Community Information > About Newfields 

Geography

Located along the west bank of the Squamscott River, Newfields is bordered by Newmarket to the north, Exeter to the south, Stratham to the east (separated by the Squamscott), and Epping to the west. 

Newfields is accessible principally via Route 85, which runs northeast between Routes 101 and 108, and via route 87 which runs east from Route 125. The town is 31 miles from Manchester, 12 miles from Portsmouth, and 11 miles from Hampton.

The village of Newfields includes a historic country store, a town hall, a public library, two churches and a post office, all within close proximity along Main Street. The elementary school and fire department are nearby on Piscassic Road, on the east side of the village. There are several historic cemeteries, a war memorial, a public boat launch, and a number of hiking/biking trails.

History

Modest in size with an area of 6.6 square miles and a population of 1,551 (2000 Census), Newfields was a part of Exeter in colonial times when it was called Newfield Village. As of 1727 it became a parish of Newmarket, known as South Newmarket, before incorporating in 1895 to become the Town of Newfields. 

From the time it was settled in 1638 along either side of an ancient Squamscott Indian trail, Newfields was important to Seacoast New Hampshire commerce due to its location at the mouth of the Squamscott river as it empties into the large tidal estuary known as Great Bay. Fed by several inland rivers and emptying into the Piscataqua, Great Bay provided efficient commercial transportation between the port of Portsmouth and the communities of Dover, Durham, Newmarket, Newfields, Exeter, Stratham, and Greenland. 

Industry

Various industries thrived in Newfields, including lumber, shipbuilding, iron production and casting, tanning, and manufacturing. Exports from Newfields included lumber, ship’s masts, beef, pork, pelts, as well as machinery, steam engines and small locomotives.

The Boston and Maine Railroad, which first extended service through Newfields in 1841, is still an active commercial line with both freight and passenger service running north and south along the waterfront, and includes a switch yard at Rockingham Junction, at the north end of town. In its day, Rockingham was an important rail depot and connected a westbound line to Manchester that no longer operates. An eastbound spur into Portsmouth still receives occasional use.

Modern-Day Newfields

Although few signs of the original industries still exist, the center of Newfields remains a tightly clustered village composed of a mix of antique colonial and federal homes on the side of a hill overlooking the waterfront where the town landing, shipyard, and various workshops and mercantile businesses once thrived.

Today, the industries in the village occupy newer buildings and include manufacturing of automotive parts and sports clothing, printing, and warehousing. The town’s largest business, Hutchinson Sealing Systems, is located south of the village and manufactures rubber and plastic components for the automobile industry. One of the town’s oldest businesses, Conner Bottling Works, still bottles soft drinks under its own label: Squamscott Beverages. 

With the increase in population and economic vitality in the seacoast, NH region, Newfields—with its country charm and attractive natural landscape, has become a popular bedroom community. While significant land development and construction of new homes in the last decade has brought many new families to the town, along with a corresponding expansion of services and facilities, Newfields retains its proud historic character in large part because all of its residents, both old and new, appreciate and respect its heritage.