Cheshire County

New Hampshire's Cheshire County has winding back roads, lakes and two mountains. Tiny hamlets and picturesque mid-sized towns share the scenery with a lively college center. It's New Hampshire as many people imagine it -- or remember it.
The city of Keene is the largest municipality, county seat, and cultural hub for Cheshire County. The students at Keene State College and Antioch New England University make up more than a quarter of the city's population, giving a fresh young vibe to an old city. While it's hard to imagine Keene without Keene State (and Antioch and branches of Franklin Pierce College and the New Hampshire Technical Institute), there was a time when residents were likely to be found at loom and lathe instead of in a classroom. The railroad's arrival in 1848 made Keene a center for manufacturing. Even earlier, Timothy Dwight, the Yale president and travel writer, chronicled the town as "one of the prettiest in New England." While there's enough to do on an ordinary weekend, Keene glows in October, when it's the home of, arguably, the world's biggest Pumpkin Festival. Boston beat them out in 2006, but they're still glowing.
The smaller towns in the region are also a draw, with Harrisville, a restored mill village, on the National Register of Historic Places. Tiny Nelson was named for British admiral Horatio Nelson. It holds a Guinness World Record for the longest-running public contra dance, which can still be attended Monday nights in the Town Hall. Its suburb, the even tinier Munsonville, was once the world capital for the manufacture of chairs.
Cheshire's Mount Mondadnock, 3,165 feet, is the most-hiked mountain in the world. The Cathedral of the Pines, on the side of Pratt Mountain in Rindge, is a breathtaking outdoor amphitheater established in honor of Americans who died in all wars. The "cathedral" was created by Dr. and Mrs. Douglas Sloane after learning that their son, Lt. Sanderson Sloane, was shot down over Germany in February 1944. The view from the cathedral is stunning in fall, and the site draws visitors from across the country for its Easter sunrise service.
According to the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the county was $42,382, while the median income for a family was $51,043. The per capita income was $20,685, with 4.40 percent of families and 8 percent of the total population below the poverty line.
There's plenty of New Hampshire real estate available, for those who like a quiet atmosphere with a dash of college-town spice. City condos, working farms and everything in between make Cheshire County the place to call home. A Prudential Verani Realtor® can help you find your place in Cheshire County.