Incorporated: 1761
Population: 6,304
County Name: Sullivan
(county map)
Town Contact:
Town of Newport
15 Sunapee Street, Municipal Bldg.
Newport, NH 03773

Phone: 603-863-6278
Fax: 603-863-8008
Website: newportnh.net

Origin:
First settled in 1753, the town was named Grenville, after George Grenville, William Pitt's brother-in-law. In 1761, the town was incorporated as Newport, for Henry Newport, a distinguished English soldier and statesman. An early settler of the town was Gordon Buell, whose daughter, Sarah Josepha Buell Hale, was one of the first women editors in America. She edited the book Poems for Children that included Mary Had A Little Lamb. She was also known for a successful appeal to President Lincoln for creation of a national holiday to be known as Thanksgiving Day. Newport is the county seat of Sullivan County, and includes the villages of Kellyville and Guild.

More about Newport:
Newport's history is an important part of what gives the town its charm. Surrounded by foothills, its Main Street boasts one of the largest Town Commons in the state. Many important historic landmarks stand out in Newport, including the Town Hall/Opera House, built in 1886, the "Little Red Schoolhouse" preserved just as it was in 1885 and two of the eight remaining historic railroad covered bridges in North America.

In summer Newport Common, lined with stately old homes, is a continuous site of activity — high school graduation, flea markets, arts and crafts shows, a farmer's market, and free Sunday night band concerts. In the wintertime, Newporters skate on the Common, a practice that has gone on for 100 years. Newport also has the oldest town Winter Carnival in the country and an outdoor recreational complex that serves summer and winter athletics, including an 18 hole golf course and three ski jumps.