Merrimack River New Hampshire

Merrimack River

The Merrimack River (sometimes spelled “Merrimac”) is a powerful and historically influential river located in New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts. At 110 miles long, it is one of the longest rivers in all of New England. The Merrimack River comes into existence where the Winnipesaukee and Pemigewassett Rivers meet in Franklin, New Hampshire and empties out into the Atlantic ocean just three miles south of the New Hampshire Seacoast in Newburyport, Massachusetts.

The river today is cleaner than it’s been in the past 120 years thanks to conservation efforts, regulating industrial waste dumping as well as urban sewage disposal. A mere fifty years ago you could not swim in the Merrimack, but over the past couple of decades great strides have been made in cleaning the waters and the banks of the river and today the mighty Merrimack flows clean and beautiful through the New England countryside. Riverwalks, picnic grounds, parks and more have been constructed in the towns and cities that border the Merrimack River in order to better allow residents and visitors to enjoy this scenic, clean waterway.

Historically, the Merrimack provided power to the many mills that were constructed in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s, in addition to providing easy waterborne access to the many burgeoning towns that sprung up along its banks. Concord, Manchester and Nashua, NH, are but three of the New Hampshire cities that were built on the Merrimack using power from the river to sustain their local economies through lumber mills, textile mills, grain processing and more. Perhaps the most famous milltown in New England is Lowell, Massachusetts, which today has several museums in the old mill buildings that helped shape the 19th and 20th centuries. Both Manchester and Nashua have converted many old mills into luxurious condominiums overlooking the powerful waters of the Merrimack River.

Today the river is used primarily for recreational purposes, but is dammed is several spots in order to consistently maintain the river’s flow and integrity. The river’s watershed totals in excess of 5000 square miles and includes nearly a full third of New Hampshire, particularly the southern region of the state, as well as a large portion of northern Massachusetts. In New Hampshire, Route 93 parallels the river as it flows south toward the Massachusetts border, linking all the towns and cities along the way.

The Merrimack River is a beautiful body of water and a clean one, too. Homes along the river are in high demand due to the stunning views afforded by most of them – just imagine sipping your morning coffee on your back porch while overlooking the river and listening to the water rush by. To make this dream a reality, you need to call Jim Miller Bean Group at (603) 801-3987. Jim knows the NH real estate market inside and out and wants to help you into the home that fits you and your lifestyle. Call Jim today for the latest listings of available homes in southern NH.