The capitals of many states have changed locations over time, and Concord, the capital of New Hampshire, is no exception. Located in the northeastern most corner of the country, New Hampshire is one of the original 13 colonies, and Concord has been its capital since 1808.
The home of Concord coaches and famous for its granite mines, Concord was a bustling city when it became the capital of New Hampshire. The New Hampshire State House was constructed from locally quarried granite in 1819. The capital building holds the distinction of being the oldest state house where the state's legislative bodies meet in their original location.
Concord was not the first location of New Hampshire's capital. From 1689 to 1775, it was in Portsmouth, the second settlement in the New Hampshire Colonies. All of this occurred before the country becoming the United States of America.
As time progressed, the need for a more central meeting place became apparent, and Concord was located at the crossroads of where commerce was taking the country. Not always called Concord, the area went by several other titles before becoming Concord.
Given its original name by the Massachusetts Bay Colony, in 1725, the area became the Penacook Plantation. In 1727, the area was settled and, in 1733, was incorporated and named Rumford. However, it was learned that the location of Rumford was not in Massachusetts but New Hampshire.
This error in mapping led to a court battle that raged on until 1762 and was ultimately won by New Hampshire. Upon winning the fight over the area, they incorporated it in 1765 and renamed it Concord, and the state legislature finally had a permanent home.
Today, Concord is a moderate-sized city of about 45,000 and is not only the state's capital. It is also the cultural center.
Here you will find the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, where you can view the stars in the planetarium or participate in an interactive science project.
There is also the Susan N. McLane Audubon Center for the naturalists, where trails invite visitors to enjoy the surroundings.
As one of the oldest cities in the United States, Concord has weathered time well and offers its residents and visitors a taste of the old world and the new.