More historic than 46% of U.S. towns · #121 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
Most of Lee was built recently: 5% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1987. Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1917 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1822.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Lee’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lee is more historic than 46% of U.S. towns, #121 of 126 in New Hampshire. Its age holds the grade up; its National Register listings pull it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lee’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 Lee’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (8% of New Hampshire towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to B+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.5 points). Two sources give 1657.
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 Lee’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Lee was first settled by Europeans in 1657 as part of the extensive early Dover township. It includes Wheelwright Pond, named for the Reverend John Wheelwright, the founder of Exeter.
Wheelwright Pond was the site of a noted early battle during King William's War. Indians, incited by the government of New France, attacked Exeter on July 4, 1690. They were pursued by two infantry companies raised for the purpose, who overtook them at Wheelwright Pond on July 6, 1690. Fierce fighting on that day would leave 3 officers and 15 soldiers dead, together with a large number of Indians. Among the dead were Captain Noah Wiswall, Lieutenant Gershom Flagg, and Ensign Edward Walker of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Passages that mention Lee, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Strafford County, New Hampshire1914 · page 336Read the page →
Read the text
The records from Jan. 15 to Jan. 23, 1766, are missing, but on January 1 6th the act for a new parish of Lee became law, as on Friday, Jan. 10, 1766, the House had passed an "Act for incorporating a new Parish in Durham," according to the Journal for that day. In that act the parish is called "Lee."
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
History of Strafford County, New Hampshire1914 · page 232Read the page →
Read the text
of Durham to ha\e the town divided into two parishes. In response to ;his petition, and favorable action by the town of Durham, the I'roxincial Government set oft' a part of Durham and incorporated it as the parish of Lee, January 6, 1766, with town privileges. Captain Mooncy's farm being mostly on the Lee side of the division line, he taught school at Lee Hill village until the Revolution, and again after the war until his removal to Holderness. His sons Obadiah and John were also school teachers. Colonel Mooney served as one of the selectmen of Lee from 1769 until he joined
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
Lee, decade by decade
One decade in the archive so far: the 1900s. 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 1657, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Lee’s post office opened in 1822, and the first U.S. census counted 1,029 people here in 1790.
How does Lee rank for history?
Lee is more historic than 46% of U.S. towns, #121 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.
How old are the homes in Lee?
5% of Lee’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.5 points), against a typical 17% for a New Hampshire town; the median home was built in 1987.
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 (9), the Library of Congress (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.
2020
2020
2020
2018
2018
2018
2018
2018
2013
