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The town was founded on January 31, 1764.             
The original town name was Coventry named             
after Coventry, Connecticut, home town to            
many of the first settlers who arrived shortly            
after the beginning of the Revolution. The            
town's name was changed to Benton on            
December 4, 1840 in honor of Thomas Hart            
Benton the Missouri senator who championed            
the American  westward expansion.            
            
Benton has the largest land area of any small            
town in New Hampshire. The town is             
literally split in half by the White Mountain            
National Forest and is crossed by the             
Appalachian Trail.   

          ​

Vital Statistics            
Population: 244 (2010 census)(Glencliff home residents

are wards of the state of NH)       
County: Grafton            
Elevation:     1,272 feet        
Highest point: Mount Moosilauke, 4,802 feet            
Population density: 7.5 per sq. mile            
Government: Board of Selectmen​

The town meetings as well as social events
take place in the Town Hall building
located at the intersection of Coventry
Road (NH 116) and Bradley Hill Road.

Approximately 120 of the residents live in
The Glencliff Home for the Elderly in the
area locals refer to as Benton Flats and rest assured it is not flat.

Although Benton is rural and has no
commercial center we have many small
businesses serving the townsfolk and
Grafton County and the surrounding area.

​

Points of Interest and Activities:

Long Pond
Bath and Swiftwater covered bridges
Franconia Notch State Park
White Mountain National Forest
Lost River Campground
Hiking trails abound
Skiing at Cannon Mountain
Kayaking and canoeing

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