Hampton Historical Society

09/01/2026

Let’s relax and welcome September!

08/29/2026

Did you know the Hampton Historical Society sponsors the photo package for Miss Hampton Beach?

The sponsorship recognizes the importance of Miss Hampton Beach in the community and ensures that a professional photograph of future winners is saved for posterity in the Hampton Historical Society’s collection.

For the past 10 years Budd Perry of Memories Studio in Rye, New Hampshire, has photographed the new Miss Hampton Beach. The queen is given an 11x14 photograph chosen from the photos taken by Mr. Perry and other photos are used by HHS for promotional purposes and future historical reference.

When Cheryl Lassiter and Karen Raynes were researching for the book “The Queens of Hampton Beach, New Hampshire 1915- 2015”, they found that for some years it was difficult to find a good photo of the beach queen, so they asked the Board of Directors of the Hampton Historical Society to sponsor a photo package to ensure that future queens would be documented.

An updated book will be published in 2026 including the last 10 queens since 2016 and a new cover, “The Queens of Hampton Beach, New Hampshire 1915-2026”.

We will keep you posted about its launch date.

Congratulations to MHB 2026 Madison McLaughlin!
—Karen Raynes, photo by Bud Perry

08/29/2026

Our researchers writing articles….

A town’s history and cultural heritage can often be learned by walking through its cemeteries. See link below ⬇️

📸 Mary Ann Nelligan

08/28/2026

Our Textiles and Treasures event was a fun day! So many eye catching items, gifts from the museum, and fun textiles in the barn! Thank you to all who visited, participated and volunteered to help.
And thank you to our 2026 sponsors as always, Hampton Rotary, Newburyport Bank, Preston Real Estate, Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce and Tobey & Merrill Insurance. We appreciate you for all our programs. Who will be our 2027 sponsors?

08/22/2026

What’s on the menu at HamptonHistorical Society? A day full of fun, antiques and real braided rugs for sale….beautiful !
Sat Aug 22, 10-4

40 Park Ave Hampton NH

08/22/2026

In our Barn! Come see this!

Demonstrations of weaving, quilting and rug braiding, with antiques and collectibles on the Green. Come browse and spend the day with us at Tuck Museum, open on a Saturday, August 22nd!

08/22/2026

Don’t forget us on Sat. Aug 22! We are open 10-4 and have a lot of interesting things to look at! Textile demonstrations and Antiques on the Green! Come check us out! Please share!

08/13/2026

Sharing this Throwback Thursday post from the Hampton Police Department's page! We appreciate you!

Throwback Thursday

This week, we’re taking it back to 1898, the year the Hampton Police Department was established.

This historic photograph features several Hampton dignitaries who served the community at the time, including Clinton J. Eaton, Tax Collector and Chief of Police.

From left to right:
Simeon Albert Shaw — Librarian & Selectman
Clarence M. Dearborn — Selectman
Clinton J. Eaton — Tax Collector & Chief of Police
Hugh Brown — Supervisor of the Checklist & Selectman
William S. Brown — Highway Agent
Joseph Ballard Brown — Selectman
Charles M. Batchelder — Selectman, Library Committeeman, Postmaster, School Board Member & School Janitor

More than a century later, Hampton Police continues the tradition of serving and protecting our community.

Serving Hampton since 1898.

08/10/2026

What a fun raffle! Will you be the first one over the new bridge?

Be First Across the Bridge & Help Save Our Sanford!History is being built in Hampton—and you can break the ribbon! We are selling tickets to give three lucky…

08/08/2026

Legends derive out of family folklore… a great story of one of our Hampton men.

Legend holds that General Jonathan Moulton of Hampton, New Hampshire made a deal with the devil himself in the 1770s, agreeing to fill his boots with gold coins once a year in exchange for endless wealth. 🔥👢

Moulton, already known locally as shrewd and ambitious, was said to have cut holes in the bottom of his boots before setting them by the fireplace, forcing the devil to pour coin after coin through the floorboards below to fill them.

The trick worked for years, until the devil caught on and reportedly burned Moulton's house to the ground in retaliation, leaving nothing behind but ash and the story itself. 🕯️

Whether Moulton was simply a clever businessman or something more sinister, his name is still tied to one of New Hampshire's most enduring devil's bargain legends. Do you think stories like this grew out of real resentment toward wealthy figures of the time?