“A Portrait in Granite” was the description of Alton by historian Barton M. Griffin. With its five mile frontage along the Alton Bay shoreline and bordering the Town of New Durham; Alton was originally part of New Durham Gore a name derived from its rocky terrain carved into the mountains, more specifically Mt. Major. First settled in the middle 1770’s, the early settlers were successful after eight petitions to the Court to change the name to Alton in 1796, and in March of 1797 the Incorporation Ceremony took place. Three Selectmen were elected to oversee the business of the Town. The 1790 census showed 445 residents in Town.

The Town is in Belknap County and envelopes the southeastern point of Lake Winnipesaukee and includes the southeastern side of Wolfeboro Harbor and all of the largest islands in the southeast end of the lake. Alton contains 63.9 square miles of land area and 19.3 square miles of inland water area.

The current Town Hall was constructed in 1894 at a cost of $15,098. The brick edifice with its tower brings the building height to eighty-five feet high. At the top is the Thomas E. Howard clock which has hands more than three feet long on all four sides. The clock has strikes every hour on the hour. The Fire Whistle is also contained within the Tower.

Tourism has long been the leading business for Alton since the middle 1800’s. Most visitors come to the Lake. Lake Winnipesaukee had many spelling issues, but in 1937 the NH General Court legalized the spelling as Winnipesaukee, Translated carefully the name means “Deep Water in a High Place”. The Lake is 504 feet above sea level. Many islands on the lake exist within the Town’s boundaries. There are other smaller bodies of water in Alton none so popular as the “Big Lake”.

Our Downtown area is comprised of a cemetery, banks, restaurants, realtors, financial institutions, the Gilman Library the Community Church, Police Station, Town Hall, a medical clinic, food markets, hardware and building supply stores and Alton Town Hall. A larger and newer Cemetery is located on Route 28S, and there are many others located throughout Town.

Alton Bay has a more seasonal ambience, with a Chamber of Commerce, the Christian Conference Center, restaurants, marinas, post office, realtors and craft shops, municipal swimming facilities,. parks and campgrounds. Every season, The M/S Mt. Washington comes into port picking up passengers at the site of the former Railroad Station. The station now serves as a Community Center.

Located on the Suncook Valley Road (Rte 28S)the newly constructed Prospect Mountain High School welcomed students from Alton and Barnstead. The former Central School on School Street continues to house classes from Kindergarten through Grade 8. Over 700 students are enrolled in the Alton School System.

The St. Katherine Drexel Church is being constructed on Route 28 between Alton and Wolfeboro and replaces the St. Joan of Arc Church which was destroyed by fire in 2000.

Through the years the Town has had very generous benefactors. Among the most well known is Oliver John Morrison Gilman who made bequests to the Gilman Library and for the establishment of the Gilman Home for the Aged. He also served on Town committees and boards. Others include Harold & Pearl (Bassett) Gilman, The Clough Family and William Heidke. Citizens and groups have donated towards our Churches, and Schools, and continue to do so.

The Town is fortunate to have so many residents who are generous and civic minded. Committees have been established to revitalize the site of the Alton Railroad Station into a Community Park and other committees are working on improvements to municipal buildings and public areas and updates to the Town’s Master Plan.