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Town History A Brief History of Washington, NH Washington, New Hampshire is unique in that it is the first town incorporated under the name of George Washington. This occurred on December 13, 1776, while General Washington was serving as the Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, and over 12 years prior to his inauguration as our first President on April 30, 1789. (To read more, see the full article in our 2001 Spring Newsletter. ) The area was originally part of a larger land charter granted by the Province of Massachusetts on January 15, 1736, and called “Monadnock Number 8.” It was one of a succession of towns that ran from Merrimack to the Connecticut River meant to form a protective line of defense that also included Hopkinton Number 5, Henniker Number 6, and Hillsborough Number 7. Photo Archives Interested in seeing more archival photos of the area? Contact Us to inquire about seeing our historic Postcards, other photography, and archive materials. Click on an image to see more details . The Early Years New Concord / Camden In 1746, this land was purchased by the “Masonian Proprietors” who, on December 6, 1751 granted a portion of it to Capt. Peter Prescott of Concord, Massachusetts, who called it New Concord. Stephen Hosmer’s survey of 1753 found New Concord to be six and a half miles wide by eight miles long, and containing 33,280 acres. Still roughly the size of Washington today. The New Concord grant transferred to Colonel Reuben Kidder, Esq. of New Ipswitch in 1768, who renamed it Camden, after Royal Governor John Wentworth's friend, the Earl of Camden, Chief Justice of England. The first settlers arrived in May, 1768 and camped at the outlet of Millen's Pond. Each was granted 100 acres of land with the privilege of choosing land from any part of the township. The first census, taken in 1773, showed that Camden had 14 log houses, 7 framed houses, 6 barns, 44 "cattel," 12 sheep, and 263 acres of cleared land owned by 28 families. Total population was 132. Late 1700's – 1830 Washington Finds its Name On September 22, 1776, with the War for Independence under way, the inhabitants of Camden sent the petition to the New Hampshire General Assembly requesting the name change of their town from Camden to Washington mentioned above. This petition was granted on December 13, 1776. Washington was included in Cheshire County until July 5, 1827, and then became part of the newly incorporated Sullivan County, where it remains today. 1830's – 1930's A Thriving Community In 1830 the town population reached a peak of 1,135. Many mills were built along the streams and soon Washington was manufacturing lumber, barrel staves, shingles, chair parts, bobbins, whip sockets, hosiery, bricks and washboards. Farmers grew crops, and water-powered grist mills ground flour. By 1886 fifty-three tons of maple sugar was being produced annually, and wool and mutton had become important to the economy of the town. During the “railroad era” commencing in the second half of the 19th century, Washington became known for its mountain air, healthy water and its many hotels and tourist homes. With the discovery of rich prairielands in the western U.S., Washington’s farmers found it more difficult to compete. This caused many to abandon their rocky hill farms and join the migration westward. Washington Today Today Washington, NH is home to many people seeking a rural New Hampshire lifestyle, or vacationing on its 26 surrounding lakes and ponds. Click on an image to see more details . Washington, NH — An Inviting Place to Live Population continued to decline, and by the Great Depression of the 1930’s it reached a low below 200. Happily, people are returning and population has been climbing, reaching 1,123 with the 2010 census. Today, Washington's over 26 sparkling lakes and ponds , clear mountain air and beautiful scenery has largely made us a retirement and summer vacation community and inviting tourist area. As all those who visit or live here know, it is one of New Hampshire's best kept secrets! Read More About Washington, NH To learn more about the fascinating history of our town and its people, check out the following collection of materials available through our Gift Shop : The History of Washington New Hampshire 1768 – 1886 , Portrait of a Hill Town: A History of Washington, New Hampshire 1886 – 1976, and ..A Sacred Deposit. All three books are available at the Museum Store or online as individual books or a set of three. No product

The Washington Historical Society is a non-profit organization located in Washington, NH. We collect and preserve items and provide events related to the history of Washington, New Hampshire. We operate three buildings: a museum, a barn, and a one-room schoolhouse and have a free online Cemetery Search tool for four regional cemeteries. About About Washington, New Hampshire Washington, New Hampshire, is the first town incorporated under the name of George Washington. This occurred on December 13, 1776, when General Washington was serving as the Commander in Chief of the Continental Army, and over 12 years prior to his inauguration as our first President on April 30, 1789. For more about the history of Washington, see the Town History page. About the Washington Historical Society We are an all-volunteer 501(c) (3) organization founded in 1982 and located in Washington, NH. For more on the history of our organization, see the WHS History page. Our Mission Our mission is to bring together people interested in the collection and preservation of all material related to the history of Washington and East Washington, New Hampshire, and to undertake activities to foster and promote public knowledge of this local history, as well as state and national history. Our Museums We maintain and operate three buildings, all of which are staffed by volunteers during the summer season. The buildings feature displays and exhibits designed to educate visitors about what life and work was like for people living in Washington across the years. GO TO MUSEUMS Board Members Our Board of Directors changes annually. This is a list of Officers and Board members of the Washington Historical Society for Fiscal Year August 1, 2025 – July 31, 2026. Contact Us at: info@wnhhs.org Bill Mulcahy PRESIDENT Gwen Gaskell ARCHIVIST Steve Yusko VICE-PRESIDENT Ellen Hofford ASST. ARCHIVIST & BOARD MEMBER Elaine Crandall TREASURER Pat Martin BOARD MEMBER Marian Baker SECRETARY Kim Stumpf BOARD MEMBER Bill Mulcahy WEBMASTER Nondiscrimination Policy The Washington NH Historical Society does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital staus, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its ativities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, the appointment to and termination from its Board of Directors, hiring and firing of staff or contractors, selection of volunteers, selection of vendors, and providing of services.

The WNHHS has three levels of annual membership: $10 Individual, $15 Family, and $25 Sustaining. Member benefits include free access to all events, meetings and museums; our semi-annual newsletter; and emails with news and information. Join us! Membership Your active membership helps support our programs and other operational expenses. THANK YOU! Join Us! Please click the button below to become a NEW Member or to RENEW an existing membership. Annual memberships run from June to May the following year. Memberships are $15 per Individual, $20 per Family, and $25 per Friend, $50 per Historian, and $500 per Life Time membership. Benefits include free access to all events, meetings, and museums; our semi-annual newsletter; and direct emails with news and information.

9de955a5-c475-4519-86e1-23ecfa646977 < Back 2019 Spring WHS Newsletter Topics in this issue: President's Message by Bert Bodnar; Washington Historical Society Officers; This Summer at the Museum by Gwen Gaskell; Proposed Changes to the Constitution and By-Laws of the Washington Historical Society; Items for Sale; Programs for the Washington Historical Society 2019; Membership Form OPEN / PDF Previous Next

c430a424-d197-44de-b04a-587434e5cc4a < Back 2013 Fall WHS Newsletter Topics in this issue: President's Message; Cider Makin'; Boys, Bicycles, and a Backhouse; A Recollection Shared by Jim Crandall; Capt. Samuel Jones Leg Buried in Washington; Archivist's Report; Item's for Sale; Confession Is Good for the Soul, Thomas Jefferson’s Experiment with Sugar Maples; WHS Officers; Membership Form OPEN / PDF Previous Next

The Washington New Hampshire Historic Society holds records for four regional cemeteries: Old Center Cemetery, New Center Cemetery, East Washington Cemetery and the 7th Day Adventist Cemetery. Cemeteries Four Historic Washington Cemeteries In Washington, NH there are four important cemeteries and a few other historic burial sites that are privately owned. Fortunately, cemetery records for the four more established cemeteries have survived. These have been compiled into a database available through our Cemetery Search page. Other Archives and Cemetery Records As an additional resource, at our Museum we are fortunate to have a series of binders for each cemetery that contain lists of those interred (currently through 2005), photos of gravestones that exist, and interesting genealogical notes. Binders are available to onsite researchers. Contact us to learn more. Cemetery Overview To search records for all four locations, use Cemetery Search which allows you to search and sort content by applying different filters. Old Center Cemetery The first public cemetery in Washington was established in 1788 and is today known as the Old Center Cemetery. Prior to that, people were usually buried on their own land. While the location of some private family cemeteries is known, the identities of those who lay at rest in them is largely unknown. New Center Cemetery When the Old Center Cemetery reached capacity in the 1860’s, additional land was acquired on the opposite side of the road and the New Center Cemetery was established in 1870. With further additions of land, it is still in use today. East Washington Cemetery The exact origin date of the East Washington cemetery isn’t known, but it is believed to coincide with the establishment of the East Washington Baptist Church in 1800. This cemetery has also expanded over time, and continues to be used today. 7th Day Adventist Cemetery Washington, New Hampshire, is home to the first (in the world) 7th Day Adventist Church. A burial ground was established there for members of the faith and remains in use today.

d0322f73-9cb1-4ccd-85f7-b7100aa045c2 < Back 2005 Spring WHS Newsletter Topics in this issue: President's Message; Civil War Soldiers Buried in Washington, NH; Henry Crain in the Civil War, Civil War Enlistment Bonuses; The Civil War Monument; Civil War Excerpts from the Town History, Our Yankee Barn; The Museum; Schoolgirl's Tale; Tales from the Past; Pauperism; 744th Company Returns OPEN / PDF Previous Next

Weather statistics for Washington, NH, that have been collected by town resident Tom Barton since 2008. Barton Weather Collection Tom Barton shares the story of his Collection of Weather Data I moved to Washington from the Manchester-Hooksett area in December of 2007 but was already intrigued by its weather after having spent many days during the prior two years up here camping and clearing the land for my house site and driveway. That December of 2007 broke a 135-year-old record for snowfall in Concord, NH. Here in Washington, we got at least 40 inches of snow that month. I had already heard a few times that winter is a little harsher and longer up here than down at lower elevations, and I had seen Phil Barker’s snowfall numbers on the town website, which I thought were pretty impressive! Being fascinated with weather, especially extreme events, since I was a kid, and now living in a place where the current weather played a large part in my day-to-day activities during the winter months, I decided to start keeping a daily log for future reference. I wanted to be able to look back and see how the current week, month or season compared to the same periods in prior years in terms of snowfall, rainfall (starting in 2017) and temperature. I also wanted to record things like first/last frost of the season, leaf out dates, earliest/latest measurable snowfall, mud season, and snow gone dates and to make a record of any unusual events. Plus, with all the talk of climate change, I wanted to see what the temperature and precipitation trends were locally, once I had at least 20 years of data. Tom’s methodology for measuring and recording weather data My location is on North Main St (Route 31), about 1.3 miles north of the Washington Store. The elevation at the house is about 1750’. For instruments, I use 4 outdoor temperature sensors, 3 of which are placed in different locations. Two of them are Accurite units, one is a ThermPro and one is a SensorPush. Three of the 4 units are placed about 3-4’ off the ground and in the shade. I have an Accurite 5-in-1 weather sensor that measures temperature, humidity, rainfall, barometric pressure, wind direction and wind speed. 3 of the 4 sensors have indoor displays and the SensorPush, which I just started using in 2022, is connected via Wi-Fi and internet to my computer and cell phone so that I can get the data whether I’m home or away. As a backup for rainfall (if the weather station collector is blocked with ice or debris), I have an old fashioned rain gauge. I measure snowfall with a yardstick in anywhere from 1 to 10 different locations in a large flat area (over 3000 sq ft) of my yard depending on the amount of drifting, and then average the results. Often times, with very dry snow, and if there is significant drifting, I’ll also measure down at the bottom of the hill in order to get an accurate measurement. Temperature readings are taken once a day at about 10 PM, and I then enter the high and low temperature and the precipitation for each day on my spreadsheet, along with a short summary of the day’s weather in a Notes column. At the end of each calendar month I transfer that month’s data to my monthly totals spreadsheet (which also compiles totals and averages) and then I write up my summary for that month, the results of which are posted monthly on the Washington, NH Facebook page, and updated on this webpage page on an annual basis. View a PDF of Monthly Summaries posted on Facebook since May 1, 2019. More of Tom's research and analysis is available at our Museum! In addition to the charts, tables, and other statistical data available on this page, further detail data and results from Tom's analysis are available in hardcopy by visiting the Washington Historical Society's Museum . Annual Temperature & SnowFall Charts Click on picture for more details. Daily Weather Log (Starting January 2008) Use the "Search" field for a custom inquiry. For example type 12/31/11 to call up the record for December 11, 2011, or type the word snow to return all Weather Details that mention snow. The results window displays just 30 listings at a time and may take a few seconds to load. To see more records, scroll d own using the white slider at the top right of the chart. Washington's Weather Highlights (Starting January 2008)

e87e2cb0-a67c-4dcd-ae27-697f86fe24ee < Back 2015 Spring WHS Newsletter Topics in this issue: President's Message; Washington Historical Society Survey; Surprise! – A Gift to the Washington Historical Society (Jeanette Hurd’s Diary and more); The Wild Orchids of Washington, NH; Washington Historical Society Programs for 2015; Items for Sale; The Wallace W. Dole Mausoleum; This Summer at the Museum; Washington Historical Society Officers; Membership Form OPEN / PDF Previous Next

520f120b-b521-41a7-995c-f9002186778d < Back 2002 Winter WHS Newsletter Topics in this issue: President's Message; New Roof for Old Schoolhouse; A Patchwork of Quilts; The Founding of the Washington Historical Society; WHS State House Visit; Washington Works: A Word Search; Early Halloween: Bones OPEN / PDF Previous Next

246e17d7-e35d-45de-8ed8-3858606f9181 < Back 2022 Spring WHS Newsletter Topics in this issue: President's Message by Susan Fairchild; Washington Historical Society Officers; Special Exhibit at the Museum this Summer Nathaniel Burwash by Bill Mulcahy; Upcoming Activities by Steve Yusko; Excerpt from Portrait of a Hill Town by Ron & Grace Jager on Volunteering; Membership News; In Honor of Gwen Gaskell retiring; Annual membership levels changing; Donations OPEN / PDF Previous Next

aaecb24e-1e52-46e8-aeef-29b39e761644 < Back 2003 Winter WHS Newsletter Topics in this issue: President's Message; Tavern Drinks; Bee Lining; Washington Word Search OPEN / PDF Previous Next