Contoocook, New Hampshire
census-designated place in Merrimack County, New Hampshire
Contoocook ( ) is a village and census-designated place (CDP) within the town of Hopkinton, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,427 at the 2020 census. Contoocook is well known for its growth of small businesses, preservation of historical landmarks, community involvement and recreational activities within the village.
History
The village is named after the Contoocook River that runs through it. The name Contoocook comes from the Pennacook tribe of Native Americans and perhaps means "place of the river near pines". Other variations of the name include the Abenaki meaning "nut trees river" or Natick language meaning "small plantation at the river". In previous centuries the area was known as "Contoocookville". It is the birthplace of Civil War naval officer George H. Perkins. His daughter Isabel Weld Perkins and his son-in-law Larz Anderson maintained Perkins Manor as one of several summer homes.
In describing the approach to Perkins Manor one commentator writes:
"In passing up the Concord and Claremont Railroad from Concord, the observant traveler has doubtless noticed the substantial and comfortable-looking homestead with large and trim front yard, shaded by thickly planted and generous topped maples, on the right-hand side of the road after crossing the bridge that spans 'Contoocook's bright and brimming river' at the pleasant-looking village of Contoocookville in the northern part of Hopkinton."
Geography
Contoocook is located in the northern part of the town of Hopkinton.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Contoocook, New Hampshire” as census-designated place in Merrimack County, New Hampshire. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as census-designated place in Merrimack County, New Hampshire. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2315722. VIAF identifies the subject as 131343972. The Library of Congress control number is n80025795. Authority coordinates are 43.224, -71.715. 1 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2020.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Contoocook, New Hampshire”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Contoocook, New Hampshire primary sources, Contoocook, New Hampshire archive and Contoocook research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Contoocook, New Hampshire”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Contoocook, New Hampshire” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.