About Gilmanton

Gilmanton was incorporated in 1727. First known as "Gilmantown", the town was home to the Gilman family, originally settled at Exeter. Twenty-four members of the Gilman family received land grants in the new town of Gilmanton. (Other families related to the Gilmans also received grants in the new town, including the Dudleys, the Leavitts, the Folsoms and the Coffins.) 

The original town was larger than it is now, with villages and parishes including Belmont, Gunstock Parish (Gilford), Hurricane, Tioga, Factory Village and Lakeport. A parish first called "Averytown", the site of an unprofitable iron-mining enterprise, is still known as Gilmanton Iron Works. At one time it was the second-largest town in the state, following Portsmouth. According to the 1790 US Census, Gilmanton was the 30th largest city in the United States.

The town is served by four state routes: 106, 129, 107, and 140.  Route 107 is part of Old Province Road, an important road in New Hampshire's early history, and Route 106 is a well-traveled connection between Laconia and Concord. Route 140 is an east-west highway leading from Tilton to Alton. The intersection NH 107 and NH 140 is at Gilmanton Corners, one of the two major villages. Gilmanton Corner (or simply "Gilmanton", as shown on topographic maps) is the location of several historic buildings, including Gilmanton Academy and Centre Congregational Church. Gilmanton Ironworks is located in the eastern part of town along NH 140, near the outlet of Crystal Lake. Lower Gilmanton is in the southern part of the town along NH 107.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 59.0 square miles, of which 57.2 square miles is land and 1.8 square miles is water, comprising 2.98% of the town. A natural resources inventory published in 2004 noted the town's nine town forests and other dry and wetland protected areas as well as significant plant species. The highest point in Gilmanton is Mount Mack, at 1,945 feet above sea level, on the town line with Gilford. Crystal Lake is in the east, and Shellcamp Pond is in the west. Gilmanton lies fully within the Merrimack River watershed. Wiki

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