HAMPTON

Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. Located beside the Atlantic Ocean, Hampton is home to Hampton Beach, a summer tourist destination.

First called the Plantation of Winnacunnet, Hampton was one of four original New Hampshire townships chartered by the General Court of Massachusetts, which then held authority over the colony. “Winnacunnet” is an Algonquian Abenaki word meaning “pleasant pines” and is the name of the town’s high school, serving students from Hampton and the surrounding towns of Seabrook, North Hampton, and Hampton Falls. Construction of the railroad in the 1850s, as well as the Exeter and Hampton Trolley line, made Hampton’s oceanfront a popular resort. Hampton Beach remains a tourist destination, offering shops, restaurants, beaches, and summer seasonal housing.

Hampton is part of School Administrative Unit 90, which covers the elementary and middle schools and SAU 21 which includes Winnacunnet High School, a regional high school serving Hampton and several surrounding communities.

Sites of interest include Hampton Beach, Hampton Beach State Park, James House, Tuck Museum, and Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom.