Editing Gilmanton, New Hampshire (section)

==History==
Gilmanton was incorporated in 1727. First known as "Gilmantown", the town was home to the Gilman family, originally settled at [[Exeter, New Hampshire|Exeter]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=utBdyz7PgXgC&q=%22edward+gilman%22&pg=PA269|title=The History of Gilmanton: Embracing the Proprietary, Civil, Literary, Ecclesiastical, Biographical, Genealogical, and Miscellaneous History, from the First Settlement to the Present Time; Including what is Now Gilford, to the Time it was Disannexed|first=Daniel|last=Lancaster|date=April 21, 2018|publisher=A. Prescott|access-date=April 21, 2018|via=Google Books}}</ref> Twenty-four members of the Gilman family received land grants in the new town of Gilmanton. (Other families related to the Gilmans also received grants in the new town, including the Dudleys, the Leavitts, the Folsoms and the Coffins.)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=utBdyz7PgXgC&q=%22the+history+of+gilmanton%22+gilman+leavitt+coffin+folsom+dudley&pg=PA21|title=The History of Gilmanton: Embracing the Proprietary, Civil, Literary, Ecclesiastical, Biographical, Genealogical, and Miscellaneous History, from the First Settlement to the Present Time; Including what is Now Gilford, to the Time it was Disannexed|first=Daniel|last=Lancaster|date=April 21, 2018|publisher=A. Prescott|access-date=April 21, 2018|via=Google Books}}</ref> At one time it was the second-largest town in the state, following [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire|Portsmouth]]. The original town was larger than it is now, with villages and [[Parish (administrative division)|parish]]es including [[Belmont, New Hampshire|Belmont]], Gunstock Parish ([[Gilford, New Hampshire|Gilford]]), Hurricane, Tioga, Factory Village and Lakeport. A parish first called "Averytown", the site of an unprofitable [[iron]]-[[mining]] enterprise, is still known as Gilmanton Iron Works.<ref>{{Cite book | last = Coolidge | first = Austin J.|author2=John B. Mansfield | title = A History and Description of New England| publisher = A.J. Coolidge | year = 1859| location = Boston, Massachusetts| pages = [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ/page/n540 500]–502| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ| quote = coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859. }}</ref>

[[Gilmanton Academy]] was incorporated in 1794 as "...one of the three academies first founded in the state...".<ref name="history_gilmanton">{{cite book |last=Hurd |first=Duane Hamilton |date=1885 |title= History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire. |url=http://www.nh.searchroots.com/documents/History_Gilmanton_NH.txt |lccn=01007961 |publisher=J. W. Lewis & co. |publication-place=Philadelphia, PA |page=785}}</ref> In 1808 the original building burned; the second building also burned, in 1894, and was replaced with the current building, which now houses the town offices.

Gilmanton Theological Seminary was provided for by the terms of the original charter of Gilmanton Academy. Rev. Heman Rood, from [[New Milford, Connecticut]], was the first professor in 1835. By 1841 a large, three-story brick building designed by [[Ammi B. Young]] was completed for the seminary's use.<ref name="history_gilmanton"/>

<gallery>
File:The Bridge, Gilmanton Iron Works, NH.jpg|Iron Works bridge in 1910
File:The Pines, Crystal Lake.jpg|"The Pines" in 1910
File:Crystal Lake, Gilmanton Hills, NH.jpg|[[Crystal Lake (Gilmanton, New Hampshire)|Crystal Lake]] in 1909
</gallery>