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Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire

Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire
Town
Meeting House and Common
Official seal of Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire
Seal
Location in Cheshire County, New Hampshire
Location in Cheshire County, New Hampshire
Coordinates: 42°46′50″N 72°08′30″W / 42.78056°N 72.14167°W / 42.78056; -72.14167Coordinates: 42°46′50″N 72°08′30″W / 42.78056°N 72.14167°W / 42.78056; -72.14167
Country United States
State New Hampshire
County Cheshire
Incorporated 1773
Government
 • Board of Selectmen Susan Silverman, Chair
Nancy Carney
Christopher Holman
 • Town Administrator Debbie Favreau
Area
 • Total 36.0 sq mi (93.3 km2)
 • Land 34.6 sq mi (89.7 km2)
 • Water 1.4 sq mi (3.7 km2)  3.91%
Elevation 1,145 ft (349 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 2,396
 • Density 67/sq mi (26/km2)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 03447
Area code(s) 603
FIPS code 33-26500
GNIS feature ID 0873597
Website www.fitzwilliam-nh.gov

Fitzwilliam is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,396 at the 2010 census. Fitzwilliam is home to Rhododendron State Park, a 16-acre (6.5 ha) grove of native rhododendrons that bloom in mid-July.

First granted as Monadnock No. 4 in 1752 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth, this was one in a line of eight towns settled by Scottish colonists. Incorporated in 1773 by Governor John Wentworth, the town was named for his cousin, William Fitzwilliam, 4th Earl Fitzwilliam. Two early grantees in Fitzwilliam were Matthew Thornton, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and James Reed, who would lead the 3rd NH Regt. at Bunker Hill. The community claims one of the oldest granite quarries in New Hampshire. Other industries included wood-working and yarn-making. The railroad would enter in 1848.

Fitzwilliam's picturesque common, together with twelve antique houses that surround it, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.


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