Hampstead dates to 1749, and 1 of its places is on the National Register
More historic than 59% of U.S. towns · #103 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Most of Hampstead was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1988. Its Register listing is the Hampstead Meetinghouse. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1935 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1806.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Hampstead’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hampstead is more historic than 59% of U.S. towns, #103 of 126 in New Hampshire. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Hampstead’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 Hampstead’s 1.1 sits below most of its state (19% of New Hampshire towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C to B+. The pre-1940 share (±2.6 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1749.
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 Hampstead’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Once part of Haverhill and Amesbury, Massachusetts, and settled in 1640, this town was formed as a result of the 1739 decision fixing the boundary line between Massachusetts and New Hampshire. It was originally known as "Timberlane Parish" because of the heavy growth of native trees. The town was incorporated in 1749 by colonial governor Benning Wentworth, who renamed it after Hampstead, England, the residence of William Pitt, a close friend.
The Hampstead Meetinghouse, constructed circa 1749–1768, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Hampstead was the home of the first honey factory in the United States, in 1816.
Passages that mention Hampstead, cut from the printed page as they were published.
A memorial of the town of Hampstead, New Hampshire1899 · page 115Read the page →
Read the text
Huse: " I Thomas Huse of Hampstead, &c, in consideration of the love, and good will, and affection which I have and bear to the inhabitants of the town of Hampstead in general, And to the Congregational Church and Society in particular, and with a view and desire to unite a spirit of liberality, and to promote good order, harmony and peace in the said town of Hampstead, have given, granted, and confirmed, and by these presents do give, grant, and confirm unto the said town of Hampstead, for the use and benefit of said inhabitants in general, and for the use aud bene-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A memorial of the town of Hampstead, New Hampshire1899 · page 13Read the page →
Read the text
Article 2 — " To see of ye Town will agree that Mr. Flint's and ye Stevens Land which is parted by ye line of this town may be Incorporated with the Town of Hampstead and others on ye Southerly Line of this Town may have liberty to be Incorporated with ye Town of Hampstead."
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
Hampstead, decade by decade
One decade in the archive so far: the 1930s. 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 1749, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Hampstead’s post office opened in 1806, and the first U.S. census counted 724 people here in 1790.
How does Hampstead rank for history?
Hampstead is more historic than 59% of U.S. towns, #103 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 Hampstead?
One place: the Hampstead Meetinghouse (listed 1980).
How old are the homes in Hampstead?
6% of Hampstead’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.6 points), against a typical 17% for a New Hampshire town; the median home was built in 1988.
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 National Register of Historic Places (1), 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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