Chester dates to 1722, and 16% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 81% of U.S. towns · #65 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Its Register listings are the Chester Village Cemetery, the Chester Congregational Church and the Stevens Memorial Hall. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1953 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1794.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Chester’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Chester is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns, #65 of 126 in New Hampshire. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Chester’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 Chester’s 5.7 sits near the middle of its state (37% of New Hampshire towns have fewer) while its 3 listings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1722.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.7 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 Chester’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
"Chester is considered one of the old towns of the state. In 1719, about eighty persons, chiefly from Portsmouth and Hampton, formed an association, for the purpose of securing a tract of land in the "Chesnut Country" (so called) and stationed three men upon this tract, to hold possession until they should procure a lawful title. After considerable difficulty they obtained a grant of land, ten miles [16 km] square. Immediately the settlement was commenced by several persons from Rye and Hampton, among whom were Samuel Ingalls, Jonathan Goodhue, Jacob Sargent, Ebenezer Dearborn, Robert Smith, E. Colby and S. Robie, who contributed largely to the permanent success of the enterprise. On the 8th of May, 1722 the township which had hitherto been called Cheshire, was incorporated under its present name, and comprising an area of over 120 square miles [310 km2]."
Passages that mention Chester, cut from the printed page as they were published.
HISTORY OF CHESTER NEW HAMPSHIRE INCLUDING AUBURN A SUPLEMENT TO THE HISTORY OF OLD CHESTER1926 · page 42Read the page →
Read the text
same man at all, and what is more my doctor says I never will be.” I didn’t quite understand either why they should ask me to come here to talk this afternoon with such a long and distinguished array of eminent speakers who can claim a birthplace here in the Town of Chester; why they should call upon me, who was not so fortunate as to be born in the Town of Chester. And I tried to think of some reason why they had done that. I couldn’t think of any reason except this: I remembered reading a few days ago that Mr. Taft, the present Chief
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Chester, New Hampshire, including Auburn1926Read the page →
Read the text
same man at all, and what is more my doctor says I never will be." I didn't quite understand either why they should ask me to come here to talk this afternoon with such a long and distinguished array of eminent speakers who can claim a birthplace here in the Town of Chester ; why they should call upon me, who was not so fortunate as to be born in the Town of Chester. And I tried to think of some reason why they had done that. I couldn't think of any reason except this : I remembered reading a few days ago that Mr. Taft, the present Chief
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of old Chester [N. H.] from 1719 to 18691869 · page 182Read the page →
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present the parish book to persons for their signatures to the following, to become members of the parish, viz. : " The subscribers promise the Congregational parish in Chester that so long as they continue members of said parish they will pay all parish taxes assessed upon their polls and estates, provided the same does not exceed the rate of eighty-four cents upon the single poll, and in the same proportion upon their taxable property."
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Chester, New Hampshire, including Auburn1926 · page 129Read the page →
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for the cause of education in the little town of Chester can only be acquired by a loving* study of the notes recorded year by year on paper, or perhaps by a review of the work of people who laid the foundations of their education in this town. If the majority of people who owe their schooling to Chester are honest and industrious, and if there are a creditable few who have been inspired to continue on the road of scholarship pointed out to them in their early years, let those who have been intrusted with the care of Chester schools have some
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.
By decade
Chester, decade by decade
2 decades in the archive, from the 1900s to the 1910s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
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 1722, according to Wikidata. Chester’s post office opened in 1794, and the first U.S. census counted 1,902 people here in 1790.
How does Chester rank for history?
Chester is more historic than 81% of U.S. towns, #65 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 Chester?
Three places: the Chester Village Cemetery (listed 1979), the Chester Congregational Church (1986) and the Stevens Memorial Hall (2004).
How old are the homes in Chester?
16% of Chester’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.7 points), against a typical 17% for a New Hampshire town; the median home was built in 1991.
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 (5), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (3), 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 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.
c. 1910
1913
2009
