Most of New Hampton was built recently: 9% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1989. Below: 9 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1804.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives New Hampton’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, New Hampton is more historic than 70% of U.S. towns. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of New 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 New Hampton’s 19.9 sits near the middle of its state (63% of New Hampshire towns have fewer) while its 5 listings outnumber those of 70% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1777.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A−. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.6 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 New Hampton’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
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.
1885Sheet 1 of 1
Edition
Sheets
BrickWoodStone
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Granted in 1765 by colonial Governor Benning Wentworth, New Hampton was originally known as "Moultonborough Addition", after then-Colonel Jonathan Moulton, who held the position of town moderator. Moulton, who was born in Hampton, changed the name to New Hampton in 1777 when it was incorporated.
In 1821 the New Hampton School, a Free Will Baptist institution, was founded in the town. From 1854 to 1870, the institute was affiliated with Cobb Divinity School (later part of Bates College).
In 1920, the New Hampton Fish Hatchery, the state's oldest fish hatchery, was established in the town.
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 1777, according to Wikidata. New Hampton’s post office opened in 1804, and the first U.S. census counted 652 people here in 1790.
How does New Hampton rank for history?
New Hampton is more historic than 70% 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 New Hampton?
5 listings: 5 buildings, among them the Dana Meeting House (listed 1984, the first).
How old are the homes in New Hampton?
9% of New Hampton’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.6 points), against a typical 17% for a New Hampshire town; the median home was built in 1989.
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 (15), Wikidata (3), the National Register of Historic Places (5), 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 Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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