Farmington is a town located in Easter New Hampshire in the Lakes region of the state. It is situated in Central Strafford County and encompasses a total area of 37.5 square miles, all but .3 of which is land. As of the 2010 United State Census, Farmington was home to 3,885 people.
First settled as a result of a soldier’s road built from Portsmouth to Dover in 1722, Farmington was originally a part of Rochester, called the Northwest Parish. In the mid-1700s, residents of the area were taxed to support new buildings 12 miles away in Rochester Hill. In response, they began petitioning for a separate charter. In 1798 it was finally granted, and the town was officially incorporated in 1800. In its early years, Farmington had a prosperous shoemaking industry and was known as the “Shoe Capital of New Hampshire” for some time. Most of the factories were shut down and demolished by the 20th century.
Out of Farmington’s more than 37 square miles of area, only .8 percent is water. The area includes parts of Ela River, Cocheco River and Mad River, and lies in both the Piscataqua and Merrimack river watersheds. Over the years, the town has been called home by many notable people, including: writer Shirley Barker: U.S. Congressmen Alonzo Nute, Joseph Hammons and Nehemiah Eastman; and Henry Wilson, former vice president of the United States.
Farmington is governed by an elected Board of Selectmen. The town boasts a full-time police department, a full-time and volunteer fire department and municipal emergency medical services. Top employers in the area include Cameron’s Sod Farm, Pike Industries, TDS Telecom, Samco Inc., TD Bank, Energy Resource, Three Phase Line Electric, Spencer Johnston and Winnisquam Wood Products.
Children in the area attend schools in the Farmington and Middleton School District, which includes one elementary school, one middle school and one high school. For recreation and entertainment, residents of Farmington can enjoy the town’s municipal parks, golf courses, tennis courts, performing arts facilities, youth sports leagues and organizations, campgrounds, fishing and hunting areas, boating marinas, bicycle and snowmobile trails, cross country skiing and local beach areas.