Dorchester, New Hampshire
About halfway up the state and set squarely between Routes 93, 89 and Vermont’s Route 91, lies the tiny town of Dorchester, New Hampshire, with a population of barely 350 people. While Dorchester may reside between these three interstate highways, it is not within ten miles of any one of them and the few residents within are easily able to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the quiet New Hampshire countryside.
Dorchester was first chartered in 1761 and was incorporated that same year. Since the original grantees did not live up to the terms put forth in the charter, the area was granted once more in 1766. Failing to meet the terms yet again, the territory was again re-granted in 1772, after which the residents finally completed the required tasks. The name of Dorchester held throughout the first eleven tumultuous years and remains today. Dorchester was so-named for an ancestor of then-Governor Benning Wentworth who had once held the title of Marquis of Dorchester.
Dorchester was never a large town. Pinning their hopes on hunting, fishing and farming, residents of Dorchester eked out a living in this manner for nearly two hundred years – quite a feat considering their distance from the more populated NH towns of Portsmouth, Dover, Concord or Manchester. The smaller Route 118 runs past Dorchester, but until the advent of the auto, Dorchester was easily a two-day journey from the seacoast by horse.
Today, Dorchester is just a sleepy little village tucked in the rolling hills and mountains of central New Hampshire. Dorchester has very little industry or retail business in town with no plans for any in the foreseeable future. A bedroom community for folks working in Canaan or Plymouth, NH or even White River Junction, Vermont, Dorchester is the ideal town to return to after a hard day’s work – quiet, uncluttered and rife with natural beauty.
Dorchester students are a part of the SAU 62 Mascoma Valley Regional School District and have no true school of their own in town. Younger students attend the Canaan Elementary School (in Canaan) while older students are educated at both the Indian River School and the Mascoma Valley Regional High School, both also located in Canaan.
It’s easy to get away from it all when you live in Dorchester since the town itself is quite “away from it all” to begin with. There aren’t many homes for sale in Dorchester, but when there are, it’s important to have someone who knows the NH real estate market like Jim Miller Bean Group. Jim knows New Hampshire inside and out and he wants to be your conduit to home ownership in the Granite State. Give him a call at (603) 801-3987. If you’re looking to buy a home in New Hampshire, Jim Miller is your man.
Canaan Elementary School (k-4)
(603) 523-4312
Indian River School (5-8)
(603) 632-4357
Mascoma Valley Regional High School (9-12)
(603) 632-4308
