New Hampshire
New Hampshire was one of the thirteen original colonies and became the ninth state to ratify the United States Constitution in 1788. Its history has been shaped by the Abenaki people, colonial settlement, farming, textile and manufacturing industries, and communities extending from its short Atlantic coastline to the White Mountains.
New Hampshire is also where my own story began. I was born in Concord, where my mother and her family had deep roots. My Hometown Stories explore the towns, historic homes, museums, monuments, and landscapes of the state while preserving the family memories that make New Hampshire an important part of my personal history.
Hometowns
Concord, NH
This is the city where I was born, where my earliest memories were formed, and where so much of who I became quietly began to take shape. The older I get, the more I realize how deeply a hometown stays with you. It shapes the way you see the world, what feels familiar, and even what feels like home no matter how far away life may take you. Concord is more than just the capital city of New Hampshire to me. It is a place filled with layers of history, quiet streets, old neighborhoods, churches, memorials, cemeteries, historic buildings, and stories woven together across generations. It is a New England town where history is not locked away in museums, but lives quietly beside everyday life. Some of my memories are connected to the well-known places throughout the city. Others come from the smaller moments that never make the history books but become part of your life just the same — walking downtown, school events, seasonal traditions, familiar neighborhoods, and the simple routines that helped shape childhood. As I look back through photographs and memories, I want to share both the history that makes Concord special and my own personal journey through this city. Not only the landmarks and historic sites, but also the quieter details that helped define what “home” truly meant to me. Welcome to Concord, New Hampshire — the place where my story began.
Exeter, NH
Founded in 1638 by Reverend John Wheelwright and his followers, Exeter is one of New Hampshire’s oldest towns. Its location along the Exeter and Squamscott rivers supported early mills, shipbuilding, and maritime trade. During the American Revolution, Exeter served as New Hampshire’s capital, placing the town at the center of the state’s emerging government. Phillips Exeter Academy, founded in 1781, added an enduring educational presence to the community. Exeter’s historic homes, public buildings, riverfront, and town center preserve stories connected to colonial settlement, independence, commerce, education, and everyday life. The meeting of freshwater and tidal rivers shaped the town’s early development, bringing mills and maritime businesses into close proximity. Around this waterfront grew a downtown whose streets and buildings continue to reflect Exeter’s evolution from a colonial settlement into a center of government, trade, and community life.
