Hampton dates to 1638, and 14% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 76% of U.S. towns · #72 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Its Register listings are the Reuben Lamprey Homestead and the Benjamin James House. Below: 4 old photos and papers, maps from 1912 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1805.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Hampton’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Hampton is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns, #72 of 126 in New Hampshire. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Hampton’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 Hampton’s 1.8 sits below most of its state (23% of New Hampshire towns have fewer) while its 3 historic buildings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A−. The pre-1940 share (±2.5 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1638.
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 Hampton’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
First called the "Plantation of Winnacunnet", Hampton was one of four original New Hampshire townships chartered by the General Court of Massachusetts, which then held authority over the colony. Winnacunnet is an Algonquian Abenaki word meaning "pleasant pines" and is the name of the town's high school, serving students from Hampton and the surrounding towns of Seabrook, North Hampton, and Hampton Falls.
Passages that mention Hampton, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of the town of Hampton Falls, New Hampshire1900 · page 380Read the page →
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The court, regardless of the fact that the legislature had granted the turnpike a franchise to do business, instead of protecting them, laid out a road from what was known as Vittum's corner (near Norman Marston's house in Hampton) to "Shun pike" bridge, and another road was laid out from some point in North Hampton across the town of Hampton to the hill in Hampton Falls. These roads could be built only at great expense and would have been a heavy burden on the towns. The business of the turnpike would
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of the town of Hampton Falls, New Hampshire1900 · page 55Read the page →
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Wheras a considerable number of the inhabitants of the Southerly and Westerly parts of Hampton falls have petitioned the General Assembly, to be set off from the old and erected into a new Parish, which has not been opposed: And a Committee of the General Assembly have been appointed to fix a line between the Parish proposed to be set off, and the old Parish, who have performed that service and made their return which has been accepted — Therfore be it Enacted by the Governor, Council, and Assembly, That there be and
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History of Hampton Falls, N.H. ..1918 · page 39Read the page →
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In 1781 an attempt was made to get the town of Seabrook, together with the lower part of Hampton Falls adjacent, incorporated into a new town to be known as New Hampton Falls. The parish of Hampton Falls voted to oppose this movement. In 1783 the attempt to get the town of New Hampton Falls was renewed. The town chose a committee to oppose it before the assembly and were successful in defeating the project. Who were the instigators of this movement does not appear and proba-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Hampton Falls, N.H. ..1918 · page 125Read the page →
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1745 — In the month of June a meeting was held at Hampton at which the people of Hampton Falls claimed the right of voting. They were refused and in consequence a parish meeting was warned and held September 30, 1745, at which a committee was appointed "to maintain actions at the expense of the parish against those who refused them the privilege of voting; to answer and defend against any accusation, complaint, actions of
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
Hampton, decade by decade
2 decades in the archive, from the 1910s to 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.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Hampton. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1932Exeter 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 Hampton.
Every building
Hampton, building by building, 1912–1930
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.
In 1638, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Hampton’s post office opened in 1805, and the first U.S. census counted 853 people here in 1790.
How does Hampton rank for history?
Hampton is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns, #72 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 Hampton?
Two places: the Reuben Lamprey Homestead (listed 1982) and the Benjamin James House (2002).
How old are the homes in Hampton?
14% of Hampton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.5 points), against a typical 17% for a New Hampshire town; the median home was built in 1978.
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 (21), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (2), the National Register of Historic Places (2), 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.
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