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AHistory
History · Durham

Durham dates to 1635, and 14% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 89% of U.S. towns · #45 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it

4 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Gen. John Sullivan House, a National Historic Landmark, and a historic district with 43 buildings. 4 places in town are on the National Register, among them the Gen. John Sullivan House, a National Historic Landmark, and a historic district with 43 buildings. Below: 13 old photos and papers, maps from 1916 on, and the census since 1790.

1635founded
4on the National Register
14%homes built before 1940
13old photos & papers
13famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Durham’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Durham began

When was Durham founded?

1635

Durham dates its founding to 1635 (Wikidata). It appears in the first U.S. census, 1790.

First census: 1,247 in 17902020 census: 15,490391 years

How historic is Durham?

A

More historic than 89% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1795.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Durham’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Durham is more historic than 89% of U.S. towns, #45 of 126 in New Hampshire. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its share of homes from before 1940 lowest.

A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Durham’s overall grade.
Founding era1635, from Wikidata: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA+Homes built before 194013.8% of homes (±4.0) · typical NH town 17.5% · U.S. 8.4%BNational Register4 listings, 46 historic buildings, 30.5 per 10,000 residents · typical NH town 9.5 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 89%
NewerOlder
New Hampshire towns of 2,500+ (126)Ahead of 65%

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 Durham’s 30.5 sits above most of its state (70% of New Hampshire towns have fewer) while its 46 historic buildings outnumber those of 84% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1635.
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 (±4.0 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 Durham’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Older than the countryEstablished in 1635, 141 years before the Declaration of Independence.Shrank, then grewLost half of its people between 1830 and 1920, then grew more than tenfold.A historic districtThe Durham Historic District takes in 43 historic buildings.A National Historic Landmark4 places on the National Register, including Gen. John Sullivan House, a National Historic Landmark.
★ What stands out · Timeline

Durham, 1635 to 2020

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 17th century
  2. 1635
    FoundingDurham is established
  3. 18th century
  4. 1795Post officeThe Durham post office opens
  5. 19th century
  6. 1801Born hereSamuel Wells is born here
  7. 1803Born hereJohn S. Wells is born here
  8. 1892BuiltThompson Hall is built
  9. 1896In the archiveThe Woodman Garrison house
  10. 20th century
  11. 1916On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  12. 1953Born hereJoyce Maynard is born here
  13. 1972LandmarkGen. John Sullivan House named a National Historic Landmark
  14. 1976Born hereDeron Quint is born here
  15. 21st century
  16. 2020CensusPopulation peaks at 15,490
People over time

Durham, census by census

02,0004,0006,0008,00010,00012,00014,00016,000180018501900195020001,606 in 1830Low: 749

Lost half of its people between 1830 and 1920, then grew more than tenfold.

24 censuses, 1790–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Durham’s Wikipedia page.

On the National Register

4 listings protect 46 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. One is a National Historic Landmark, the highest tier.

places listed
4
National Historic Landmark
1
Gen. John Sullivan House
historic buildings protected
46
each building in a district counts
first listed
1972
Gen. John Sullivan House
Durham Historic DistrictThompson Hall, built 1892Smith ChapelGen. John Sullivan House★
BuildingsDistricts★ landmark

Architectural styles listings

Greek Revival1
Federal1
Victorian1
Colonial Revival1
Georgian1
Cape1
★ Landmark
Gen. John Sullivan HouseBuilding
Durham Historic DistrictGreek Revival
Thompson HallRomanesque · Built 1892
Smith ChapelBuilding

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story

How Durham came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Durham.

Read it all →

Durham sits beside Great Bay at the mouth of the Oyster River, an ideal location for people who lived close to the land, like the Western Abenaki and their ancestors who have lived in the region for an estimated 11,000 years. The Shankhassick (now Oyster) River provided shellfish and access to the north woods for hunting and trapping; the sea provided food and access to long-established trade routes between tribes both north and south; and the open meadows provided land on which crops could be easily cultivated. Wecannecohunt (or Wecohamet), as the settlement was known until English settlers arrived, proved immediately attractive to them, too.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about Durham in 1914

Passages that mention Durham, cut from the printed page as they were published.

November 18th 1765 — at a Publick Town meeting, (Legally Notified) of the Inhabitants of Durham, held this day at the falls in Durham — Joseph Atkinson Esqr Chosen moderator, for Said meeting — Capt Benjm Smith Esqr and Capt Joseph Sias Brought the following Vote to the Town in writing — That The w…
History of Strafford County, New Hampshire1914 · page 333Read the page →
Read the text

November 18th 1765 — at a Publick Town meeting, (Legally Notified) of the Inhabitants of Durham, held this day at the falls in Durham — Joseph Atkinson Esqr Chosen moderator, for Said meeting — Capt Benjm Smith Esqr and Capt Joseph Sias Brought the following Vote to the Town in writing — That The western End of Said Town of Durham, be voted, to be Sat of as a parish, Agrcable to the Result or a Report of a Committee, (Chosen and appointed for that puqjose) and Brought into Publick Town meeting, the 24th day ,of Septr 1764 — with this addition, thereto, that the

Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The census of 1790 shows there were 562 inhabitants in the town of which number 138 were free white males 16 years of age and upward, including heads of families of whom there were 104. There were 142 children. In 1785 there were 70 poll tax payers. New Durham was settled largely by citizens of Dur…
History of Strafford County, New Hampshire1914 · page 438Read the page →
Read the text

The census of 1790 shows there were 562 inhabitants in the town of which number 138 were free white males 16 years of age and upward, including heads of families of whom there were 104. There were 142 children. In 1785 there were 70 poll tax payers. New Durham was settled largely by citizens of Durham, as is shown by the United States census of 1790, as published in 1907. Following are some of the Old Durham names that appear in the New Durham census. Samuel Runnels, 13 in family; Thomas Tash, 10 in family; John Edgerly, 4 in family; Josiah Doe, 5 in family; Caleb

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

Durham, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1890s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1890s1 item
The Woodman Garrison house1896The Woodman Garrison house
1900s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Date unknown12 to date
History of the town of Durham, New Hampshire (Oyster River Plantation) with genealogical notesDate?History of the town of Durham, New Hampshire (Oyster …BookHistory of the town of Durham, New Hampshire (Oyster River Plantation) with genealogical notesDate?History of the town of Durham, New Hampshire (Oyster …BookHistory of the town of Durham, New Hampshire (Oyster River Plantation) with genealogical notesDate?History of the town of Durham, New Hampshire (Oyster …BookThe birds of Durham and vicinityDate?The birds of Durham and vicinityDurham Falls Bridge, Spanning Oyster River at State Route 108Date?Durham Falls Bridge, Spanning Oyster River at State R…General John Sullivan House, Newmarket RoadDate?General John Sullivan House, Newmarket RoadTown Pound, Route 108Date?Town Pound, Route 108Pendergast Garrison, Packer's FallsDate?Pendergast Garrison, Packer's FallsWoodman Garrison, Garrison AvenueDate?Woodman Garrison, Garrison AvenueTown Hall, Newmarket & Dover RoadsDate?Town Hall, Newmarket & Dover RoadsEbenezer Smith House, 20 Main StreetDate?Ebenezer Smith House, 20 Main StreetLittle Bay Underwater Cable Terminal Houses Historic District, Under and adjacent to Little Bay between Newington and D…Date?Little Bay Underwater Cable Terminal Houses Historic …
Today34 recent
Artificial-turf sports field, used for soccer and lacrosse, outside Whittemore Center, a multi-purpose arena located on…2017Artificial-turf sports field, used for soccer and lac…Thompson Hall, also commonly referred to locally as "T-hall," one of the central buildings on the campus of the Univers…2017Thompson Hall, also commonly referred to locally as "…Entrance to the Whittemore Center, a multi-purpose arena located on the University of New Hampshire's Durham campus. Th…2017Entrance to the Whittemore Center, a multi-purpose ar…Monument to John Sullivan2017Monument to John SullivanNew England Center2017New England CenterAfter the storm - Flickr - Mark Bonica2016After the storm - Flickr - Mark BonicaStThomasMoreDurhamNH2015StThomasMoreDurhamNHUSPS Truck2013USPS TruckSt Thomas More Parish, Durham NH 22013St Thomas More Parish, Durham NH 2St Thomas More Parish, Durham NH 12013St Thomas More Parish, Durham NH 1St George Episcopal Church2013St George Episcopal ChurchPeoples United Bank2013Peoples United BankOyster River School District Office2013Oyster River School District OfficeMill Plaza, Mill Rd2013Mill Plaza, Mill RdMadbury Rd2013Madbury RdGas station Dover Rd2013Gas station Dover RdDurham-court-house2013Durham-court-houseDurham-chapel2013Durham-chapelCommunity Church2013Community ChurchBus stop2013Bus stopBlue VW Beetle2013Blue VW BeetleAdams Point2013Adams PointUntitled photo2012Untitled photoOysterRiverMassacre2012OysterRiverMassacreMailboxes at Durham post office2011Mailboxes at Durham post officeIntersection of Main Street and Madbury Road -012011Intersection of Main Street and Madbury Road -01Benches at Durham Amtrak station2011Benches at Durham Amtrak station20 Madbury Road201120 Madbury RoadDurham NH 0112005Durham NH 011Durham NH 0102005Durham NH 010Durham NH 0092005Durham NH 009Durham NH 0082005Durham NH 008Durham NH 0072005Durham NH 007Durham NH 0062005Durham NH 006
On the map

Durham on the map, 1916 to 1988

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Durham. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Durham on the 1916 USGS mapDurham on the 1941 USGS mapDurham on the 1956 USGS mapDurham on the 1973 USGS mapDurham on the 1988 USGS map1916Dover sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Durham.

Every building

Durham, building by building, 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 sheet.

Durham fire insurance map, 1924, sheet 11924Sheet 1 of 2
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

The Woodman Garrison house
Retake this viewThe Woodman Garrison house, 1896

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Durham’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Famous people

13 famous people were born in Durham

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
D
Deron QuintAmerican ice hockey player · b. 1976
J
Joyce MaynardAmerican writer · b. 1953
John S. WellsAmerican politician · b. 1803
Samuel WellsAmerican politician and Governor of Maine · b. 1801
James Frederick JoyAmerican railroad executive and politician · b. 1810
Sam FuldAmerican baseball player · b. 1981
Places that used to be

Old burying grounds

Durham’s post office has been open since 1795.

25family graveyards and cemeteries inside Durham
ChesleyDemerittDurhamGriffithsHamilton Smith ChapelIndian GravesJonesJoyMathesMcDanielMooneyOdiorneOyster RiverPendergastSmithSmithSullivanThompsonThompsonTwomblyVillageWoodmanWoodmanWoodmanYoung

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Help out

Start Durham’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Durham’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo12 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewThe Woodman Garrison house: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Newington3 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townMadburyIts storyB−Newmarket2 historic placesA+LeeIts storyB−

Questions about Durham’s history

What year was Durham founded?

In 1635, according to Wikidata. Durham’s post office opened in 1795, and the first U.S. census counted 1,247 people here in 1790.

How does Durham rank for history?

Durham is more historic than 89% of U.S. towns, #45 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 Durham?

4 listings: 3 buildings, among them the Gen. John Sullivan House (a National Historic Landmark since 1972), and 1 historic district, the Durham Historic District, with 43 contributing buildings. 46 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Durham?

14% of Durham’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.0 points), against a typical 17% for a New Hampshire town; the median home was built in 1981.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

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 (34), the Library of Congress (13), Wikidata (4), 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.