Dunbarton is a town located in central New Hampshire in the Merrimack Valley region of the state. It is situated in Southern Merrimack County and encompasses a total area of 31.4 square miles, just .5 of which is water. As of the 2010 United States Census, Dunbarton was home to 2,758 people.
The land that comprises Dunbarton was originally granted in 1735 and was known by the name of Gorham’s-town. In 1748, it was granted again, this time under the name Starkstown. Finally, in 1765, the area was officially incorporated as a town, taking on the moniker Dunbarton, in honor of Dunbartonshire, a town in Scotland when a prominent local settler hailed from.
Less than 2 percent of Dunbarton’s total area is comprised of water. The town is located within the Merrimack River watershed, and its highest point lie near Dunbarton Center, where elevation reaches 925 feet above sea level. Over the years, Dunbarton has been called home by a number of notable people, including poet Robert Lowell and Robert Rogers, a commander during the French and Indian War.
Dunbarton is governed by an elected Board of Selectmen. The town boasts a full-time and part-time police department, a volunteer fire department and volunteer emergency medical services. Top employers in the area include Pages Corner Store, Dunbarton Telephone, Capital Well, Carroll Street Auto, Pioneer Sportsman Club, Nichols Garage, Mansion Stables, Cater Stables and Belanger Land Surveying PLLC.
Children in the area attend Dunbarton Elementary School for grades kindergarten through sixth. For grades nine through 12, they attend schools in the School Administrative Unit #19, located in nearby Goffstown. For entertainment and recreation, residents of Dunbarton can take advantage of the town’s golf courses, youth organizations, sports leagues, fishing and hunting areas, boating marinas, snowmobile trails, cross country skiing and local beaches and waterfront areas.