You can find some very interesting stories in the local papers of the 19th century. This one comes from the Exeter News-Letter of 1892. If you're an animal lover you might not want to read this story, as it has a very sad ending. It's not a story you'd be likely to see in today's paper, as I think the situation would have been handled very differently. Sometimes things do change for the better.
The date September 26th has been stuck in my brain for 30 years. It has now been that long since the construction of our current library building began. At that time the library was housed in a much smaller building that included our original 1910 structure (which still forms the front of the library) and a 1957 addition that needed to be torn down. That obviously meant that we had to move the library during the entire construction period, which lasted a year and a half.
One would think, given New Hampshire’s status as the first in the nation Presidential Primary state, that there would be any number of sitting Presidents who had visited Hampton. But the reality is quite different. As far as I know, there have been only two sitting Presidents who have ever been in Hampton, and they were both just passing through on their way to Portsmouth. Any number of Presidential candidates have been to Hampton, and you can read about many of their visits on our website. But once in office they have not come back. I imagine you’ll be surprised to hear that one of the two who did make it to Hampton was none other than George Washington.
The building now known as the old Hampton District Courthouse has a long and storied history. Built in 1873 as the Center Grammar School on Winnacunnet Rd., it was moved in 1916 to its present location across from the library. Since then it has served as Hampton's first public Kindergarten, the American Legion Post #35 hall, and Fire Station #2 from 1932 until 1978 , when it officially became the Courthouse. In 2005 the building was declared uninhabitable due to mold and asbestos contamination, and retired from public service.
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Open for browsing: Mon-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-2pm Telephone: (603) 926-3368 Children's Room: (603) 926-4729 Email: library@hampton.lib.nh.us
One would think, given New Hampshire’s status as the first in the nation Presidential Primary state, that there would be any number of sitting Presidents who had visited Hampton. But the reality is quite different. As far as I know, there have been only two sitting Presidents who have ever been in Hampton, and they were both just passing through on their way to Portsmouth. Any number of Presidential candidates have been to Hampton, and 
