Pelham, New Hampshire

In a rural southeast New Hampshire setting, Pelham is an appealing suburb convenient to Salem, I-93, and the Massachusetts border. With a business area on Route 38 and a good amount of new home construction, Pelham has been growing rapidly but is still a small town at heart.

Pelham was an agricultural community from the time it was settled in 1722 until after World War II. As with 11 other towns in the area, the land was originally part of Old Dunstable, and it was not incorporated until 1746 after the Massachusetts-New Hampshire boundary was established. Pelham remained a farming town during the Industrial Revolution, and several farms survived through the early 1970s. As the town became popular to commuters, the landscape saw residential development, but Pelham remained far enough away from the industry of neighboring cities on the southern New Hampshire border to retain a quiet, rural feel. Currently, Pelham’s nearly 12,500 residents enjoy a variety of housing options, shopping in nearby Salem malls, and easy access to the cultural opportunities of Concord, Manchester, and Boston.

Pelham is a welcoming place with a strong sense of community pride. The Pelham residents support good recreational facilities including youth sports leagues, tennis courts, public beaches, and an active library. The town hosts many family events, such as a Halloween party and haunted house, the Sherburne School Fair in December, a Yuletide celebration, a St. Patrick's Fair, a 4th of July celebration, and a Memorial Day parade. Pelham also sponsors a popular yearly Old Home Day event, held in September, featuring local food, a parade, rides and games, performances, and charity auctions.

The Pelham School district is comprised of 1 elementary school (grades R-5), serving about 900 students; 1 middle school (grades 5-8) serving about 550 students; and 1 high school (grades 9-12) serving over 600 students. St. Patrick’s School, a private Catholic day school K-8 is also located in Pelham.