Incorporated: 1760
Population: 5,951
County Name: Hillsborough
(county map)
Town Contact:
Town of Peterborough
1 Grove Street, Town House
Peterborough, NH 03458

Phone: 603-924-8000
Fax: 603-924-8001
Website: townofpeterborough.com

Origin:
Although not known for certain, this town was probably named from Charles Mordaunt, third Earl of Peterborough. Other possibilities include it having been named Peter's Borough for Peter Prescott, clerk of the Masonian Proprietors, or for St. Petersburg in Russia. Peterborough was among the soldier's towns named during the term of Governor Jonathan Belcher when New Hampshire was still a province of Massachusetts. The town had the first free public library supported by taxation, and the first mill in the state that wove cloth mechanically. It is home to the MacDowell Colony, a retreat for writers, artists, and composers. Guests have included Edward Arlington Robinson, Leonard Bernstein, and Thornton Wilder, whose play "Our Town" was inspired by Peterborough.

More about Peterborough:
Site of the nation's first free, tax-supported library, established in 1833.

Recreational and tourist attractions include MacDowell Dam and Pack Monadnock, with its 2,290 foot summit. On a clear day, hikers can see Mount Washington, Boston and Vermont from the top.

The village of Peterborough contains a beautiful 1827 brick Unitarian church, and an gray-stone Episcopal church designed by Ralph Adams Cram.

In 2007, Peterborough was named one of the "10 Coolest Small Towns in America" by Budget Travel Magazine.