Exeter, Colonial town in Rockingham County, United States
Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, near the Atlantic coast where the Exeter River transitions into the tidal Squamscott River. The center forms around a central square with government buildings, historic wooden and brick residences, and an academic campus with extensive grounds.
Reverend John Wheelwright purchased land from Chief Wehanownowit in 1638 and founded the settlement under Massachusetts Bay Colony protection. The town became the capital of New Hampshire from 1775 to 1789 during the Revolutionary period and hosted the Provincial Congress.
Phillips Exeter Academy gathers students from many countries in a residential community with brick school buildings and student houses on expansive grounds. The town mixes educational facilities with white wooden churches and brick-fronted commercial buildings along Water Street near the river.
The town center is walkable, with public paths connecting residential neighborhoods and the academic grounds. Visitors find parking along main streets, and the compact layout allows short walks between points of interest.
The tidal boundary between fresh and salt water lies directly at the town center, where the river flow reverses direction twice daily. This water boundary once influenced the placement of mills and warehouses that used the tidal shift for transport and operations.
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