Barrington is a town located in the Southeastern corner of New Hampshire, in the Seacoast region of the state. It is situated in Strafford County and encompasses a total area of 48.5 square miles, only 1.9 of which is water. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Barrington was home to 8.576 people. It is primarily a farming town and is home to many rivers, ponds, brooks and even waterfalls. Some of the town?s bodies of water include: Isinglass River, Bellamy River, Swains Lake, Mendum’s Pond and Piscataqua River. In total, there are 14 ponds located within Barrington boundaries.
The town was first incorporated in 1722 and was named after the then-governor of Massachusetts, Samuel Shute, who came from Barrington Hall. While initial settlement was slow, by 1810, Barrington was home to more than 3,500 residents, making it the third largest town in the state. The town also saw the creation of several saw mills, gristmills and other manufacturing facilities.
Barrington is governed by an elected Board of Selectmen. Young children in the area attend school in the Barrington School District, including the Early Childhood Learning Center, Barrington Elementary School and Barrington Middle School. BSD does not have a high school facility, however, so local children attend nearby Dover High School, Coe-Brown Northwood Academy, Oyster River High School and St. Thomas Aquinas High School for schooling past eighth grade.
The town of Barrington has a full-time police department, a full-time and volunteer fire department and a full-time and volunteer emergency medical services department. The area?s biggest employers include Turbocam USA, Associated Buyers, Computer Resources, Barrington Primary & Urgent Care, Yankee Equipment Systems and Christmas Dove. Barrington also has its own recreation department, which provides are variety of activities for residents to partake in, including youth athletic programs, adult sports leagues, family trips, senior programs, community events and more.