Grantham is a town located in Western New Hampshire in the Dartmouth/Sunapee region of the state. It is situated in Northern Sullivan County and encompasses a total area of 28.1 square miles, .9 of which is water. As of the 2010 United States Census, Grantham was home to 2,985 people.
The land that comprises Grantham was first granted in 1761, though the grantees never settled in the area. In 1767, the town was regranted and named New Grantham. In 1780, the western portion of the New Grantham separated to join parts of Plainfield, forming a new parish called Meriden. New Grantham was incorporated as a town in 1788 and, in 1818, again as just Grantham. The town takes its name from Thomas Robinson, the first Baron Grantham and a postmaster-general in England.
Grantham is a town located in Western New Hampshire in the Dartmouth/Sunapee region of the state. It is situated in Northern Sullivan County and encompasses a total area of 28.1 square miles, .9 of which is water. As of the 2010 United States Census, Grantham was home to 2,985 people.
The land that comprises Grantham was first granted in 1761, though the grantees never settled in the area. In 1767, the town was regranted and named New Grantham. In 1780, the western portion of the New Grantham separated to join parts of Plainfield, forming a new parish called Meriden. New Grantham was incorporated as a town in 1788 and, in 1818, again as just Grantham. The town takes its name from Thomas Robinson, the first Baron Grantham and a postmaster-general in England.
A little more than 3 percent of Grantham’s total area is made up of water. The town includes Eastman Pond, Anderson Pond and Butternut Pond, as well as a number of mountains. Its highest point lies at Grantham Mountain, where elevation reaches 2,660 feet above sea level. Grantham is served by Interstate 89 and New Hampshire Routes 10 and 114.
Grantham is governed by an elected Board of Selectmen. The town boasts a full- and part-time police department, a volunteer fire department and volunteer emergency medical services. Top employers in the area include Eastman Community Association and Cote & Reney. For grades kindergarten through sixth, children in the area attend the Grantham Village School. For seventh through 12th grades, they attend schools in the Lebanon School District.
For recreation and entertainment, Grantham residents can enjoy the town’s various municipal parks, golf courses, tennis courts, youth organizations, sports leagues, fishing and hunting areas, boating marinas, snowmobile trails and cross country skiing opportunities. Grantham also boasts the Grantham Indoor Sports Facility and is in close proximity to the Mount Sunapee and Whaleback Mountain ski areas.