Barnstead, NH

The town of Barnstead is located in Belknap County and is home to The Suncook Lakes- a pair of lakes connected by a 1,000 foot channel. Located 87 miles north of Boston the central NH community is a short drive to the cities of Manchester and Concord. With a small population of about 4,622 people, the community is viewed by most as small quintessential New England town.

Barnstead was granted to Reverend Joseph Adams in 1727 and its settlement commenced in 1767, the year Barnstead was incorporated as a town by Governor John Wentworth. Many of the settlers came from Barbstable, M.A. and Hempstead, N.Y. and its name is taken from these two communities. Today it offers a picturesque small town charm over a total area of 44 square miles.

Barnstead residents enjoy small town events like their Old Home Day celebrations and the town’s Summer Concert Series which is hosted every Saturday during the summer months. The community offers neighborly charm, but in close proximity to many cultural attractions in the nearby city of Concord and Manchester.

Residents have an easy commute to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport allows convenient air travel to most any location in the US and Canada. The town is crossed by Routes 28, 107 and Route 126 and a 20-mile drive provides to access I-93 to Boston and points south.

Driving distance to select cities:

Manchester, NH 28 miles
Laconia, NH 20 miles
Concord, NH 21 miles
Boston, Mass. 87 miles

Some points of interests include:

OSCAR FOSS MEMORIAL LIBRARY: Nestled on South Barnstead Road, the public library serves residents with more than 15,000 volumes in its collection.

THE SUNCOOK LAKES: The Suncook Lakes are a pair of lakes consisting of Upper Suncook Lake, which encompasses 402 acres, while Lower Suncook Lake covers 295 acres. The lakes are connected by a 1,000-foot-long channel, spanned by a road bridge. A dam at the outlet of Lower Suncook Lake controls the water level of both lakes. The lakes are located along the Suncook River a tributary of the Merrimack River.

Police Department: The personnel of the Barnstead Police Department account for almost 200 years of law enforcement training, knowledge and experience. In March 2012 voters chose to dissolve the department and residents, beginning in July 2012, will be contracting with the County Sheriff’s Office to provide the professional law enforcement service coverage 24-hours per day.

Fire Department: Barnstead Fire-Rescue is a group of dedicated individuals proudly providing emergency services to the residents and business owners and business owners of Barnstead, New Hampshire. Currently, there are seven officers, six full-time staff members and several per diem staff members serving as Firefighters/EMTs and approximately 25 call-members. Their backgrounds range from American Red Cross First Responders to Nationally Registered EMT-Paramedics and many have achieved their Firefighter Level I and/or Firefighter Level II certification.

The school system: Barnstead has one elementary school (Barnstead Elementary School), serving pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. High school students go to Prospect Mountain High School, a regional high school in the neighboring town of Alton.

Colleges: Within easy commuting distance is the NH Community technical College in Concord, Granite State College in Concord and Plymouth State College in Plymouth.

Barnstead office: 1245 Suncook Valley Highway Barnstead NH 03225
Phone: (603) 223-6521