Greenland is a town located in the Southeastern corner of New Hampshire, in the Seacoast region of the state. The town is situated in the Eastern part of Rockingham County and encompasses a total area of 13.3 square miles, including 10.5 square miles of land and 2.8 square miles of water. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Greenland was home to 3,549 residents.
Greenland is considered one of the earliest settlements in all of New Hampshire. Originally a parish of Portsmouth called Strawbery Banke, the town got its start in 1638. It wasn’t until 1706, however, that the area was granted a separate parish by Captain Samuel Weeks. In 1721, it was officially incorporated as Greenland. In 1805 and 1847, the town expanded, annexing portion of nearby Stratham.
The town of Greenland is home to parts of many bodies of water, including Great Bay, Winnicut River and the Piscataqua River watershed. Its highest point is located at Breakfast Hill, which reaches an elevation of 151 feet. The oldest brick home in New Hampshire is located in Greenland. Built by Samuel Weeks in 1710, the home survived the earthquake of 1755 and is still standing today.
Greenland is governed by an elected Board of Selectmen. It has a full-time police department, a volunteer fire department and volunteer emergency medical services. Top employers in the area include Anson Sailmakers, High Flying Flag Company, Novel Iron Works, Boise Cascade, Nike/Baur, Micro Art, Advanced Concrete, Target and Lowes. Children in the area attend Greenland Central School, which serves grades kindergarten through eighth. For high school, students attend Portsmouth High School in the nearby town of Portsmouth. For recreation, the town boasts several municipal parks, golf courses, A YMCA branch, tennis course, youth organizations and sports leagues and the Sandy Point Discovery Center, which houses exhibits about the Great Bay Estuary and its inhabitants.