About Hampton New Hampshire

Hampton NH

The town of Hampton was established in 1639 by a group of puritans from Massachusetts lead by Reverend Stephen Batchiler.  Their goal was to establish a new community when they came across the settlement of  Winnacunnet (Native American Algonquian for ‘beautiful place in the pines’). The community honored their leader by naming the town Hampton, after his hometown of  South Hampton, England. Thus establishing the fourth town in New Hampshire at the time. The town of Hampton was a large area, and eventually divided off to become today's towns of Danville, East Kingston, Hampton Falls, Kensington, Kingston, and Seabrook along with parts of Sandown and Rye.

Since the first hotel was built in 1819, Hampton Beach has became an increasingly popular vacation destination. By the 1850′s Hampton had its first railway, allowing for travel, tourism and commerce to flourish.

One third of the entire NH coastline is in Hampton and Rt 1A is the primary route along the ocean where whale watches, fishing tours and public beaches are popular. Hampton Beach features shops, restaurants, and vacation accommodations  that range from small cabins to full service hotels and everything in between. The well known concert venue The Club Casino, which opened in 1900,  has hosted artists from the Big Band Era through stars of today. Understanding the impact of tourism on the local economy, the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce has set up many events to draw visitors to the area including spectacular weekly fireworks displays. The 3 day Seafood Festival is held on the weekend after Labor Day, providing an end of the summer bash that more than 150,000 people visit every year. Like many NH towns, Hampton's local government is run by the Selectmen, comprising of five elected members.

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• The town has just over 15,000 residents and a public access station, Channel 22, where all town meetings and happenings can be seen.
• Hampton Beach was recently named one of the top 3 cleanest beaches in the US.
• Hampton’s notable past residents include Goody Cole, the only person from NH to be convicted of witchcraft; General Jonothan Moulton, hero of the French and Indian Wars, as well as the American Revolution; and Stephen Merrill, a recent NH Governor.
• Hampton is one of New Hampshire's top visitor destinations.