Concord, New Hampshire: The Capital City That Politely Clears Its Throat

Let's get this out of the way: Concord, New Hampshire is not trying to impress you. It is the state capital of a place whose official motto is "Live Free or Die," and yet its most thrilling local news this fall involved leaf-bagging policy. (Concord Monitor readers learned that there will be no leaf-bagging in Concord this year, just leaf-raking. Stay strong, rakers.)

But we're travel writers, and the roast cards have been dealt, so let's tour the city that RoastMyTown called "the capital nobody asked for." We'll check the facts as we go, because Concord actually has some.

The Golden Dome, the Granite, and a Primary Iowa Can't Have

Roast Card #1 mocked the State House for being a paint-drying contest. Here's the inconvenient truth: the State House, built in 1818 and first occupied in 1819, is the oldest in continuous use in the country. That means politicians have been arguing under that roof since James Monroe was president. It's less "boring" and more "aggressively durable."

The city itself has had an identity crisis worthy of a therapy bill. It started as a settlement called Penacook, for the Abenaki word Pannukog, meaning crooked place or bend in the river. Then it became Rumford, and then, after a long boundary squabble with neighboring Bow, it was named Concord to signify the peaceful settlement of the boundary dispute. Yes, the town is named after a truce. Nobody here has ever been dramatic about anything.

Concord became the capital in 1808. Even the government got tired of moving and just picked the middle.

Granite State Identity Crisis (Or: Who Quarried the Library of Congress?)

Card #4 claims vague superiority over Vermont's granite. We'll let the geologists fight that out, but we'll note that Concord granite was used in the construction of the State House (1819). Not bad for a place that supposedly has an identity problem.

As for the Old Man of the Mountain, he fell in 2003 and still gets more sympathy than most elected officials. We won't pile on. The poor guy had a long career.

Concord's economy has outgrown its quarry days, too. Carriage making and granite, then railroads, and now its economy is well diversified and includes manufacturing (semiconductors and industrial equipment), insurance, and agriculture (dairy products, apples). The biggest employer is, fittingly, the State of New Hampshire, which keeps the lights on at the Statehouse, and the rest are probably related to them.

Main Street, Apple Cider Donuts, and One Very Beloved Boba Place

Card #3 says Main Street is wide enough for your ego. Fair, though the width does come in handy: the city regularly shuts it down for events like the Farmers Market, the Multicultural Festival, and the NH Book Festival. The downtown is even a live topic of debate, with the Concord Monitor running a feature in early October asking residents about it, and, true to form, no consensus exists. That might be the most Concord sentence ever written.

On food, we have to defend the honor of Card #2 a little. Yes, you can find apple cider donuts and clam chowder, but you can also find Greek food at Yamas. Let that sink in.

The numbers back up the "small but sturdy" vibe. Concord is the 3rd-largest city in New Hampshire. The median resident age is 41.4 years, and 37.9% of adults have a bachelor's degree, which explains the confident opinions about zoning.

Things to Actually Do (Yes, Really)

Roast cards aside, Concord has more going on than its reputation suggests:

• The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center honors Concord teacher Christa McAuliffe and astronaut Alan Shepard, and it's one of the city's key landmarks alongside the State House.
• Franklin Pierce's house, because the home of President Franklin Pierce, who practiced law in Concord, has been preserved. Yes, a U.S. president lived here. Yes, he's the one history teachers skip.
• Canterbury Shaker Village, where historic buildings and displays of Shaker furniture sit about 15 miles north. Minimalist furniture, maximalist tranquility.
• The Summer of Music, which brings 30+ concerts at various locations around Concord, NH. Free, family-friendly, and you can park (eventually).
• The Concord Public Library, a downtown fixture that is the most Concord thing possible.

Pro tip: visit during primary season, when the whole country briefly remembers Concord exists, then forgets again by Wednesday. It's a healthy relationship.

The Verdict

Concord is a city that built the oldest continuously used statehouse in the country, and still cares deeply about leaf-raking. It isn't flashy, and it knows it. Honestly, that's the charm.

Think we were too nice? See the full roast on RoastMyTown.com.