Warner is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

Merrimack County, New Hampshire Merrimack County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, the population was 153,808, making it the third most populous county in New Hampshire. Its county seat ...

, United States. The population was 2,937 at the 2020 census. The town is home to Rollins State Park and Mount Kearsarge State Forest. The town's central village, where 453 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined as the Warner census-designated place (CDP) and is located along

New Hampshire Route 103 New Hampshire Route 103 (abbreviated NH 103) is a east–west highway in west-central New Hampshire, United States. The highway runs from Claremont, New Hampshire, Claremont, at the Vermont border on the Connecticut River, to Hopkinton, New Ha ...

and the

Warner River The Warner River is a river located in central New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Contoocook River, part of the Merrimack River watershed. The Warner River begins at the outlet of Todd Lake in Bradford, New Hampshire, ...

. The town also includes the communities of Davisville, Lower Village, Melvin Mills, and

Waterloo Waterloo most commonly refers to: * Battle of Waterloo, 1815 battle where Napoleon's French army was defeated by Anglo-allied and Prussian forces * Waterloo, Belgium Waterloo may also refer to: Other places Australia * Waterloo, New South Wale ...

History

The town was granted in 1735 as "Number One" by

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

Governor

Jonathan Belcher Jonathan Belcher (8 January 1681/8231 August 1757) was a merchant, politician, and slave trader from colonial Massachusetts who served as both governor of Massachusetts Bay and governor of New Hampshire from 1730 to 1741 and governor of New ...

to petitioners largely from

Amesbury, Massachusetts Amesbury is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the left bank of the Merrimack River near its mouth, upstream from Salisbury and across the river from Newburyport and West Newbury. The population was 17,366 at the ...

. Called "New Amesbury", it was part of a line of settlements running between the Merrimack and

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

rivers intended to help defend Massachusetts against

New France New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Kingdom of Great Br ...

's predations. It was regranted by the Masonian Proprietors in 1749, when it was settled with four houses and a

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

. Called "Jennesstown", it was abandoned and destroyed during the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

. The town was granted again in 1767 to Jonathan Barnard and others, who called it "Amesbury". But on September 3, 1774, it was incorporated as "Warner", named after Jonathan Warner, a leading

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

citizen, namesake of the Warner House and relative of Governor John Wentworth. It was one of the last towns established under English provincial rule prior to the

Revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...

. Warner developed into a prosperous farming community which produced meats, dairy goods, vegetables, hay and apples. The

and its tributaries provided

water power Hydropower (from Ancient Greek -, "water"), also known as water power or water energy, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kin ...

for

mills Mills is the plural form of mill, but may also refer to: As a name * Mills (surname), a common family name of English or Gaelic origin * Mills (given name) *Mills, a fictional British secret agent in a trilogy by writer Manning O'Brine Places U ...

, which in 1832 included twelve

s, six

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that h ...

s, a

paper mill A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt ...

and two clothing factories. By 1858, there was also a

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...

manufacturer and bottle manufacturer. In 1885, industries included a bedstead factory, chain factory, woolen cloth factory, iron

foundry A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...

tannery Tanning, or hide tanning, is the process of treating skins and hides of animals to produce leather. A tannery is the place where the skins are processed. Historically, vegetable based tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound derived fr ...

, and glove manufacturer. On September 9, 1821, the town was hit by a

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...

. It leveled houses and forests in a swath of destruction beginning west of

Lake Sunapee Lake Sunapee is located within Sullivan County, New Hampshire, Sullivan County and Merrimack County, New Hampshire, Merrimack County in western New Hampshire, the United States. It is the fifth-largest lake located entirely in New Hampshire. Th ...

, through New London and

Sutton Sutton (''south settlement'' or ''south town'' in Old English) may refer to: Places United Kingdom England In alphabetical order by county: * Sutton, Bedfordshire * Sutton, Berkshire, a List of United Kingdom locations: Stu-Sz#Su, location * S ...

, over the southwest spur of Mount Kearsarge and ending at the Webster line. The storm killed four people in Warner, seriously injured others and destroyed considerable property. Each October, on

Columbus Day Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries of the Americas and elsewhere, and a federal holiday in the United States, which officially celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas. He went ashore at ...

weekend, Warner hosts the annual Fall Foliage Festival, attracting thousands of people from all over

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

and beyond. File:Pillsbury Free Library, Warner, NH.jpg, Pillsbury Free Library File:Main Street, Warner, NH.jpg, Main Street File:Boston & Maine Railroad Depot, Warner, NH.jpg,

Boston & Maine Railroad The Boston and Maine Railroad was a U.S. Class I railroad in northern New England. It was chartered in 1835, and became part of what was the Pan Am Railways network in 1983 (most of which was purchased by CSX in 2022). At the end of 1970, B&M ...

depot in 1909 File:Old Mill, Warner, NH.jpg, Old Mill in 1907 File:LowerWarner.jpg, Lower Warner Meetinghouse File:WaterlooHD.jpg, Waterloo Historic District File:Warner River October 2007 New Hampshire.jpg,

File:Waterloo Covered Bridge over Warner River in Warner, New Hampshire.jpg,

Waterloo Covered Bridge The Waterloo Covered Bridge carries Newmarket Road over the Warner River near the Waterloo Falls in Warner, New Hampshire. The Town lattice truss bridge was built in 1859–60, replacing an earlier span at the same location, and is one of New H ...

Geography

The town is in central

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

, in the western part of Merrimack County. It is by road northwest of

Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other words Arts and media * ''Concord'' (video game), a defunct 2024 first-person sh ...

, the state capital, and southeast of the

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

border at West Lebanon. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the town of Warner has a total area of , of which are land and are water, comprising 0.45% of the town. The majority of Warner is drained by the

, which flows past the center of town. Two

covered bridge A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered woo ...

s span the river: the Dalton Bridge and the

Waterloo Bridge Waterloo Bridge () is a road and foot traffic bridge crossing the River Thames in London, between Blackfriars Bridge and Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges. Its name commemorates the victory of the British, Dutch and Prussians at the ...

. The southwestern section of town is drained by Amey Brook and its tributary, Warner Brook, and the northernmost end of town, on the slopes of Mount Kearsarge, drains both east and west to the

Blackwater River A blackwater river is a type of River#Classification, river with a slow-moving channel flowing through forested swamps or wetlands. Most major blackwater rivers are in the Amazon Basin and the Southern United States. The term is used in fluvial ...

. The Warner River, Blackwater River, and Amey Brook are all tributaries of the

Contoocook River The Contoocook River () is a river in New Hampshire. It flows from Contoocook Lake on the Jaffrey/ Rindge border to Penacook (just north of Concord), where it empties into the Merrimack River. It is one of only a few rivers in New Hampshire th ...

, part of the

Merrimack River The Merrimack River (or Merrimac River, an occasional earlier spelling) is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into M ...

watershed. Mount Kearsarge, elevation above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

, located in the extreme north of the town, is the highest point in Warner and in Merrimack County. Two state parks are located on the mountain: Rollins State Park in Warner and

Winslow State Park Winslow State Park is a public recreation area located on the northwest slope of Mount Kearsarge in Wilmot, New Hampshire. The state park features a picnic area on an plateau with views of the White Mountains to the north. A foot trail (the ...

in Wilmot. Mount Kearsarge is a popular hiking destination, due both to its bare, rocky summit, and to the fact that a paved road climbs from Rollins State Park to within a half mile of the summit. The peak is the highest point along the Sunapee- Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway, a hiking trail which links ten towns and encircles the

region of western New Hampshire. The town is served by

Interstate 89 Interstate 89 (I-89) is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States traveling from Bow, New Hampshire, to the Canada–United States border between Highgate Springs, Vermont, and Saint-Armand, Quebec. As with all ...

and

. State routes

114 114 may refer to: *114 (number) *AD 114 *114 BC *114 (1st London) Army Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers, an English military unit *114 (Antrim Artillery) Field Squadron, Royal Engineers, a Northern Irish military unit *114 (MBTA bus) *114 (New Je ...

and 127 cross the extreme southwestern and southeastern corners of the town, respectively.

Adjacent municipalities

Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia *Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Andov ...

(north) *

Salisbury Salisbury ( , ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers River Avon, Hampshire, Avon, River Nadder, Nadder and River Bourne, Wi ...

(northeast) * Webster (east) * Hopkinton (southeast) * Henniker (south) *

Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...

(west) *

(northwest) * Wilmot (north-northwest)

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 2,833 people, 1,116 households, and 752 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,228 housing units at an average density of 24.4 per square mile (8.5/km). The racial makeup of the town was 97.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.4%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.4% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.3% some other race, and 0.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population. There were 1,116 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were headed by

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44, and the average family size was 2.92. In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.6% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 34.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 95.3 males. For the period 2007–2011, the estimated median annual income for a household in the town was $58,221, and the median income for a family was $65,167. Male full-time workers had a median income of $51,404 versus $34,154 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $28,159. About 4.3% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

. The Warner Area Farmers' Market, held on Saturday mornings on Main Street, serves as a community gathering place.

Government

In the

New Hampshire Senate The New Hampshire State Senate is the upper house of the New Hampshire General Court, alongside the lower New Hampshire House of Representatives. The Senate has been meeting since 1784. The Senate consists of 24 members representing Senate distri ...

, Warner is in the 15th District, represented by

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

Becky Whitley. On the

New Hampshire Executive Council The Executive Council of the State of New Hampshire (colloquially referred to as the Governor's Council) is the executive body of New Hampshire in the United States. The Executive Council advises the Governor on all matters and provides a check o ...

, Warner is in the 2nd District, represented by Democrat Cinde Warmington. In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

, Warner is in

New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district covers the western, northern, and some southern parts of New Hampshire. It includes the state's second-largest city, Nashua, New Hampshire, Nashua, as well as the state capital, Concord, New Hampshire, C ...

, represented by Democrat

Ann McLane Kuster Ann L. McLane Kuster (born September 5, 1956) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2013 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously worked as a lobbyist. Kuster chaired the New Dem ...

Sites of interest

* New Hampshire Telephone Museum * Dalton Covered Bridge * Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum * The Little Nature Museum * Rollins State Park * Warner Historical Society & Museum * Kearsarge Mountain Community-Supported Agriculture * Waterloo Covered Bridge

Notable people

* Caroline Gardner Bartlett (1868–1938), music educator, relief worker in World War I * Adelaide George Bennett (1848–1911), poet, botanist * David Carroll (born 1942), naturalist, author, MacArthur Foundation Fellow * Rebecca Carroll (born 1969), author, editor, radio producer at WNYC Studios * H. Maria George Colby (1844–1910), author, fashion editor * William C. Dowling (born 1944), scholar, author,

Guggenheim Fellow Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon individuals who have demonstrated d ...

* David Elliott (born 1947), children's author * Gordon Enoch Gates (1897–1987), zoologist,

* Henry Gilmore (1832–1891), businessman, state senator for

* Walter Harriman (1817–1884), 31st

governor of New Hampshire The governor of New Hampshire is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The governor is elected during the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along w ...

Amanda Bartlett Harris Amanda Bartlett Harris (August 15, 1824 – January 13, 1917) was an American author and literary critic best known for her work in children's, educational, and nature literature. Early life and family Amanda Bartlett Harris was born in Warne ...

(1824–1917), author, literary critic *

Maxine Kumin Maxine Kumin (June 6, 1925 – February 6, 2014) was an American poet and author. She was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1981–1982. Biography Early years Maxine Kumin was born Maxine Winokur on June ...

(1925–2014), poet * Nehemiah G. Ordway (1828–1907), seventh governor of Dakota Territory * Jacob Osgood (1777–1844), leader of sectarian religious group *

Charles Alfred Pillsbury Charles Alfred Pillsbury (December 3, 1842 – September 17, 1899) was an American businessman, flour industrialist, and politician. He was a co-founder of the Pillsbury Company. Early life Pillsbury was born December 3, 1842, in Warner, New H ...

(1842–1899), businessman, flour industrialist, politician; a co-founder of the

Pillsbury Company Pillsbury is an American brand of baking and dough products, marketed by General Mills and Brynwood Partners. Pillsbury products include refrigerated and frozen dough products, including the Toaster Strudel, marketed by General Mills; and shel ...

John Sargent Pillsbury John Sargent Pillsbury (July 29, 1827 – October 18, 1901) was an American politician, businessman, and philanthropist. A Republican Party of Minnesota, Republican, he served as the List of Governors of Minnesota, eighth Governor of Minnesota f ...

(1827–1901), businessman, eighth

governor of Minnesota The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory ...

* Charles Stuart Pratt (1854–1921), editor, writer * Eliza Anna Farman Pratt (1837–1907), editor, writer * Nellie George Stearns (1855–1936), artist, art teacher

References

External links

*
Pillsbury Free Library

Warner Fall Foliage Festival

{{authority control Towns in Merrimack County, New Hampshire Towns in New Hampshire