Somersworth is a city located in Southeastern New Hampshire in the Seacoast region of the state. It is situated in the Easter region of Strafford County and encompasses a total area of 10 square miles, only .2 of which is water. As of the 2010 United States Census, Somersworth was home to 11,766 people.
Originally a part of Dover, the land that now comprises Somersworth was first settled before 1700. It was originally called Sligo, after the Sligo, Ireland, but was later organized as a parish and renamed Summersworth. In 1754, Summersworth was separated from Dover and incorporated into its own town by Governor Benning Wentworth. Because of a clerical error, the town?s name was changed to Somersworth. In 1893, the town was officially incorporated as a city.
Of New Hampshire’s 13 cities, Somersworth has the smallest land area. It contains only .2 square miles of water, which accounts for just over 2 percent of the city, and includes the Salmon Falls River. Neighboring towns of Somersworth include Rollinsford, Rochester and Berwick, Maine. Over the years, Somersworth has been home to a number of notable people, including U.S. Senator and New Hampshire Governor Fred H. Brown, Union Army general John Sullivan, lawyer John Wentworth Jr. and politician Edward H. Rollins.
The city of New Hampshire is governed by an elected mayor and a town council. The city boasts a full-time police department, a municipal fire department and private emergency medical services. Top employers in the area include General Electric Co., Thermopol Incorporated, J Pac, Wal-Mart, Somersworth School Department, Market Basket, City of Somersworth, Velcro, The Works Athletic Club and General Linen. Children in the area attend schools in the Somersworth School District, which includes two elementary schools, a middle school, a high school and a career and technical center.