Snapshot: Tamworth

History
In 1766 Governor Benning Wentworth granted the area Tamworth in honor of Admiral Washington Shirley, Viscount Tamworth. It comprises five small villages, which include part of Ossipee that was annexed in 1837 and part of Albany that annexed in 1857.

During the colonial and revolutionary eras, Tamworth, like so many other towns in New Hampshire, relied on the lumber industry as the mainstay of its economy. In time, the trees were gone and the Tamworth residents turned to farming. Long harsh winters and rocky soil dissuaded many from continuing. During the mid to late 19th century, while other New Hampshire towns were builing mills as fast as they could, Tamworth took another route. It turned to tourism to keep its economy going. Its rustic beauty, nestled against the backdrop of Mt. Chocorua, conveniently located between the White Mountains and the Lakes Region, beckoned tourists.

People
Tamworth's most famous summer residents were Grover Cleveland and his family. At the suggestion of a friend, the Clevelands began spending their summers in Tamworth. As an adult, Cleveland's son, Francis, returned in 1931 with his wife, Alice. They lived in Tamworth and used it as a home base while they performed in local area summer theaters. Eventually they turned their rehearsal hall, an old barn behind the Tamworth Inn, into The Barnstormers Theater, the oldest summer stock theater in the state. By 1940 they were year-round residents of Tamworth. Although he didn't carry political ambitions, Francis did serve as Chairman of the Carroll County Democratic Party and actively campaigned for George McGovern. He was civic-minded and always involved in community affairs. He is well remembered by his fellow townspeople for entertaining them at the corner store with his talents as a storyteller.

Tamworth is also home to 13 internationally known ladies who range in age from one to 81 years of age. You won't find their names in print. They are known collectively as the Women of Tamworth. They have raised more than $40,000 for local charities through the sale of their calendar. Inspired by a calendar of the ladies of the garden club in Rylstone, England who posed nude to raise money for cancer research, the Women of Tamworth also posed "au naturel" with discreetly placed props. Plans are in the works for another calendar featuring the men of Tamworth -- Men in Hats.