Tilton is a town located in Central New Hampshire in the Lakes region of the state. It is situated in the Western part of Belknap County and encompasses a total area of 12 square miles, .8 of which is water. As of the 2010 United States Census, Tilton was home to 3,567 people.
Tilton was originally a part of the nearby town of Sanbornton, known as Sanbornton Bridge and Bridge Village. The 1869, the area was separated and incorporated as its own town, taking on the name Tilton. The town’s name was gleaned from Nathaniel Tilton, whose grandfather owned several local textile mills. Tilton’s estate is now a part of the Tilton School, a local college prep school.
More than 7 percent of Tilton’s total area is made up of water. It includes Winnipesaukee River, Silver Lake and Winnisquam Lake. The town’s highest point lies near Calef Hill, where elevation reaches 866 feet above sea level. To many, Tilton is considered the gateway to New Hampshire’s Lakes region. Over the years, the town has been called home by many notable people, including: Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science, Jonathan Page, champion cyclocross racer; and Harry Taylor, U.S. Army major general.
The town of Tilton is governed by an elected Board of Selectmen. It boasts a full-time police department, a municipal fire department and municipal emergency medical services. Top employers in the area include j-jill, Wal-mart, Autoserv, Tanger Outlet Stores, Shaw’s Supermarket, The Tilton School, 3M, Home Depot, Lowes and Winnisquam Regional School District.
Children in the area attend schools in the Winnisquam Regional School District, which also serves the nearby towns of Northfield and Sanbornton. For recreation and entertainment, residents of Tilton can enjoy the town’s municipal parks, golf courses, movie theatres, youth organizations, sports leagues, fishing and hunting areas, boating marinas, snowmobile and bicycle trails, cross country skiing and local beaches.