Franklin

A rural and woodsy Lakes Region town that is home to about 3,000 people, Sanbornton offers a slower-paced and quiet way of life. “It’s far more country with gentleman farms and horse stables,” says Wanda Keenan, Realtor with Roche Realty Group. “It may be geographically large, but it’s a small town where there are more full-time residents than seasonal ones.” While people live in Sanbornton year-round, Lake Winnisquam, which borders the town’s east side, attracts seasonal visitors who stay in RVs or buy second homes on the lake. However, residents maintain a sense of seclusion thanks to Sanbornton Town Beach, which provides private access to Lake Winnisquam for Sanbornton town residents only. Interstate 93 cuts through the center of the community, and on the east side, U.S. Route 3 crosses over Lake Winnisquam and leads drivers into the city of Laconia. <br><br>It’s common for residents to take their boats out onto Lake Winnisquam each weekend during the warmer months. “Most people are boating on Lake Winnisquam, not beaching,” Keenan says. “There’s a large sandbar in Sanbornton where a lot of people drive their boats up to.” Town residents also have private access to this lake at Sanbornton Town Beach, a secluded area with sandy shores. A smaller lake on the north side of town, Hermit Lake offers kayaking around its small islands and bass fishing. “If you own a home around there, you go there,” Keenan says. “But it’s more out of the way than the bigger lake.” Golfers practice their swings at the local Den Brae Golf Course, a semi-private course with 9 scenic holes and membership options. <br><br>Along the backroads of Sanbornton are woodsy cabins with Cape Cod influences and colonial-inspired properties that range from 1,000 to about 2,000 square feet in space and $500,000 to $820,000 in price. There are also newly built luxury townhomes with direct access to Lake Winnisquam in the same price range. “There is a section on Winnisquam along Lower Bay Road and Black Brook Road that is very cottagey and campy,” Keenan says. “These homes are a mix of seasonal and full-time residences.” She adds that Sanbornton also has a big selection of waterfront properties, including larger contemporary and New England-style homes with private docks, some with a few acres of land. Farther away from the lake are estates with colonial and farmhouse aesthetics, usually on dozens of acres to support horse stables or gentlemen's farms. More spacious, 2,000- to 4,000-square-foot properties are typically priced between $850,000 and $1.5 million. <br><br>Sanbornton’s eastern edge kisses the shores of Lake Winnisquam, a 4,000-acre lake with an average depth of 50 feet. Known as a quiet retreat for boating and fishing, this lake is soon to attract even more visitors to the Lakes Region. Where the former Anchorage at the Lake – a resort full of seasonal cottages – used to be, the county is building The Lake Estate on Winnisquam, a luxury hotel, spa and lakeside venue. “It’s going to be absolutely huge, like a mini Mount Washington Hotel,” says Pat Consentino, Chair for the Board of Selectmen in nearby Tilton, referring to the 4-star Omni Mount Washington Resort about 75 miles north. “It’ll be an all-in-one venue that will attract even more visitors who want their weddings on the lake with scenic views. There will be restaurants and conference rooms for business events.” This 36-acre project is underway and scheduled to be complete in the spring of 2025, accepting wedding inquiries starting as soon as the summer of 2025. <br><br>Sanbornton is just north of Tilton’s huge commercial shopping area, which includes the Tanger Outlet Mall and big-name grocers like Walmart, Market Basket and Hannaford. In the more rural area outside of the town’s center, Heritage Farm Pancake House is open Wednesdays through Saturdays. This breakfast diner in a wood-planked cottage features a working family farm and an outdoor play area. On the eastern edge of town where U.S. Route 3 crosses Lake Winnisquam into Laconia, there are a few waterfront restaurants. Margaret’s Kitchen serves classic American breakfast, Dox on Winnisquam puts a modern twist on American fare and Lobster Connection has a variety of fresh seafood. <br><br>Students can begin their elementary education at Sanbornton Central School, which receives a C-plus grade from Niche. They can then advance to Winnisquam Regional Middle School, graded a C, and Winnisquam Regional High School, graded a C-minus. The high school offers the Extended Learning Opportunities program, which allows students to earn high school credits through internships and project-based learning in collaboration with community members. A private school option in Sanbornton, Sant Bani School is a kindergarten through eighth-grade Montessori school that provides its students with 200 acres of woodlands that help to integrate nature and community services into the academic curriculum. <br><br>Sanbornton is a car-dependent town, as no public bus or train services the community. Interstate 93 does run conveniently north to south through the area, leading to the city of Concord about 20 miles south. This is also where the nearest hospital, Concord Hospital, is located. Another major highway, U.S. Route 3can be accessed on the east side as it crosses over Lake Winnisquam into the city of Laconia, about 8 miles away.

A small Lakes Region town of about 4,000, Tilton may be best known by outsiders for its Tanger Outlets and seasonal cottages on Lake Winnisquam. However, residents choose this town for its tight-knit community atmosphere and quiet lakefront life. “There is a small percentage of seasonal residents, but most were born and raised here,” says Pat Consentino, Chairperson for Tilton’s Board of Selectmen, who has lived in the town for more than 40 years. “And even if you weren’t born here, you have friendly neighbors that make you feel like you’ve been here for years.” In the northern part of Tilton are woodsy backroads of residential dwellings, while the southern side features big-name shopping and a downtown area along the Winnipesaukee River full of parks and restaurants. The eastern border hugs Lake Winnisquam and the smaller Silver Lake, providing convenient access to water recreation. Interstate 93 cuts north to south through town, intersecting with U.S. Route 3, which runs east to west and leads residents into the city of Laconia about 3 miles from the bridge over Lake Winnisquam. <br><br>The commercial section of Tilton is best known for the Tanger Outlets, a mall with brand names and designer storefronts where consumers have the added bonus of tax-free shopping. This retail section also includes plenty of grocery store options like Hannaford, Walmart and BJ’s Wholesale Club, along with a variety of restaurants where U.S. Route 3 turns into Main Street. Tilt’n Diner serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a 50s-style setting, and Tilton House of Pizza is a local favorite for a slice. Onions Restaurant & Pub offers tavern food and beers on tap inside the historic Tilton Inn. “Onions is well-known to be haunted,” Keenan says. “There are some cool stories about this restaurant, and there are definitely spirits that live there.” For a more laid-back atmosphere, Kettlehead Brewing Company serves bar food and more than 20 rotating craft beers on tap. Heading east on the highway, just before the road crosses over Lake Winnisquam into Laconia, there’s waterfront dining. Dox on Winnisquam puts a modern twist on American fare and Lobster Connection offers seafood in a rustic nautical-themed cottage. Further north into the more residential and woodsy part of Tilton, Just Maple is a family-run barn store at Green Acres Farm that specializes in all things maple syrup. <br><br>In Tilton’s downtown area, Riverfront Park sits on the Winnipesaukee River, offering river views to those on the playground and using the open green space. Across the river is Arch Park, where walking trails and rolling hills surround the Memorial Arch of Tilton. This 55-foot stone landmark, built in 1882, is modeled after the Arch of Titus in Rome. On the river, Tilton Island Park is temporarily closed as the bridge is undergoing repairs. “It holds about 200 to 300 people at a time,” Consentino says. “There’s a gazebo there with electricity where we have summer concerts every Sunday from July through August. But the concerts have been temporarily relocated to the Tilton School amphitheater.” She also mentions that this island hosts several events, including kayak racing, tubing, Halloween celebrations and weddings. The Winnipesaukee River Trail is a 5-mile walking and biking trail that follows the river from Franklin through Tilton, from where the Winnipesaukee Trail Association is working on connecting it to Laconia and eventually all the way to Moultonborough. Residents have access to both Silver Lake and the larger Lake Winnisquam. While Silver Lake is smaller and less known, as Keenan says, most people know about Lake Winnisquam. “Everyone in Tilton has public docking access from Winnisquam Marina,” she says. On the east side of town, Lochmere Country Club is a public 18-hole golf course with scenic views of the distant White Mountains. <br><br>The residential areas in the northern half of Tilton feature quaint manufactured homes, lakefront cottages and larger colonial styles tucked in the woods. Many residences back up to the two main lakes in town, Silver Lake and Lake Winnisquam. On the smaller end of the size scale are 350- to 650-square-foot seasonal and full-time cottages and cabins on the water, with price tags from $300,000 to $410,000. Another category of lakefront homes includes 1,500- to 2,500-square-foot colonial styles with private docks, costing between $800,000 and $900,000. “Between these lakes, there are also condo associations and townhouses,” Consentino adds, noting the attached properties that can be found for around $400,000 to $500,000. “In the village district, there are New England homes built in the early 1700s and 1800s, and when you venture into the outskirts of Tilton, there are more rural areas where homes have a lot of land.” These single-family Cape Cods and colonials, some sitting on dozens of acres, typically cost from $600,000 to $700,000. <br><br>The community gathers in Tilton’s downtown area, where Main Street meets the Winnipesaukee River. Tilton Farmers Market is held next to the police station every Tuesday during the summer months. The highly anticipated Old Home Day is an annual summer event that brings the towns of Northfield and Tilton together to celebrate tradition and neighborly love. “There’s a huge parade and a horse-pulling contest, an old tradition where work horses pull different weights,” Consentino says. “There are events all day, barbeque and vendors, and it ends with fireworks in the evening.” Tucked into this historic downtown neighborhood is Saint Mary of the Assumption Church, which may stand taller than the classic New England homes that surround it, but still blends in with its colonial-style architecture. <br><br>On Tilton’s east side, the 4,000-acre freshwater Lake Winnisquam has an average depth of about 50 feet. Known as a quieter, more laid-back part of the Lakes Region, this body of water is often used for boating and fishing. More recently, Tilton residents look forward to a development that is transforming the former Anchorage at the Lake cottage resort into a luxury hotel and venue on Lake Winnisquam. “It’s going to be absolutely huge, like a mini Mount Washington Hotel,” says Consentino, referring to the 4-star Omni Mount Washington Resort about an hour’s drive north. “It’ll be an all-in-one venue that will attract even more visitors who want their weddings on the lake with scenic views. There will be restaurants and conference rooms for business events.” Coined The Lake Estate on Winnisquam, this 36-acre project is underway and scheduled to be completed in the spring of 2025. The resort is currently taking wedding reservation inquiries for as soon as summer 2025 and will no doubt bring a seasonal boom of revenue into the local economy. <br><br>Students living in Tilton can begin their public elementary schooling at Southwick School before advancing to Winnisquam Regional Middle School, both of which receive a C grade from Niche. Winnisquam Regional High School, graded a C-minus, offers students Extended Learning Opportunities, or ELO. This program allows them to earn high school credits outside of the classroom through internships and project-based learning in collaboration with community mentors. The town is also well-known for being home to Tilton School, a private boarding co-ed high school that receives an A grade from Niche and is ranked as the No. 2 Best Private High School in Belknap County. <br><br>Interstate 93 runs north to south through Tilton, intersecting with U.S. Route 3 which runs east to west. “This area has a major off-ramp from Interstate 93,” Keenan says. “So, it’s sort of a jump-off for commuters,” referring to those driving into the nearby cities. Concord is about a 20-mile drive south on Interstate 93, where Concord Hospital is located, and the city of Laconia is about 8 miles east on U.S. Route 3. There are a couple of Concord Area Transit bus stops in the commercial intersection surrounding the Tanger Outlets.