Goshen, New Hampshire
When driving around the southwestern leg of Lake Sunapee in western New Hampshire, be sure not to blink or you’ll miss the little town of Goshen, NH. With virtually no industry or retail presence, Goshen can be called a “one-horse-town” and no one would correct you (though there are more than just one). No billboards, no smokestacks, no traffic lights – not even much traffic at all makes its way through Goshen. This is the perfect little town in which to escape the doldrums of the modern day rat race.
The first settlers to this area arrived in 1768 when it was part of a town called Saville. Saville was incorporated in 1782 and changed its name to Wendell, NH, then eventually to Sunapee, as we know it today. Ten years after Wendell came to be, a southwest portion of the town was combined with parts of Newport, Newbury (then Fishersfield), Lempster and Unity to create a brand-new town called Goshen. Goshen likely got its name from the fact that many residents had relative in Goshen, CT, and that some residents served in a Revolutionary regiment with soldiers from that town.
Through the years, Goshen remained a quiet, unassuming town of farmers, trappers, hunters and traders. When the U.S census was first taken back in 1800, Goshen was home to just over 375 people. This number has yet to even triple and today’s population stands at less than 850 people. This is one of Goshen’s biggest selling points – the fact that it has stayed true to its roots for over 200 years. Goshen is still a quiet, out-of-the-way little community with a close group of people sharing a common existence in western New Hampshire. The people here love the solitude, the sights and sounds of the New Hampshire wilderness and the ease with which they can visit the larger towns that reside nearby.
Goshen is truly a bedroom community with over 80% of the town’s workforce finding employment in towns and cities other than their own hometown. Goshen simply doesn’t have an industry to call its own – and that’s exactly how residents and the town fathers want to keep it: pristine, beautiful and quiet.
Goshen is a member of SAU #71. Grades k-8 are a part of the Goshen-Lempster Cooperative, while high school students are tuitioned to one of the following schools, based upon the student’s home location: Newport High, Sunapee High, Kearsarge Regional High in North Sutton, Keene High, Fall Mountain in Langdon, or Stevens High in Claremont. Goshen has no plans to construct a high school in town yet.
If it’s peace and tranquility you want, Goshen has it. New homes appear on the market in Goshen from time to time, you just need to keep your eyes peeled, because when they appear, they disappear just as quickly. That’s why it’s important to have someone like Jim Miller of Bean Group on your side. Call Jim right now at (603) 801-3987 and see how he can work for you to find you just what you’re looking for in a home, whether it’s in Goshen or any other wonderful community within the beautiful state of New Hampshire. Call today before you dream home disappears.
Goshen-Lempster Cooperative School (k-8)
(603) 863-1080
Newport High School (9-12)
(603) 863-2414
Current Goshen New Hampshire Real Estate MLS Listings for Single Family Homes