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Area History

Andover, nestled in the folded foothills of Mount Kearsarge and Ragged Mountain, is a town that values its heritage while it looks to the future. It is home to skilled building tradesmen, artists and artisans, sophisticated industrial machining, a prep school of national repute, and people of many other abilities. It is graced by two lakes, several 'great ponds,' and the Blackwater River, the state's only 'Class A' river, and is close to summer and winter sports.

First settled in 1715, Andover was incorporated in 1779 and now numbers about 2,300 in three village concentrations among 40 square miles of forest. Andover lies 90 miles north of Boston and 25 miles northwest of Concord. Our people work both locally and by commuting as far as Laconia, Lebanon, Manchester, and even Boston. Our high schoolers attend Merrimack Valley High School in Penacook, Bishop Brady High School in Concord, and Proctor Academy here in Andover. Our people can cook you a meal, build you a house, teach your children, manage your business ... you name it, Andover likely has someone who can do it!

The town of Franklin was formed out of parts of Andover, Salisbury, Northfield, and Sanbornton in 1828 to utilize the unique confluence of two rivers into a third as an industrial site. Developed as a mill town, Franklin was an economic force in New Hampshire during the mid to late 19th and early 20th centuries. Out of that affluence, the combination town hall, opera house, and memorial hall was built in 1892-1893, as a shining example of Franklin's pride. In 1893, it was proposed that Franklin become a city, and in 1895 the inauguration of the first Mayor and City Council ushered in this new form of government.

The town of Hill stretches from the Pemi River up and over the Murray Hill to the Smith River. The Town has a population of approximately 900 people but fewer live year round. The downtown of Hill moved in 1945 to a relocated community on Route 3 when the dam was built in Franklin. Several homes were moved up the hill to the new location but most homes were built. The "Old Town" of Hill is open for tours once a year but is primarily an open recreation area for horseback riding and hiking. In the winter snowmobiles are able to ride from Franklin to Bristol through the Old Town. Profile Falls is a tourist location on the Smith River. The town was named for Govenor Hill after the State recommended a name change as there were several towns named New Chester.

The town of Tilton is a vibrant community with a rich history. Originally established as part of Sanbornton and called Sanbornton Bridge, there were settlements as early as 1765, in what is now Lochmere and at Tin Corner near the New Hampshire Veterans' Home. However it wasn't until 1850, that the people of Tilton petitioned the General Court to form their own town. Almost twenty years later, after three special town meetings, 150 voters approved the article to divide the two towns while 105 dissented. Governor Onslow Stearns approved the division in 1869.

The town is named after Charles E. Tilton who was its wealthiest citizen. He was a fourth generation descendent who presented the community with the Memorial Arch (a replica of Rome's Arch of Titus), a number of marble statues which are found in town, and an Island Park which still has the Truesdell truss bridge. He gave the town its Town Hall provided that the town would never change its name. Mr. Tilton is buried in a mausoleum in Park Cemetery in Tilton.

Because of its location on the shores of the Winnipesaukee River, Tilton had a number of cotton and woolen textile mills that brought growth and prosperity to the community during the 19th and early 20th centuries. One of those mills is currently being renovated to house new businesses.

Today Tilton is known for its Victorian architecture, quaint Main Street, and the nearby outlet mall. It is also home to the Tilton School, a well-known private school that overlooks the downtown.

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