The New Hampshire College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts was established as a land-grant institution in 1866.
It was located in Hanover until 1893, when prosperous Durham farmer Benjamin Thompson died and bequeathed his entire estate to the state of New Hampshire to establish an agricultural school. The college relocated to Thompson’s farm.
The bequest and subsequent move allowed the college to expand its course of study to include the liberal arts and widen its focus to educate all the youth of the Granite State, not only those pursuing agriculture.
In 1923, its name changed to the University of New Hampshire. The largest university in the state, UNH continues to thrive.
N.H. Historical Society