Fitzwilliam dates to 1773, and 31% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 98% of U.S. towns · #12 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 19 buildings. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1898 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1805.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Fitzwilliam’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Fitzwilliam is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #12 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 Fitzwilliam’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 Fitzwilliam’s 96.6 sits above most of its state (82% of New Hampshire towns have fewer) while its 22 historic buildings outnumber those of 80% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1773.
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 (±5.3 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 Fitzwilliam’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
First granted as "Monadnock No. 4" in 1752 by colonial Governor Benning Wentworth, this was one in a line of eight towns settled by Scottish colonists. Incorporated in 1773 by Governor John Wentworth, the town was named for his cousin, William Fitzwilliam, 4th Earl Fitzwilliam. Two early grantees in Fitzwilliam were Matthew Thornton, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and James Reed, who would lead the 3rd New Hampshire Regiment at Bunker Hill.
The community claims one of the oldest granite quarries in New Hampshire. Other industries included wood-working and yarn-making. The railroad entered in 1848.
Passages that mention Fitzwilliam, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, from 1752-18871888 · page 56Read the page →
Read the text
Monadnock No. 3, or North Monadnock, was incorporated as Dublin, and included the present town of Dublin and more than half the town of Harrisville ; Monadnock No. 4, or Stoddardtown, was named Fitzwilliam at its incorporation, and included the present town of Fitzwilliam and fully half the town of Troy ; Monadnock No. 5 was called New Marlborough and incorporated as Marlborough, and included the present town of Marlborough, a part of Roxbury, and some less
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, from 1752-18871888 · page 242Read the page →
Read the text
Fitzwilliam, Jan. 1780. The above soldiers inlisted for the Town of Fitzwilliam, and were paid the several sums set against tlieir names. Attest John Mellen Selectman.
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
Fitzwilliam, 1773 to 2010
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 1773, according to Wikidata. Fitzwilliam’s post office opened in 1805, and the first U.S. census counted 1,038 people here in 1790.
How does Fitzwilliam rank for history?
Fitzwilliam is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #12 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 Fitzwilliam?
Three places: the Fitzwilliam Common Historic District (listed 1997), the Third Fitzwilliam Meetinghouse (1977) and the Old Patch Place (1980).
How old are the homes in Fitzwilliam?
31% of Fitzwilliam’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.3 points), against a typical 17% for a New Hampshire town; the median home was built in 1967.
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 (10), the Library of Congress (2), 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.
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