Atkinson is a town located in the Southeastern corner of New Hampshire, in the Seacoast region of the state. The town is situated in the Southern part of Rockingham County and encompasses a total area of 11.3 square miles, all but .2 of which is land. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Atkinson is home to 6,751 people.
The town of Atkinson was first incorporated in 1767, during the American Revolution. The town’s namesake is Colonel Theodore Atkinson, who was a local landowner at the time of incorporation. Over the years, Atkinson has been home to several notable people, including relatives of President John Quincy Adams, U.S. Representatives John Noyes, and Brad Delp, lead singer of the band Boston. Atkinson is also home to the second oldest co-ed school in the United States: Atkinson Academy. The school has been in excistence since 1787, making it almost as old as the town itself.
Atkinson is a comprised of mostly land, though it does lie within the Merrimack River watershed. The town?s highest point is located at Hog Hill, where elevation reaches 430 feet, and its Main Street thoroughfare was recently named ?Stage Coach Byway? by the New Hampshire Scenic and Cultural Byways program. The town is home to one museum: the Kimball House Museum. The building was built in 1772 and formerly served as a medical office and town library before being converted.
The town of Atkinson is governed by an elected Board of Selectmen. Children in the area attend schools in the Timberlane Regional School District, which includes five elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. The district also serves the nearby towns of Sandown, Plaistow and Danville. Atkinson has a full-time police department, a municipal and volunteer fire department and municipal emergency medical services. The biggest employers in the area include Lewis Builders, Busby Construction, GEX, Palmer Gas Company and Atkinson Concessions.