Alton NH Real Estate Lodging Vacations Alton Bay NH USA

Alton, New Hampshire 03809

Alton Bay NH Lodging, Real Estate, Travel & History Information

Alton New Hampshire was originally called New Durham Gore. The town of Alton was settled by a group from Roxbury, Massachusetts. The name Roxbury had already been used, so the town was named for the Alton family. The town’s boundary envelopes the five-mile-long Alton Bay, the southeastern point of Lake Winnipesaukee, and includes the southern side of Wolfeboro Harbor and all of the largest islands in the southeast end of the lake. Alton’s 19.3 square miles of inland water area is the largest of any town in New Hampshire.

Once a regular stop for steamboats, Alton is now a regular stop on the M/S Mount Washington cruise boat. In fact, Alton Bay is considered the birthplace of the Mount Washington Cruises, as the first side-wheeler was launched here in 1872.

The handsome Alton Town Hall was built in 1896 and remains in pristine condition and is an excellent example of turn-of-the-century New England Architectural design. Alton is located about 15 minutes west of Farmington, NH on SR-11.