Concord was named to symbolize agreement during New Hampshire’s colonial land disputes.
The settlement was first known as Penacook, reflecting the Indigenous community and region along the Merrimack River. In the eighteenth century, conflicting claims involving residents of neighboring Massachusetts towns created tension over jurisdiction and land. After the dispute was settled, the community adopted the name Concord in 1765, expressing the hoped-for harmony.
Concord became New Hampshire’s permanent capital in 1819. The New Hampshire State House, completed in 1819, is one of the oldest statehouses in which the legislature still occupies its original chambers. The building’s golden dome is a prominent city landmark.
Manchester is New Hampshire’s largest city, but Concord is the political capital. The city sits in Merrimack County in the state’s central region. Its name is not related to the Concords in Massachusetts or California, although all use a word associated with harmony or agreement.