Hancock started as an unidentified settlement on the Contoocook River, in lands known as Society Land or Cumberland, which had been reserved for the proprietors of the lands which became New Hampshire. First settled in 1764, the town was set off from Peterborough and incorporated in 1779, named Hancock in honor of John Hancock. A landowner of 1,875 acres (8 kmē) in the community, Hancock was the first governor of the state of Massachusetts, president of the Continental Congress, and signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Almost every building on Main Street in downtown Hancock is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Hancock's Meetinghouse is home to Paul Revere's #236 bell, which chimes on the hour, day and night. The town does not have traditional sidewalks, but gravel paths leading from home to home.
Equal Housing Opportunity