Barnstead, New Hampshire

The Town of Barnstead is a charming Lakes Region community with shoreline on the Suncook River and two small lakes. Originally established in the 1720s as the New England seacoast area population expanded, Barnstead was named as a combination of Barnstable on Cape Cod and Hampstead on Long Island, from which most of the settlers arrived. Now Barnstead's some 4,500 residents enjoy the centralized location, less than an hour from Concord, Lake Winnipesaukee, the Seacoast, and the White Mountains.

Barnstead's population has quadrupled since 1970, and the community has welcomed the growth while taking pride in the town's history and scenic beauty. Downtown Barnstead retains its historic main street, and the town celebrates Old Home Day each August with extensive activities including road and river races, a youth talent show, and a blueberry baking contest. Parks and Recreation also organizes a summer concert series of many musical styles at the Barnstead Parade Bandstand. Along Barnstead Parade, the town's central highway that was originally part of Province Road running between Portsmouth and Wolfeboro, many well-maintained colonial homesteads and farm fields enhance the scenic beauty of the area.

Recreational opportunities around Barnstead are plentiful in all seasons on the waterways and in nearby woodlands. Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy fishing, kayaking, and swimming in summer; snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and skating in winter; and hiking and camping year-round. In town, Barnstead Parks and Recreation maintains several beaches, an outdoor skating rink, and many youth sports leagues.

About 600 students PreK-8 attend Barnstead Elementary School. Barnstead shares a newly build high school, the Prospect Mountain School, with neighboring Alton. A growing number of adult residents commute to Concord and to the Seacoast because of Barnstead's central New Hampshire location.

Sources:

http://www.lockelakecolony.com/

http://www.nhes.state.nh.us/elmi/htmlprofiles/barnstead.html