Pembroke is a town located in central New Hampshire in the Merrimack Valley region of the state. It is situated Southern part of Merrimack County and encompasses a total area of 23 square miles, .2 of which is water. As of the 2010 United States Census, Pembroke was home to 7,115 people.
When the land that comprises Pembroke was first granted in 1728, it was known as “Lovewell’s Town,” in honor of Captain John Lovewell. Not long after, the area changed its name to “Suncook,” after the nearby Suncook River. When the land was finally incorporated as a town in 1750 by Governor Benning Wentworth, it took on the name Pembroke, honoring the Earl of Pembroke in Wales. In its early years, Pembroke was primarily a mill town, using water power from the Suncook River to run the town?s various cloth mills. A station of the Concord and Portsmouth Railroad was also located in Pembroke for a time.
Less than 1 percent of Pembroke’s total area is made up of water. The town is home to the Suncook River, Soucook River and parts of the Merrimack River, and its highest point lies at Plausawa Hill, where elevation reaches 1,000 feet above sea level. Pembroke is served by New Hampshire Routes 9, 28 and 106, as well as Interstate 93.
Pembroke is governed by an elected Board of Selectmen. The town boasts a full-time police department, a volunteer fire department and private emergency medical services. Top employers in the area include Associated Grocers of New England Inc., Epoch Corporation, Town of Pembroke, Heat and Control, TD Bank, Nortrax, A&B Lumber, Airgas and Pembroke School District.
Children in the area attend schools in the Pembroke School District. For recreation and entertainment, Pembroke residents can take advantage of the town?s parks, golf courses, tennis courts, youth organizations, sports leagues, fishing and hunting areas, boating marinas, bicycle trails, cross country skiing and local beaches.