New Durham is a town located in Southeastern New Hampshire in the Lakes region of the state. It is situated in the Northern part of Strafford County and encompasses a total area of 44.1 square miles, 2.6 of which is water. As of the 2010 United States Census, New Durham was home to 2,638 people.
New Durham was originally called Cochecho Township, and was granted by the Masonian Proprietors in 1740. Settlement of the area began in 1750, with most new residents hailing from the nearby town of Durham. In 1762, when it was officially incorporated as a town, it took on the name “New Durham.” In its early years, New Durham saw a successful lumber industry and was also home to five sawmills, four shingle mills, two gristmills and a gunpowder factory.
Nearly 6 percent of New Durham’s total area is made up of water. The town includes Merrymeeting Lake and parts of Ela River, Merrymeeting River and Cochecho River. Its highest point is located at Copple Crown Mountain, where elevation reaches 1,700 feet above sea level. The area’s main thoroughfare is New Hampshire Route 11.
The town of New Durham is governed by an elected Board of Selectmen. It boasts a full-time police department, a volunteer and on-call fire department and volunteer and on-call emergency medical services. Top employers include the Town of New Durham, New Durham School, State of New Hampshire fish hatchery and Johnson’s Dairy Bar. Children in the area attend schools in the Governor Wentworth Regional School District, which also serves the nearby towns of Brookfield, Effingham, Ossipee, Tuftonboro and Wolfeboro.
For entertainment and recreation, residents of New Durham can take advantage of the town’s municipal parks, golf courses, youth organizations and sports leagues, fishing and hunting areas, boating marinas, bicycle and snowmobile trails and local beach areas. The town also boasts its own recreation department.