Warner dates to 1774, and 32% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 98% of U.S. towns · #9 of 126 in New Hampshire. What drives it
4 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 25 buildings. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1928 on, and the census since 1790.
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1812.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Warner’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Warner is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #9 of 126 in New Hampshire. All 3 inputs are above most U.S. towns; its age ranks highest and its National Register listings lowest.
A+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Warner’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 Warner’s 87.9 sits above most of its state (81% of New Hampshire towns have fewer) while its 26 historic buildings outnumber those of 81% of U.S. towns.
NoteThe founding year comes from Wikidata alone; no second source gives 1774.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±7.1 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 Warner’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The town was granted in 1735 as "Number One" by Massachusetts Governor Jonathan Belcher to petitioners largely from Amesbury, Massachusetts. Called "New Amesbury", it was part of a line of settlements running between the Merrimack and Connecticut rivers intended to help defend Massachusetts against New France's predations. It was regranted by the Masonian Proprietors in 1749, when it was settled with four houses and a sawmill. Called "Jennesstown", it was abandoned and destroyed during the French and Indian War. The town was granted again in 1767 to Jonathan Barnard and others, who called it "Amesbury". But on September 3, 1774, it was incorporated as "Warner", named after Jonathan Warner, a leading Portsmouth citizen, namesake of the Warner House and relative of Governor John Wentworth. It was one of the last towns established under English provincial rule prior to the Revolution.
Passages that mention Warner, cut from the printed page as they were published.
The history of Warner, New Hampshire, for one hundred and forty-four years, from 1735 to 18791879 · page 414Read the page →
Read the text
At a legal meeting, held at the town hall, March 18, 1871, Stephen S. Bean, moderator, — Resolved, That the town of Warner, in view of the bequests of Eranklin Simonds, late of Warner, of twenty thousand dollars, and of Abigail K. Simonds, late of Warner, of five thousand dollars, as a fund, the income to be applied for the purpose of a high school, establish a high school, and that said town be and hereby is constituted a high school district, including the whole territory
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
The history of Warner, New Hampshire, for one hundred and forty-four years, from 1735 to 18791879 · page 173Read the page →
Read the text
warned and held out of this State or any part thereof : 3 ly to See if the proprietors will vote to*chuse a committee to Bring an action or actions against any person or persons that are in possession of lands in the town of Warner not having any title to the same from under the proprietors of the township of said Warner.
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.
Timeline
Warner, 1774 to 2020
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
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 1774, according to Wikidata. Warner’s post office opened in 1812, and the first U.S. census counted 863 people here in 1790.
How does Warner rank for history?
Warner is more historic than 98% of U.S. towns, #9 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 Warner?
4 listings: 1 building, 1 historic district, the Waterloo Historic District, with 25 contributing buildings, and 2 structures. 26 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Warner?
32% of Warner’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±7.1 points), against a typical 17% for a New Hampshire town; the median home was built in 1975.
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 (6), the National Register of Historic Places (4), 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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