Pittsfield is a town located in central New Hampshire in the Merrimack Valley region of the state. It is situated in the Eastern part of Merrimack County and encompasses a total area of 24.1 square miles, .3 of which is water. As of the 2010 United States Census, Pittsfield was home to 4,106 people.
Before Pittsfield was incorporated in 1782, the area was simply an unnamed parish of the nearby town of Chicester. Eventually, it was named Pittsfield, in honor of William Pitt, the prime minister of the United Kingdom. Settlement of the Pittsfield area began in 1768, and by the late 18th century, the town was home to a number of prospering sawmills and grist mills. In 2001, Pittsfield earned the Guinness World Record for the most people wearing Grouch Marx glasses at the same time.
A little more than 1 percent of Pittsfield’s total area is made up of water. The town is home to the Suncook River, and its highest point lies at Catamount Mountain, where elevation reaches 1,331 feet above sea level. Over the years, Pittsfield has been called home by a number of notable people, including U.S. Congressman Ebenezer Knowlton, co-founder of Ripon College Warren Chase, and U.S. Air Force general Harrison R. Thyng.
Pittsfield is governed by an elected Board of Selectmen. The town boasts a full-time police department, a municipal fire department and full-time emergency medical services. Top employers in the area include Globe Manufacturing Co., Pittsfield School District, Rustic Crust, Town of Pittsfield, H.A. Marston Inc. and Barry Podmore Inc.
Children in the area attend schools in the Pittsfield School District, which includes one elementary school and one middle/high school. For recreation and entertainment, Pittsfield residents can take advantage of the town’s municipal parks, youth organizations, sports leagues, fishing and hunting areas, snowmobile trails and local beaches.