Welcome to Chester, New Hampshire

Incorporated in 1722, Chester may have been the first settlement grant by the Governor of Massachusetts for the expansion of New Hampshire’s seacoast settlements. Many of the settlers are thought to have come from the coast, which was considered to be overcrowded at the time. They were required to plant food crops, build houses, lay out roads, construct a church and schoolhouse or they would forfeit the land. The original Chester, a 100 square mile grant, was later divided up into the towns of Auburn, Candia, Derryfield (later renamed Manchester, Hooksett, and Raymond.

Present day Chester contains 26 square miles of land area and surprisingly only .1 square miles of inland water area. With a population of 5,270 per the 2019 Census, the town population remains relatively small as compared to surrounding communities.

The town operates one elementary school that educates grades K-8, with grades 9-12 being tuitioned to Pinkerton Academy in Derry, NH.
The town embraces its agricultural history with the town-wide annual Village People celebration! Residents purchase a scarecrow base & face from the Chester Historical Society and create scenes to display in their front yards. The level of creativity throughout the town is amazing and brings visitors from across the state and beyond to marvel at the hundreds of scarecrows presented. Driving through town on an October afternoon, you’ll see everything from historical figures, movie & television characters and so much more!

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