It’s been nearly a century since the lakeside village of Meredith earned popularity as a weigh station on the lone road to ski country, and the nickname “Latchkey to the White Mountains.” Vacationers have in the decades since needed no such excuse to adopt this hideaway as their own destination, seduced by its relaxed, whitewashed charm, friendly neighbors, and soothing, tree-shaded shoreline along Lake Winnipesaukee.

Granted and named in 1768 for Sir William Meredith, a member of British Parliament who’d opposed taxation on the colonies, Meredith for decades hummed along silently as a farming village, turning out steady crops of corn, wheat, potatoes, and apples. That would change in 1818 when local farmer John Bond Swasey devised an underground canal connecting Lakes Waukewan and Winnipesaukee. The result was a dramatic waterfall and, more importantly, a source of waterpower potent enough to spark a thriving mill industry, employing thousands locally and manufacturing everything from flour to linen and lumber.

For years, Meredith’s twin population centers – Meredith Village and Meredith Bridge – quietly coexisted, each with distinct identities. When a new town hall in Meredith Village, however, fatally collapsed during an 1855 town meeting, the ensuing tension was too much and Meredith Bridge split off, becoming present-day Laconia. Meredith Village ultimately survived the rift, and as rail travel through the region grew, so did its status as a resort for those seeking a cool, lakeside respite from the heat and hustle of city life.

Today, Meredith and Winnipesaukee are synonymous, drawing thousands of boaters, campers and honeymooners annually to the area’s placid waters.  History remains important to locals here, and when you’re not admiring Swasey’s stunning waterfall and the arresting architecture at Mill Falls Marketplace, Meredith’s impressive historical museum is a must, housed in the town’s first bank/ post office/piano factory and incorporating all three into unique, rotating exhibitions. Elsewhere, you’ll want plenty of space in your trunk to visit Moulton Farm, where generations of Moultons since 1892 have stocked villagers’ baskets with some of the sweetest corn and freshest produce around. And, leave room in your stomach to visit George’s Diner, where the waitresses still call you ‘Hun,’ and the homemade turkey, mashed potatoes and decadent desserts have been loosening belts and filling doggie bags for decades.

• Population of 6,623 (2008 census).
• Long considered the heart of NH’s Lakes Region, Meredith has been a favorite tourist destination for generations, nestled among the state’s largest lakes—Winnipesaukee, Squam, Winnisquam, Waukewan, Kanasatka, Wicwas, Pemigewasset and Winona.
• From the early 1950’s until 2008, Meredith served as home to production of collectible Annalee Dolls. At its height, the company, founded by Concord, NH native Barbara Annalee Davis, employed more than 300 individuals, filled over fourteen acres of land dotted with seven buildings, and produced nearly $15 million in sales. The most popular Annalee Dolls have reached up to $6,000 at auction.
• The Great Meredith Rotary Fishing Derby, entering its 32^nd year, is an annual ice-fishing tradition held each February, in which hundreds of participants vie for thousands of dollars in cash and prizes.
• Notable residents of Meredith have included: U.S. Senator George G. Fogg; U.S. Congressman Samuel Newell Bell; Canadian runner George Orton, winner of a gold and bronze medal in the 1900 Summer Olympics; Renowned architect Eben Ezra Roberts; “Archie” Comic Book creator Bob Montana; Emmy-Award Nominated soap opera actor Bradford Anderson.