Among the best stops are the Eagle Hotel, built in 1851; the Theodore French House, constructed in 1842 and originally owned by Captain Theodore French, who sailed a freight boat up the Merrimack River to Concord; and lastly, the CenterPoint Church, recently remodelled but no less historic and impressive for the gentrification.
Merrimack
Merrimack is littered with historic buildings and landmarks. It seems every step you take in this beautiful town is one closer to the next impressive monument, so you cannot go wrong, though it has such an impressive array of history that several sites worth visiting are just on the outskirts of Merrimack, too. Examples include the Old Kings Highway, ordered to be built by the King of England himself and nowadays restored to much of its former condition, and Simonds Rock, which is an erratic landmark used by Indigenous peoples and then later by settlers.
In the historic town visitors can see the Old Meetinghouse Site, which is the first meeting house established in Merrimack and was built to keep the town's colonial charter. The Turkey Hill Bridge is one of the oldest covered bridges in the town. The more you discover of Merrimack's history, the more you will realize there is still to discover.
Salem
The Salem Common Historic District is this town's main historic hub. Its main attraction is the Salem Old Town Hall, which was built in 1738. After undergoing an architectural facelift to provide the building Tudor Revival elements in 1899, the Old Town Hall has been virtually untouched since, and is now listed on the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places.
The Salem Common Historic District also includes the common itself, a fire station, and a library that used to be a schoolhouse in 1861. The common features several war memorials and graves dating back to the 1700s of the men and women who founded the small but resilient town.
Fitzwilliam
One of eight towns settled by Scottish colonists in the 18th century, Fitzwilliam was built as a town of industry. In fact, its historic granite quarry is one of the oldest in the state. The quarry is no longer active, but remnants of it and its impact on the landscape are still visible.
Fitzwilliam's common, and the twelve old houses around it, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Encompassing the heart of the town's 1765 beginnings, the Town Hall is the biggest attraction in the common. Also listed as historic places in the district are the Fitzwilliam Inn and the Fitzwilliam Market, both established in the 1800s.
Newmarket
As its name implies, Newmarket was once a hub of trade. Goods were shipped through the city up the Lamprey River, but wanting to rely on its own production, the town of Newmarket eventually forged a commercial identity to coincide with the transportation of timber. Textile mills were built and swiftly became a focal point of the town's industry.
In modern day, the mill buildings make up much of the Newmarket Commercial Historic District. These surviving buildings, along with historic houses, line Main Street. Also part of the district is a white wooden church built in 1828 and a brick Town Hall from 1847, built in the Greek Revival style.
Jaffrey
Settled at the base of Mount Monadnock, Jaffrey's early industry revolved around tourism. With stunning scenery and the flowing Contoocook River nearby, the beautiful town quickly became a popular destination for those looking to appreciate the wilderness or scale the Monadnock. The early builders of Jaffrey took pride in appearance, too: several of the oldest buildings in Jaffrey were built to reflect the town's prosperity, such as the Town Meetinghouse, in 1775, and which is still visible today.
Like the self-guided tour of Concord, Jaffrey also has a cluster of buildings in a designated historic area which modern-day tourists are encouraged to visit. In addition to the Meetinghouse, Melville Academy, once a secondary school, is now a museum. The remnants of a tannery built in the early 1800s can be found at the east end of the district.
Newport
Home to the extant major commercial and civic buildings of its past, Newport's Main Street is the heart of the town's historic district, and a wonderfully preserved representation of its roots. The Eagle Block, a Federal-style brick building, is Main Street's oldest and dates back to 1825. The Newport Opera House, designed by Hira R. Beckworth, was once a courthouse and town hall in one. It was built after a fire destroyed the buildings previously on site in the late 1800s. Featuring solid massing and a prominent central tower, this impressive building represents a period of intense growth for the town.
Not to be outdone, the Worcester Lunch Car Company diner, from the early 1900s, abuts the Eagle Block. Though there are several surviving Lunch Car diners in the country, they are a rare sight and an interesting glimpse into a past of Formica tables and chrome stools.
Experience New Hampshire's Beautiful Historic Districts
Sometimes it is not necessary to go exploring to find history. In these New Hampshire towns, history is built into the fabric of the towns themselves, into the brick walls and cobbled streets. Each of these seven towns is brimming with exciting and complex pasts, and has done its best to display those early beginnings as part of modern charm. Best of all: if you like what this list offers, New Hampshire has plenty more historic districts just waiting to be discovered.
