First chartered in 1727 as a parish of Gilmanton, known as Upper Gilmanton. In 1859, the voters of the town petitioned to rename the town Belmont, to honor Mr. August Belmont, a New York financier, in hopes that he might make a financial contribution to the town. Mr. Belmont however, never even bothered to acknowledge the act. The town borders Lake Winnisquam.
The Town of Belmont is located in the sourthern portion of New Hampshire’s Lakes Region in Belknap County. The Village Area, found at the intersections of Route 106 and Route 140 is four miles from I-93 at exit 20, seven miles south of Laconia and twenty four miles north of Concord. There are thirty square miles of land area, and over one and one-half square miles of lake area in Belmont.
Belmont offers many recreational opportunities from boating and fishing on Lake Winnisquam to hiking the extensive trails of the town forest.
History
Originally known as Upper Gilmanton, Belmont was chartered in 1727 as a parish of Gilmanton. The name Belmont was selected in 1859 in honor of August Belmont, who never acknowledged the act.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 32.3 square miles (84 km˛), of which 30.6 sq mi (79 km˛) is land and 1.7 sq mi (4.4 km˛) is water, comprising 5.23% of the town. The highest point in Belmont is an unnamed 1,360-foot (410 m) hill near the northern border. Belmont lies fully within the Merrimack River watershed.
More about Belmont:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belmont%2C_New_Hampshire
