Wolfeboro Celebrates 250 Years as a Town

Last November 2009 the Town of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire turned 250! Its long tradition and place as a resort destination is unique. It is known as the “Oldest Summer Resort in America.” More recently that title has been updated to “America’s First Resort.”

Located on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee and surrounding Lake Wentworth, Wolfeboro is known as “The Oldest Summer Resort in America.” Royal Governor John Wentworth established a summer estate known as Kingswood on Lake Wentworth in 1770.

The original name of the town, Wolfeborough, was in honor of General John Wolfe, who was defeated in Quebec in 1759 and 1763 during the French and Indian Wars.

Downtown Wolfeboro is set right on Lake Winnipesaukee on Wolfeboro Bay. The many attractions, year round concerts, antique fairs, and fine restaurants, make this town one of the premier towns for visitors, seasonal homeowners, or those looking to relocate permanently. An additional benefit to living in Wolfeboro is its exceptional newly renovated hospital, Huggins Hospital. Here it is in 1916.

Huggins in 1916

Some of the other features of Wolfeboro are the Wolfeboro Historical Society Museum – Clark House, the Libby Museum, the Wright Museum, Wentworth State Park, New Hampshire Boat Museum, and a port-of-call for the MS Mount Washington.

Many famous people from all over the world have summered in Wolfeboro, including French president,

Nicholas Sarkosy, French President

Nicholas Sarkozy in 2007. Jimmy Kimmel and Drew Barrymore

Drew Barrymore Wolfeboro Summer Visitor

 have been sighted as recently as 2009. Wolfeboro is the summer home of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney Wolfeboro Summer Resident

, and it was the summer home of actor Jack Lemmon.

Wolfeboro has 13.1% of the total watershed for Lake Winnipesaukee. The Lake Winnipesaukee Watershed covers 381 square miles.

We at Maxfield Real Estate in the three offices (Wolfeboro, Center Harbor and Alton) around the Lakes Region of New Hampshire voted unanimously to do away with our traditional Holiday Christmas Party and donate the money that would have been spent to the food pantries in the towns our offices reside in. With the economic hardship so many are facing and the food banks running consistently low on food, it is another reason why working at Maxfield Real Estate and the men and women there once again showed that we care about our communities.

Maxfield Real Estate has a We Care Program that has for many years donated a portion of every commission to a local non-profit of the buyer’s or seller’s choice. In 2008 over $50,000 was turned over to these non-profits.