Keene, New Hampshire
Located in beautiful southwestern New Hampshire lies the active city of Keene. With a population exceeding 23,000 people, Keene is the largest NH city west of Nashua. Being the home of Keene State University only adds to the youthful flavor of this busy little metropolis. A focal point of southwestern NH residents, Keene is a city the entire state can be proud of.
Keene’s existence began under the name of Upper Ashuelot. Granted in 1735 by Massachusetts Colonial Governor Jonathan Belcher, the land was given to soldiers who had fought in the recent war against Canada. Settlers called the town their own by 1737 and turned the community into a fort town in order to protect the citizenry and the Province of Massachusetts Bay (an area that reached from central Massachusetts well into current-day Maine) from attacks during the French and Indian Wars. When New Hampshire broke away from Massachusetts in 1741, the NH border was moved southward and Upper Ashuelot became a southern NH border town.
The fort town was destroyed during King George’s War by Indian attacks, causing residents to flee. Soon they returned, however, and rebuilt their town in the early 1750’s. New Hampshire’s governor Benning Wentworth regranted the town in 1753 naming it Keene, after Sir Benjamin Keene, a prominent English minister and West Indies trader.
The Ashuelot River provided the town with more than enough waterpower to develop mills and turn the town into a manufacturing powerhouse. The first to appear were the sawmills, gristmills and tanneries. Once the railroad came to town in 1848, additional industries opened up and Keene became a center for trade in pottery, glass, textiles, chairs, carriages, sleighs, bricks and more. Keene was incorporated as a city in 1874. Manufacturing in the city declined over the next hundred years, and Keene slowly changed into the center for education and tourism that it’s known for today.
Keene is probably best known today as the home of Keene State University. Founded in 1903 as the Keene Normal School, KSU has been in operation for over a hundred years and is known far and wide for its excellence in education. Keene also offers much in the way of cultural events, fine and casual dining as well as entertainment in its myriad forms. Keeping the ever-growing population in mind, Keene has many, many homes to choose from if you’re looking to move to the Granite State.
Keene’s public school system is second-to-none. A member of SAU # 29 Keene educates all its own students within city limits as well as taking in tuitioned students from several surrounding towns. Keene operates five elementary schools, one middle school and one high school.
Keene is one of New Hampshire’s favorite cities – and with little wonder why. Surrounded by beauty and wrapped in intellect, Keene is a great city in which to live. And there are plenty of homes available in Keene; you just need to find them. The first step in doing so is to call Jim Miller Bean Group at (603) 801-3987. Jim is here to help guide you through the process of buying a home in NH. It can be easier than you might think, so call Jim today and find the last home you’ll ever buy.
Elementary Schools
Jonathan Daniels School (k-5)
(603) 352-8012
Franklin School (k-5)
(603) 352-1712
Fuller Elementary School (k-5)
(603) 352-1245
Symonds Elementary School
(603) 352-3405
Wheelock School (k-5)
(603) 352-2244
Middle School
Keene Middle School (6-8)
(603) 357-9020
High School
Keene High School (9-12)
(603) 352-0640
