Charlestown dates to 1783, and 20% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 91% of U.S. towns · #37 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
4 places in town are on the National Register, among them two historic districts with 90 buildings between them. Below: 7 old photos and papers, maps from 1899 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1791.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Charlestown’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Charlestown is more historic than 91% of U.S. towns, #37 of 126 in New Hampshire. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its National Register listings ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Charlestown’s overall grade.
New Hampshire towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical New Hampshire town has 9.5 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Charlestown’s 188 sits above most of its state (91% of New Hampshire towns have fewer) while its 92 historic buildings outnumber those of 89% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1783.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±10.3 points).
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Charlestown’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.
Every building
Charlestown, building by building, 1899–1924
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
The area was first granted on December 31, 1735, by colonial governor Jonathan Belcher of Massachusetts as "Plantation No. 4", the fourth in a line of townships on the Connecticut River. Settled in 1740, it was the northernmost township, and its 1744 stockade now known as Fort at Number 4 became a strategic military site. On the evening of May 2, 1746, Seth Putnam joined Major Josiah Willard and several soldiers as they escorted women to milk the cows. As they approached the barn, Natives hiding in the bushes opened fire, killing Putnam, "the first victim of [Native] vengeance". In 1747, during King George's War, the fort was besieged for three days by a force of French and Native people. Captain Phineas Stevens and 31 militia stationed at the fort repelled the attack, with their success becoming well known.
Passages that mention Charlestown, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Charlestown, New-Hampshire, the old No. 41876 · page 229Read the page →
Read the text
And be 'it further enacted that the inhabitants who now do or shall hereafter reside in said Charlestown are incorporated into and made a body politic and corporate by the name of the "South Parish in Charlestown," and the inhabitants who now do, or shall hereafter reside in said Charlestown, and north of said divisional line, be, and hereby are incorporated into, and made a body politic and corporate by the name of the " North Parish in Charlestown ;" that each of the said parishes by its name aforesaid may in any court sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Charlestown, New-Hampshire, the old No. 41876 · page 206Read the page →
Read the text
At the session of the legislature held from December 13, 1786, to January 18th, 1787, a portion of the town of Charlestown was set off and incorporated into the town of Langdou. The act of incorporation was passed January 11th, 1787. By this act Charlestown was deprived of quite a number of its population ; but the exact number that went to form the new township has not been ascertained.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Charlestown, 1783 to 1958
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
In 1783, according to Wikidata. Charlestown’s post office opened in 1791, and the first U.S. census counted 1,093 people here in 1790.
How does Charlestown rank for history?
Charlestown is more historic than 91% of U.S. towns, #37 of 126 in New Hampshire. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Charlestown?
4 listings: 2 buildings, among them the Charlestown Town Hall (listed 1984, the first), and 2 historic districts, the Charlestown Main Street Historic District and the North Charlestown Historic District, with 90 contributing buildings. 92 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Charlestown?
20% of Charlestown’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±10.3 points), against a typical 17% for a New Hampshire town; the median home was built in 1977.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (11), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (4), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1909
c. 1913
1914
2013
2013
2013
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