Grafton County Turnpike

Grafton Turnpike

The main street of Orford, known as Lower Street in the past, was fortunate to become part of the Grafton County Turnpike. Early turnpikes were toll roads financed through private corporations. Tolls were collected approximately every mile, and the standard fare for a horse and rider was a penny. The Grafton County Turnpike began at the bridge in Orford and traveled through Lyme and Hanover on its way to Andover. This was the main overland route for trade linking the towns of Fairlee and Orford with Boston and elsewhere. However, the Connecticut River remained an important source of transportation for products—families would load sleds full of farm goods, including butter, to be delivered to towns and cities to the south. In 1786, a stagecoach route was established for delivering mail between Portsmouth, Haverhill, and Keene, NH. Eventually railroads and town roads replaced these early turnpikes. Orford's location on the Grafton County Turnpike attracted early capital and development. Many of these structures have been preserved for over two hundred years. The ½ mile of Orford's main street, stretching from Archertown Road to Route 25A is officially part of the National Register and is known as the historic district.

For more detailed information on the history of the buildings along this route, visit the Orford summary submitted to the National Register at: http://www.crjc.org/heritage/N13-6.htm