Freedom is a town located in Eastern New Hampshire in the Lakes region of the state. It is situated in the Eastern part of Carroll County and encompasses a total area of 38.1 square miles, 3.1 of which is water. As of the 2010 United States Census, Freedom was home to 1,489 people.
In its early years, Freedom was a part of Effingham, commonly referred to as North Effingham. When the area began to see an increase of settlers from Maine, the town separated from Effingham because of the differences in culture. The town was officially incorporated on its own in 1831, taking on the name “Freedom.”
Freedom is home to 3.1 square miles of water, which comprise more than 8 percent of the town’s total area. Parts of the Ossipee River, Saco River and Loon Lake can all be found in Freedom. The highest point in the area is located at Cragged Mountain, where elevation reaches 1,806 feet above sea level. Freedom was once home to Frank S. Black, a former governor of New York.
The town of Freedom is governed by an elected Board of Selectmen. It boasts a full-time police department, a volunteer fire department and volunteer emergency medical services. Top employers in the area include International Paper Company, Danforth Bay Campground, Totem Pole Park, Camp Calumet, Camp Cody, Camp Huckins, Bobby Sue’s, Federal Piping and G.W. Brooks & Son.
Children in the area attend Freedom Elementary School for grades kindergarten through sixth. For grades seven through 12, they attend schools in the School Administrative Unit #13, which also serves the nearby towns of Tamworth and Madison. For recreation and entertainment, residents of Freedom can take advantage of the town’s municipal parks, tennis courts, youth organizations and sports leagues, campgrounds, fishing and hunting areas, boating marinas, snowmobile trails, cross country skiing and local beaches.