Hampton is a town located in the Southeastern corner of New Hampshire in the Seacoast region of the state. It is situated in the Eastern portion of Rockingham County and encompasses a total area of 14.7 square miles, 1.8 of which is land. The area is very densely populated, with nearly 15,000 residents as of the 2010 United States Census.
The town of Hampton was originally called the Plantation of Winnacunnet and was one of the first four townships chartered in the state on New Hampshire. The area was first settled in 1638 by a group of parishioners from Hampton, England. It was officially incorporated as a town in 1639 and included parts of what is now Seabrook, Kensington, Danville, Kingston, Hampton Falls, Sandown, North Hampton and East Kingston. The Hampton area saw quick growth in the 1850s, when a local railroad and Hampton Trolley line was constructed.
Though Hampton is made up of primarily land, the area does boast a handful of bodies of water, including Drakes River and Hampton River. The town lies completely within the New Hampshire Coastal watershed. It highest point lies at Bride Hill, where elevation reaches around 150 feet. Over the years, Hampton has been home to many notable people, including: Henry Dearborn, the fifth U.S. Secretary of War; Abraham Drake, a Continental Army soldier and politician; Jane Pierce, wife of President Franklin Pierce; and Tristram Shaw, a U.S. Congressman.
Hampton is governed by an elected Board of Selectmen. The town boasts a full-time police department, full-time fire department and full-time emergency medical services. The area’s biggest employers include Foss Manufacturing Co., Brazonics, QA Tech Co., Unitil, Waste Management, Wheelabrator Technologies and Sleep Net. For grades kindergarten through eighth, local children attend schools in the Hampton School District, which includes Hampton Academy, Marston School and Centre School. For secondary education, children attend Winnacunnet High School.