Chester, New Hampshire
| Chester, New Hampshire | |
|---|---|
 Location in Rockingham County and the state of New Hampshire. |
|
| Coordinates: 42°57′24″N 71°15′26″W / 42.95667°N 71.25722°WCoordinates: 42°57′24″N 71°15′26″W / 42.95667°N 71.25722°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Hampshire |
| County | Rockingham |
| Incorporated | 1722 |
| Government | |
| • Board of Selectmen | Stephen Landau, Chair Richard Trask Joseph Hagan Jack Cannon Cass Buckley |
| Area | |
| • Total | 26.0 sq mi (67.4 km2) |
| • Land | 25.9 sq mi (67.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2) 0.42% |
| Elevation | 467 ft (142 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 4,768 |
| • Density | 180/sq mi (71/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 03036 |
| Area code(s) | 603 Exchange: 887 |
| FIPS code | 33-12100 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0873564 |
| Website | www.chesternh.org |
Chester is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,768 at the 2010 census. It was home to the now defunct Chester College (formerly White Pines College).
From Statistics and Gazetteer of New-Hampshire, 1875:
"Chester is considered one of the old towns of the state. In 1719, about eighty persons, chiefly from Portsmouth and Hampton, formed an association, for the purpose of securing a tract of land in the "Chesnut Country" (so called) and stationed three men upon this tract, to hold possession until they should procure a lawful title. After considerable difficulty they obtained a grant of land, ten miles [16 km] square. Immediately the settlement was commenced by several persons from Rye and Hampton, among whom were Samuel Ingalls, Jonathan Goodhue, Jacob Sargent, Ebenezer Dearborn, Robert Smith, E. Colby and S. Robie, who contributed largely to the permanent success of the enterprise. On the 8th of May, 1722 the township which had hitherto been called Cheshire, was incorporated under its present name, and comprising an area of over 120 square miles [310 km2]."
Chester once included Candia, set off in 1763. It may have been the first of the settlement grants by Massachusetts selected for expansion of growing populations in the seacoast. The name may be derived from Chester, the county town of the county of Cheshire in England. Earl of Chester is a title held by the Prince of Wales.
In 1822, a portion of Hooksett was taken from Chester. In 1845, the portion of the town known as Long Meadows was incorporated under the name of Auburn.
Town Hall in 1913
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Wikipedia