Mont Vernon, New Hampshire

Established in 1803, Mont Vernon, New Hampshire is small community of about 2,000 population, conveniently located in the hills of south-central New Hampshire. Often times, newcomers refer to Mont Vernon as "Mount Vernon".

An hour away from Boston, the New Hampshire seacoast and the New Hampshire lakes region, Mont Vernon, NH is perfectly situated as a very rural community in New England, while still offering close proximity to urban and recreational areas.

Located on a hilltop overlooking Amherst, New Hampshire and Milford, New Hampshire, Mont Vernon was once mainly an agricultural community, although at one time it did host a number of large summer hotels.

By the late 1890s it had become a summer tourist town, drawing many visitors from points south, especially Boston, Massachusetts, who attempted to escape the heat in Mont Vernon's hills. At one point it had five large summer hotels, including the Grand Hotel, located on top of Grand Hill.

The hotel business began to fade away with the development of the modern automobile, which then allowed tourists to reach places like the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and it was killed by the Great Depression. The town's population bottomed out at barely 300 in 1930, at which time the Grand Hotel was destroyed in a fire. The remaining hotels were torn down before World War II.

Since the war, Mont Vernon has slowly become a suburban community. It wasn't until the 1970 census that its official population passed mid-19th century highs.

Mont Vernon is currently a bedroom community, without any commerce or industry.

Originally, according to tradition, the name of the town was supposed to be Mount Vernon, but there evidently was a transcription error. In 1855, there was an effort to change the official spelling, but it failed.

Mont Vernon, NH is home to Purgatory Falls, which features a scenic gorge, with a deep flume and a 20' waterfall into a deep rocky bowl. It is accessible only on foot via clearly marked walking trails.

The town has a large historical museum in the Town Hall, and the Historical Society is in the process of publishing a series of books about the town. The Lamson Farm, built by the first colonial settlers, is maintained by the town for preservation and general recreation. According to tradition, the name was supposed be Mount Vernon and there was an error in transcription. An effort was made in 1855 to change the official spelling, but it did not succeed.