Franconia, located in the heart of the western White Mountain
region of New Hampshire nestled
in the valley north of Franconia Notch State Park, is a
quintessential New England village with an illustrious history.
It
was first granted in 1764 as Indian Head but the settlers
were not able to meet the terms of the charter.
It
was regranted in 1772 as Morristown and later named Franconia
because it so closely resembled the Franconian Alps in Germany.
The area of Franconia Notch is well known for its natural
features, including the Old Man of the Mountains; Profile
and Echo Lakes, The Flume, The Basin, and Mounts Lafayette,
Lincoln, and Garfield.
The discovery of iron ore in nearby Sugar Hill led to a
development of the iron industry. In 1805 the New Hampshire
Iron Factory Company was formed, followed three years later
by the Franconia Iron Works. These businesses flourished
for 50 years.
However, the biggest and most enduring industry for Franconia
is tourism. It has been an attraction for many, the most
notable, Robert Frost, who lived and wrote in a house on
Ridge Road from 1915-1920. His home has been preserved as
The
Frost Place Museum. It is a Center for Poetry and the
Arts and owned by the Town of Franconia.
Franonia
is home to many cutural and historical attractions. The
Franconia
Heritage Museum, also maintained by the Town of Franconia,
chronicles the day-to-day life of early Franconia residents
is located in
an 1880 New England Farm House with attached barn and sheds.
A stroll through the Farm House showcases a Franconia Iron
Works stove in the parlor, the rope bed in the bedroom,
antique kitchenware in the summer kitchen and farm tools
and sleigh in the barn.
The
Iron
Furnace, the
only such structure still standing in NH, operated from
1805 to 1865. The Iron Furnace is across the river from
the Interpretive Center which displays a scale model and
explains the operation. The Interpretive Center is self
guided and viewable any time.
Famous
Franconia Residents
Robert
Frost - his residence, The Frost Place
Ernest
Poole - (1880-1950) Author
Annie
Trumbull Slosson - Author & Entomolgist
Bode
Miller - Olympian and World Cup Winner
Paula Kahn - Olympian & Founder of Franconia Ski School
|
Franconia
boasts about 1050 year-round residents with an area of approximately
42,240 acres (66 square miles) which includes 86 acres of
skiing terrain at the Cannon
Mountain Ski Area. Town government is overseen by an elected
board of three Selectman. A full-time police department, volunteer
fire department, and a public water system service the town's
population.
The
Lafayette
Elementary School, providing educational instruction for
grades K-6. was recognized in 2006 as a "New Hampshire
Elementary School of Excellence".
Profile
Regional High School, located in Bethlehem, NH, has an
enrollment of approximately 275 students who enjoy the benefit
of a newly constructed (2008) state-of-the-art high school.
Information About Franconia
Franconia
Town Offices
Franconia
Community Profile
Franconia
Chamber of Commerce
The Franconia
Library located on Main Street adjacent to the Franconia
Town Hall, will be celebrating its Centennial in 2012. Across
the Gale River, Dow Field offers a expansive greenspace including
soccer fields, playground, gazeebo, and picnic area for town
residents and visitors to enjoy.
Franconia Legislators
U.S. Senator
Kelly Ayotte
U.S.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen
U.S. Representative
Ann "Annie" McLane Kuster
NH
Senator Jeff Woodburn
NH
Representative Rebecca Brown
Franonia
Selectman (Email)
Cannon
Mt. Advisory Committee
Cannon
Mountain, home to the first Aerial
Tramway in America built in 1938 transported visitors
to the summit where early alpine ski trails blazed the way
for generations of skiers. Located at the base of Cannon Mt.
next the Aerial Tram is the New
England Ski Museum. Cannon is the host mountain for the
Franconia
Ski Club founded in 1933, it is one of the oldest ski
racing organizations in the U.S.
Franconia
is centrally located to many of the major attractions in the
White Mountain region offering easy access. Considered the
"quieter side of the White Mountains" crowds and
traffic congestion are never an issue.
Click
for larger map
Map courtesy of
White Mountain Attractions
|
