Photo Essay of
Amherst New Hampshire

Located northwest of Nashua and southwest of Manchester, the town is flat at the southeast end where the Souhegan River passes through and hilly in the northwest end. Near the center of the 35 square mile area is downtown which is also a National Historic District.

The town used to be the county seat of Hillsborough County. It sits on the Boston Post Road and I am told that at one time it had 18 pubs. After the railroad was built up the Merrimack River, bypassing Amherst, the town lost its popularity.

Until the early 1970's, downtown was situated on the major road between Milford and Manchester. Then a bypass road (NH 101) was put in which passes south east of downtown. What remains is a very pretty center of town with low enough traffic volume that it is safe for children to cross the streets on their own.

In the south end of town is a four-lane boulevard, 101A, which has most of the industry and commercial business in Amherst including hundreds of small offices and small businesses, several large companies, one of the two gas stations, several strip malls and a Wal-Mart. 

Downtown has the Town Library, City Hall, Baptist and Congregational Churches, the Village Market, Clark and Wilkins Elementary Schools, two gas stations, the Brick School, which used to be Amherst's schoolhouse, the Historical Society, and several dozen houses.  

Just east of town, located on the bypass road, 101, is the Fire Department, Police Department and Rescue Squad. Northeast on 101 is Meeting Place Shopping Center which has the Milford District Court House and the Amherst Post Office, as well as several businesses. Further North East are several more retail outlets, the town dump, and finally a business/retail park that looks like it was shipped to Amherst straight from Austria.