*** Welcome to piglix ***

Barnstead, New Hampshire

Barnstead, New Hampshire
Town
Center Barnstead in 1909
Center Barnstead in 1909
Location in Belknap County, New Hampshire
Location in Belknap County, New Hampshire
Coordinates: 43°20′26″N 71°15′39″W / 43.34056°N 71.26083°W / 43.34056; -71.26083Coordinates: 43°20′26″N 71°15′39″W / 43.34056°N 71.26083°W / 43.34056; -71.26083
Country United States
State New Hampshire
County Belknap
Incorporated 1767
Government
 • Board of Selectmen Sean Dunne
Gordon Preston
Priscilla Tiede
Rick Duane
Edward Tasker
Area
 • Total 44.0 sq mi (114.0 km2)
 • Land 42.0 sq mi (108.8 km2)
 • Water 2.0 sq mi (5.2 km2)  4.58%
Elevation 505 ft (154 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 4,593
 • Density 109/sq mi (42.2/km2)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 03218, 03225
Area code(s) 603
FIPS code 33-03220
GNIS feature ID 0873537
Website www.barnstead.org

Barnstead is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,593 at the 2010 census. Home to the Suncook Lakes, Barnstead includes the villages of Center Barnstead, Barnstead Parade (identified as "Barnstead" on topographic maps) and South Barnstead.

The town was granted by Governor William Dummer on 20 May 1727 to the Reverend Joseph Adams and others. Settlement commenced in 1767, the year Barnstead was incorporated as a town by Governor John Wentworth. Many of the settlers came from Barnstable, Massachusetts, and Hempstead, New York - the name is taken from these two.

Although not mountainous, the terrain forms large swells, good for grazing. By 1830, when the population was 2,047, the town contained about 2,500 sheep.Farmers found the soil easy to cultivate and productive. The Suncook River and its tributaries provided water power for mills. By 1859, industries included a woolen cloth factory, seven sawmills, four shingle mills, four clapboard mills, one grooving machine, one turning machine, and two tanneries. Barnstead manufactured large amounts of lumber, which it supplied to neighboring towns.


...
Wikipedia

...