Grafton County New Hampshire
Grafton County, New Hampshire, is the “personification” of rural living in classic New England. Grafton County is one of the five original counties created in New Hampshire in 1769. In 1802 the northern part of the county was removed to form Coos County, the state’s northernmost region. Grafton County currently boasts a population of about 85,000 people. Possibly the state’s most well known feature is the White Mountain National Forest, which takes up about half of the county's total area. Within this vast wonderland of mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes and stunning natural formations, exists attractions like “The Flume”, “The Basin”, Loon Mountain Resort, the Kancamagus Highway, Franconia Notch and much, much more. And until May, 2003, the state’s great icon, The Old Man of the Mountains, made Grafton County its home and drew sightseers and tourists from all over to witness this amazing rocky outcrop.
Grafton County was so-named for Augustus Fitzroy, 3rd Duke of Grafton. Fitzroy was a staunch supporter of the colonies prior to the American Revolutionary War. At the time the county was being named, Fitzroy was British Prime Minister. The county seat of Grafton was determined to be located in Woodsville, a small village in Haverhill, NH. The seat was moved in 1972 to another of Haverhill’s small villages, Woodsville. Being so far removed from the populous seacoast area of the state, Grafton County was generally slow to grow until more access roads and railway line were constructed throughout the heavily forested hills and mountains of central and northern New Hampshire.
Grafton County has thirty-eight towns and one city. The city is Lebanon, about halfway up the state’s western border, near White River Junction, VT. Some towns of note in the county are Waterville Valley, for it’s sprawling winter resort and amazing views, Hanover, for Dartmouth College, New Hampshire’s only Ivy-League school, Franconia, just north of the wildly popular Franconia Notch, and Lincoln, for Loon Mountain and the awe-inspiring Kancamagus Highway. Other towns within county lines include Ashland, Groton, Hebron, Easton, Plymouth and Thornton. The southeastern region of Grafton County is a part of the state’s Lakes Region, which includes Squam Lake, Newfound Lake, Lake Winnipesaukee and countless rivers and streams. Grafton County was even named “Fourth Best Place to Live in Rural America” by Progressive Farmer in 2006.
Grafton County offers families a beautiful and tranquil region in which to live, work and play. Retirees enjoy the fresh air, friendly people and wide-open spaces afforded to those who live in the area. Many Grafton County towns have homes for sale right now – you just need to know where to look. Or better still, have someone look for you – someone who understands the real estate market in New Hampshire. That someone is Jim Miller of Bean Group. Jim wants to be your buyer agent, a real estate agent who represents you in your search for a new home. Call Jim at (603) 801-3987 to find out how a buyer agent can make the entire home-buying process a lot quicker, easier and far less painful. Call today, New Hampshire homes are selling faster than those in most other states.
