A Brief History of Newmarket

The lands that now make up Newmarket were originally inhabited by Indigenous peoples, including the Abenaki, who lived along the Lamprey River and relied on its rich fisheries and fertile floodplains. European settlement began in the mid-1600s as part of the larger Exeter grant. The town officially incorporated as Newmarket in 1727.

Photo: Unknown/Wikimedia Commons

Wentworth Cheswill (1746–1817) was a pioneering American Revolutionary War patriot, educator, and town official in Newmarket, often recognized as the first Black man elected to public office in the United States. A free-born man, he served extensively in local government as a town messenger, assessor, and Justice of the Peace.

Photo: New England Historical Society

The 19th century transformed Newmarket into a mill town.  By the mid-1800s Newmarket was exporting textiles around the world.  In 1929, the mills closed. 

In roughly 2010, the renovation for the historic mills buildings by Chinburg Properties began, bringing new life to the downtown corridor.

Photo: PortsmouthNH.com