Welcome to the Jaffrey History Website

Jaffrey is a town situated in Cheshire County in the southwest corner of New Hampshire about 70 miles from Boston. It was first settled in the 1750s and incorporated in 1773. Named for the Portsmouth merchant George Jaffrey—who never visited the town named for him—it is said to be the only Jaffrey in the world. A diverse community of nearly 6,000 people, Jaffrey has a rich and interesting history which is the focus of this website. Our motive in developing it is to bring together multiple historical resources pertaining to Jaffrey and by doing so make the history of our town more accessible to students, researchers, historians, geneologists, property owners, public officials, businesses and institutions—in Jaffrey and further afield.

Baptist Church, East Main Street. Built in 1830 at a total cost of $875, the church was framed by Oliver Prescott and finished by Aaron P. Howland, builder of the Brick Church. It was dedicated on June 30th, 1930. The horsesheds to the right were first on the adjoining common but later were moved to the west side of the church. Church services ceased in 1949 and an affiliation with the East Congregational (United) Church was arranged. For nearly twenty years the building continued to be used as a parish house. Sadly, it was demolished in 1968 to make way for a new post office. The granite front steps were later used as the entrance markers for Memorial Park built beside the river in 1848. The Paul Revere Bell was resinstalled in the steeple of the United Church of Jaffrey. The handsome belfry itself was removed by crane and transported to Concord, Massachusetts. It has since been moved to Acton where it serves as a gazebo or summer house on the grounds of a private residence. (From Jaffrey Then and Now, p. 41)


The Universalist Church, Main and School Streets. The gathering in this photo is in celebration of the nation's centennnial in 1876. It was photographed from the roof of the Granite State Hotel. The church was built in 1844 and dedicated in 1845. The steeple was replaced with a more ornate version, probably at the time that the Town Clock was installed in 1884. The congregation dissolved in 1939 and today the church is the home of the Jaffrey Women's Club. The building was named for Myron L. Cutter, the church's last minister. (From Jaffrey Then and Now, p. 43)