The Church

A rendering of the original church

Location History

ALEXANDRIA lies in the southeastern part of the county, in lat. 43
degrees 37 minutes and long. 71 degrees 50 minutes, an extremely
irregularly outlined township, bounded north by Groton and Hebron,
northeast by Bristol, south by Hill, Danbury and Grafton, and west by
Orange. It was originally granted by the Masonian proprietors, to
Joseph Butterfield Jr., and others, March 13, 1762, and was incorporated
November 23, 1782. Many changes have been made in the town’s
territorial limits, however, but curtailment and annexation, so that the
original limits, as given in the charter, would be almost entirely
unrecognizable, they being stated in that document as follows:–
“Being at a maple tree in Mason’s Patent line, about forty rods
from Newfound pound, thence over part of said pond, south 12 degrees
east five miles and a half, to a hemlock tree; thence south 53 degrees
west eight and a half miles, to a beach tree, marked; thence north
12 degrees west four and a half miles, to the patent line
aforementioned; and thence easterly on said line to place of
beginning.”
An additional tract of land was granted by the proprietors, July 7,
1773, greatly increasing the limits, and bounded as follows:–
“Beginning at the southwesterly corner of Alexandria aforesiad, on
the Patent line, and running on said Patent line to Fisherfield corner,
in Great Sunappe Pond, from thence east on the northerly side line of
Fisherfield, 472 rods, to Parrystown corner; then north 85 degrees east,
about four miles, to a beach tree, marked, on Parrystown line; thence
north 99 degrees east, about 1,672 rods, to a beach tree, marked, in
Alexandria corner; thence north 12 degrees west, to the Patent line
aforementioned, on the westerly side of said Alexandria.”
This latter trace has been known by the name of Heidleburg for some
years previous to this grant, and was subsequently so called by some;
but in most official documents it was designated as Alexandria Addition.
On June 25, 1779, it was incorporated as a separate township, under the
name of New London, which name it still bears.
On February 11, 1778, a part of Alexandra was taken towards forming,
with a part of New Chester (now Hill), a new township by the name of
Bridgewater. Another portion of the town was set off June 18, 1795,
and incorporated as a town by the name of Danbury. By an act of
December 7, 1820, a tract of land was severed from the town of Orange
and annexed to Alexandria; and by an act passed on the 20th of said
month a tract of land was severed from Alexandria and annexed to the
town of New Chester, the last change the town has been subjected to,
and it now contains about 20,800 acres.In surface, the town is wildly diversified, picturesque and beautiful.
On its western border, forming the dividing line between it and
Orange, ranges Cardigan Mountain, which, at an elevation of 3,156 feet,
towers above all the other elevations of the vicinity. Its based is
rugged and covered with a heavy growth of timber, while its summit is
divided into two granite peaks which can be seen for miles distant.
From the base of the mountain the surface of the town has a general
slope to the northeast–very broken, with Prime Hill as the highest
elevation. Foster Pond, lying in the southern part of the town, has
its outlet into Newfound Lake, which extends a short distance into the
northeastern part of the town. Into this outlet debouche two other quite
large streams, with their tributary streams, forming the water-course of
the township. The larger of these tributary streams, Fowler’s River,
has its source near the summit of Cardigan Mountain. The soil is in
general good, especially bordering the streams and ponds where are
found excellent alluvial deposits. There is also about 2,000 acres of
valuable intervale land which bears every evidence of having once been
the bottom of Newfound Lake, there being found imbedded, at the depth
of twenty feet, stumps, trees, and traces of beaver dams.
Founders and Early Settlers
PHINEAS ACKERMAN, who served in the war of 1812, came to this town,
from Farmington, in 1835, and located on road 2. He married
Sarah Allard, of Farmington, and reared four children. His son Peter
married Betsey Scruten, of Strafford NH. Eight of their ten children
are living, one of whom, Peter T., married Emma J. Berry, and has
six children, namely, Peter, Etta, Enoch, Arthur, Clark and Oren.
He resides in this town on road 9. Phineas W. Ackerman married
Elizabeth, daughter of Daniel and Susah (Chelsey) Bailey, and has two
children, Charles O. and Lydia O. Patten. He resides on road 19.PETER ACKERMAN, a native of Rye NH, was a pensioner of the Revolutionary War, and was wounded and crippled for life at the battle of
Ticonderoga. He married twice, first Rachel Lock, and second,
Harriet Marden and reared six children. His son John married
Abigail Gray, of Farmington NH. Four of his nine children are living,
one of whom, Shem G. married Joanna W., daughter of Samuel and Betsey
(Rollins) Clark, of Dorchester, and has five children, viz: William C.,
John L., Fred H. Abbie G., and George W. The last mentioned lives at
home with his father, on a farm at the foot of Cardigan mountain, on
road 6.