About the County
Rockingham County was home to New Hampshire's
first European settlements, Pannaway and Strawbery Banke
(Portsmouth). In 1623, only three years after the landing of the
pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts, David Thomson first settled New
Hampshire at Odiorne Point in what is now known as the Town of Rye.
By the mid 1600s, the county included three of the four original New
Hampshire towns and was the center for business, trade and
government for the entire state. The state capital was located in
Portsmouth first, then later moved to Exeter and other towns. In
1808 the capital finally settled to its current location in Concord.
Rockingham County was eventually organized in 1769 and incorporated
in 1771 as one of the
five original counties and named for Charles Weston Wentworth,
Second Marquis of Rockingham. Rockingham County is located in the
southeastern portion of the state and contains all 18 miles of New
Hampshire's coastline. The county is bordered by Maine to the
northeast and Massachusetts to the south. The overall land mass is
699 square miles with a population of nearly 300,000 (www.nh.gov/oep).
The largest towns in Rockingham County are both in the western part
of the county; Derry with a population of 36,500 (approximate) and
Salem with a population of 30,000 (approximate). Businesses and
industry most popular in the county include construction, electric,
gas and sanitation services, retail trade, services and
manufacturing.
Rockingham County includes the following cities and towns:
(please click on town/city for website)
County Complex History
1916 County Complex Photo
Fernald Building Dedication Program
- includes information about other buildings and history about the
complex/buildings
Blaisdell Building - drawing and
dedication
Ernest P. Barka Assisted Living Facility -
dedications