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AHistory
History · Jefferson

Jefferson dates to 1796, and 20% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 86% of U.S. towns. What drives it

1 place in town is on the National Register, among them a historic district with 6 buildings. Below: 26 old photos and papers, maps from 1893 on, and the census since 1800.

1796founded
1on the National Register
20%homes built before 1940
26old photos & papers
2famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Jefferson’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Jefferson began

When was Jefferson founded?

1796

Jefferson dates its founding to 1796 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1800.

First census: 112 in 18002020 census: 1,043230 years

How historic is Jefferson?

A

More historic than 86% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1805.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Jefferson’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Jefferson is more historic than 86% of U.S. towns. 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 Jefferson’s overall grade.
Founding era1796, from Wikidata: founded 1776–1849, an older era than 75% of U.S. townsA−Homes built before 194020.0% of homes (±5.2) · typical NH town 17.5% · U.S. 8.4%B+National Register1 listing, 6 historic buildings, 59.2 per 10,000 residents · typical NH town 9.5 · U.S. 2.4A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 86%
NewerOlder

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 Jefferson’s 59.2 sits above most of its state (78% of New Hampshire towns have fewer) while its 6 historic buildings outnumber those of 72% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±5.2 points). Two sources give 1796.

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 Jefferson’s past

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

Lost villages6 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Jefferson, and 6 old place names are still on the map.A town in old photos26 old photos, postcards and papers, 1890–1996.Then and now2 places photographed years apart.On the map since 18934 editions of the USGS map, 1893 to 1995. Watch Jefferson change.
★ What stands out · Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds

Jefferson had its own post office from 1805 to 1805. Six other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Jefferson
1805–1805
Jefferson
1810–today
Jefferson Mills
1849–1865
Highland
1876–1881
Jefferson Highland
1881–1939
Meadows
1881–today
Dartmouth
1890–1891
Riverton
1891–1934
Starrking
1899–1940
18001910today
Hamlets and corners on the map
BaileysHighlandsJefferson HighlandRivertonStarr KingWaumbeck Junction
5cemeteries and burying grounds inside Jefferson
Forest ValeHillsideKilkenny ViewRivertonStarr King

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

By decade

Jefferson, decade by decade

4 decades in the archive, from the 1890s to the 1990s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1890s–1900s15 items
Approach to the Waumbek1890Approach to the WaumbekA Corner of the Waumbek1890A Corner of the WaumbekThe Waumbek and cottages1890The Waumbek and cottagesCherry Valley and Presidential Range Waumbek, Jefferson, N. H., The White Mountains of New Hampshire1898Cherry Valley and Presidential Range Waumbek, Jeffers…Presidential Range from Jefferson, White Mountains1900Presidential Range from Jefferson, White MountainsJefferson and the Presidential Range, White Mountains1900Jefferson and the Presidential Range, White MountainsPresidential Range from Waumbek Hall1900Presidential Range from Waumbek HallPresidential Range from look off1900Presidential Range from look offPresidential Range from Waumbek Hall1900Presidential Range from Waumbek HallPresidential Range from Waumbek Hall1900Presidential Range from Waumbek HallPresidential Range from the Look-off1900Presidential Range from the Look-offPresidential Range from Bray Hill. Jefferson [Whi]te Mountains1900Presidential Range from Bray Hill. Jefferson [Whi]te …Presidential Range from Bray Hill. Jefferson, White Mountains1900Presidential Range from Bray Hill. Jefferson, White M…Presidential Range from Bray Hill1900Presidential Range from Bray HillPresidential Range from Bray Hill1901Presidential Range from Bray Hill
1910s–1970snothing 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
1980s–1990s7 items
Six Gun City, Route 21984Six Gun City, Route 2Six Gun City, Route 21996Six Gun City, Route 2Six Gun City, Route 21996Six Gun City, Route 2Six Gun City, Route 21996Six Gun City, Route 2Six Gun City, Route 21996Six Gun City, Route 2Six Gun City, Route 21996Six Gun City, Route 2Six Gun City, Route 21996Six Gun City, Route 2
Date unknown4 to date
Carter's TowerDate?Carter's TowerHighland HouseDate?Highland HousePliny Range HouseDate?Pliny Range HousePresidential RangeDate?Presidential Range
Today11 recent
Jefferson NH 10-25-252025Jefferson NH 10-25-25Thaddeus Lowe Marker2023Thaddeus Lowe MarkerJeffersonNH TownHall2016JeffersonNH TownHallJeffersonNH Library2016JeffersonNH LibraryWhite Mountains National Forest2014White Mountains National ForestScenic overlook (winter)2013Scenic overlook (winter)St. Agnes Jefferson 52012St. Agnes Jefferson 5Mountains from2012Mountains fromClouds coming over Mount Washington2011Clouds coming over Mount WashingtonPresidential Range White Mountains2008Presidential Range White MountainsCherry valley Presidential Range White Mountains2008Cherry valley Presidential Range White Mountains
Then & now

The same spot, 108 years apart

Drag across each photo to compare.

Presidential Range White MountainsJefferson and the Presidential Range, White Mountains19002008
Jefferson and the Presidential Range, White MountainsMatched from the two captions
Cherry valley Presidential Range White MountainsCherry Valley and Presidential Range Waumbek, Jefferson, N. H., The White Mountains of New Hampshire18982008
Cherry Valley and Presidential Range Waumbek, Jefferson, N. H., The White Mountains of New HampshireMatched from the two captions
The story

How Jefferson came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Jefferson.

Read it all →

Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth first made land grants in this area in 1765, but the location was so deep in unexplored territory that few settlers took up their claims. So soon after the French and Indian War, in which certain Native American tribes in New England were allied with the French, English colonists did not want to be exposed on the frontier.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Jefferson, 1796 to 1996

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

  1. 18th century
  2. 1796
    FoundingJefferson is established
  3. 19th century
  4. 1805Post officeThe Jefferson post office opens
  5. 1805Post officeThe Jefferson post office closes
  6. 1810Post officeThe Jefferson post office opens
  7. 1828Born hereHarris M. Plaisted is born here
  8. 1832Born hereThaddeus S. C. Lowe is born here
  9. 1849Post officeThe Jefferson Mills post office opens
  10. 1865Post officeThe Jefferson Mills post office closes
  11. 1890In the archiveApproach to the Waumbek
  12. 1893On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  13. 20th century
  14. 1900In the archivePresidential Range from Jefferson, White Mountains
  15. 1984In the archiveSix Gun City, Route 2
  16. 1996In the archiveSix Gun City, Route 2
On the map

Jefferson on the map, 1893 to 1995

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

Jefferson on the 1893 USGS mapJefferson on the 1935 USGS mapJefferson on the 1982 USGS mapJefferson on the 1995 USGS map1893Mt Washington 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 Jefferson.

On the National Register

1 listing protects 6 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
6
each building in a district counts
first listed
2006
Waumbek Cottages Historic District
Waumbek Cottages Historic District
Districts

Architectural styles listings

Shingle Style1
Waumbek Cottages Historic DistrictShingle Style

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

People over time

Jefferson, census by census

02004006008001,0001,20018001850190019502000Peak: 1,107

Between 112 and 1,107 people in every census since 1800.

23 censuses, 1800–2020.

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

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Jefferson

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

See all →
Thaddeus S. C. LoweAmerican chemist and inventor · b. 1832
Harris M. PlaistedUnion Army general, lawyer, politician · b. 1828
Help out

Finish Jefferson’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
3 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Date a photo4 archive items have no date. Guess the decade.+2Retake an old viewApproach to the Waumbek: 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.

Carroll3 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townWhitefield1 historic placeALancaster5 historic placesA+RandolphIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Jefferson’s history

What year was Jefferson founded?

In 1796, according to Wikidata. Jefferson’s post office opened in 1805, and the census of 1800 counted 112 people here.

How does Jefferson rank for history?

Jefferson is more historic than 86% of U.S. towns. 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 Jefferson?

One place: the Waumbek Cottages Historic District (listed 2006).

How old are the homes in Jefferson?

20% of Jefferson’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±5.2 points), against a typical 17% for a New Hampshire town; the median home was built in 1988.

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 (23), the Library of Congress (14), 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) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.