About Center Harbor, New Hampshire
About Us
Center Harbor is located in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The Town was incorporated in 1797 and was originally part of Meredith and also New Hampton. Centered between Meredith and Moultonborough the Town gets its name from both its location and also from the Senter family, who were holders of the original land grant and the original settlers.
Originally a small farming community, in the 1800’s the town became a central port for lake steamers and a stopping place for stagecoaches. Situated with shoreline on Lake Winnipesaukee, Squam Lake and Lake Waukewan, Center Harbor was a favorite spot of John Greenleaf Whittier and the home of Dudley Leavitt, author of the first Farmer’s Almanac in 1797.
Center Harbor also hosted the first intercollegiate sporting event in the United States, as Harvard defeated Yale by two lengths in the first Harvard-Yale rowing regatta on August 3, 1852 in Center Harbor Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee.
Center Harbor is now the winter home of the paddle steamer MS Mount Washington, the largest boat on Lake Winnipesaukee. Today Center Harbor continues as a residential village with small working farms and a robust seasonal population during the summer. Many families have been summering in Center Harbor for 3+ generations.
For a fantastic read about Center Harbor, click here as Thomas Durant Visser provides a wonderful chronicle of Center Harbor.
Center Harbor Points of Interest
The Village Historic District\ A walking tour of 13 buildings registered on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Kona Fountain\ A gift to the Town from Herbert Dumaresq. The sculptor was Russell Gerry Cook.
The Town Bandstand\ Home site of The Center Harbor Town Band (1878), one of the oldest continually playing ensembles in the state.
The M/S Mount Washington\ View its history or take a cruise. This side wheeler steamer has cruised Lake Winnipesaukee since 1872.
Around the Lakes Region
Lake Winnipesaukee (Lakes Region of New Hampshire)\ The former Lucknow estate is know for its scenic views and trails. Card holders can use our guest pass to visit the estate.
Castle in the Clouds (Moultonborough)\ The former Lucknow estate is know for its scenic views and trails. Card holders can use our guest pass to visit the estate.
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (Moultonborough)\ The Center offers nature trails, live animal exhibits, natural science education programs, and lake cruises. Card holders can borrow our trail pass.
Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm (Tamworth)\ Home to two generations of country doctors, the farm is now a museum with exhibits on rural medicine and remedies and classes on crafts, animal care, and sustainability.
Shaker Village (Canterbury)\ Founded in 1969 to preserve the heritage of the Canterbury Shakers. The Village has 25 restored original Shaker buildings, 4 reconstructed Shaker buildings, and 694 acres of forests, fields, gardens, nature trails, and mill ponds under permanent conservation easement. The site was designated as a National Historic Landmark.
The Wright Museum (Wolfeboro)\ Exhibits and programs on the home front experience during World War II.
Click here to for a list of helpful websites.
Town Census Data
For various types of data, such as population, education, income, etc. compiled by the United States Census Bureau for 2020 regarding Center Harbor, click here.
Center Harbor, NH Census Highlights (2020)
- Population: ~1,145 residents
- Median Age: ~59 years
- Households: ~413 households
- Median Household Income: ~$119,000
- Poverty Rate: ~2%
- Education:
- High school graduate or higher: ~95%
- Bachelor’s degree or higher: ~42%
- Housing:
- Owner-occupied housing rate: ~92%
- Median home value: ~$825,000
About Center Harbor
Center Harbor is a small town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, located between Lake Winnipesaukee and Squam Lake. The town is known for its scenic waterfront, seasonal tourism, and historic character. It also serves as a gateway to the Lakes Region and the White Mountains.
The town participates in the U.S. Census Bureau surveys, which provide valuable demographic, housing, and economic data used for planning, grant opportunities, and community development.
For more detailed census information, visit the U.S. Census Bureau Center Harbor Profile.