From The Gazetteer of the State of New Hampshire (in three parts), 
compiled from the best authorities, by Eliphalet Merrill and the Late 
Phinehas Merrill, Esq.,
Printed by C. Norris & Co. , Exeter, NH, ©1817, pg 84

Part Two of Gazetteer:

BARRINGTON - a township in Strafford county, incorporated 1722, and bounded N.E. 
by Farmington and Rochester, S. E. by Madbury and Dover, S.W. by Nottingham and 
Northwood, and N.W. by Barnstead.  This town is thirteen and a half miles long and half 
as wide, containing 58,400 acres.  It had in 1810, 3,564 inhabitants.  Here are a large 
number of ponds, some of whose streams afford excellent mill sites. Bow pond the largest 
is situated in the S.W. part of the town, in extent a part of the town, in extent about 650 
rods and 400 rods in width.  Its waters empty into Isinglass, a principal source of Dover 
river.  Besides this are Chesley’s Round, Mendum’s, Nippo, North river, Wildgoose, Long 
Ayer’s, and Trout ponds, W. of the Blue Hills.  The waters of these ponds discharge into 
Suncook river.  The first ridge of Frost hills, commonly called Blue hills, and one of the 
three inferior summits of Agamenticus, is continued through this town.  The N. part of 
Barrington is hilly and broken but the soil, for the most part is excellent, yielding corn, 
grain, flax, cider, etc. in abundance.  Cattle and sheep are raised here in large numbers.  In 
1814, were wintered here 5,162 sheep.  Chrystal spar, plumbago or black lead, iron ore, 
alum and vitriol are found here.  On the S.E. side of the town is a cave commonly called 
the Bear’s Den.  Its mouth is 18 inches wide.  The first course is an angle of descent of 
about 20 degrees, then pressing through a narrow passage of about 4 feet in length and 
descending the same track about 9 feet, you enter an apartment 21 feet in length, 3 1/2 in 
width, and 12 in height, in which you find a natural table 2 feet square, smooth and level, 
and about high enough to stand and write upon.  Stepping up a few feet you then enter 
another room, 16 feet long 4 wide, and 10 in height, encircled on each side by a  regular 
wall of stone.  The rocks forming the bottom of this cave so exactly correspond with the 
roof, that one needs no further evidence that they were once united.  About a mile SW 
from this spot, on the margin of a pond, is a rock of 150 perpendicular feet above the face 
of the water.     S.B.
	Here are 3 houses of public worship, 18 school houses 14 grain mills 2 mills for 
dressing cloth, 3 carding machines and 4 trading stores.  The major part of the inhabitants 
are of the Baptist order, having only one society of a different denomination in town.  Rev. 
Joseph Prince was settled over the congregational church 1755, removed 1760.  Rev. 
David Tenney was settled 1771, removed 1778.  Rev. Benjamin Blach was settled 1784, 
and died 1814.  Elder Smith Babcock, Micajah Otis, and Joseph Boody are the present 
ordained preachers in this town.  This town from its first settlement, has been very healthy. 
Several of the first settlers lived to an advance period of more than 100 years.

Submitted by T.C. Parziale 5/30/00
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