Welcome to the Jaffrey Historical Society

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.

Talk on the History of the Jaffrey Fire Department

At this year's Annual Meeting, held on August 8, 2024 at the Jaffrey Firehouse, Dave Kemp gave a wonderful presentation on the history of the Jaffrey Fire Department. His talk, along with the accompanying slides, can be found on the society's YouTube Channel Page.