Meredith is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,241 at the 2010 census. Meredith is situated beside Lake Winnipesaukee. It is home to the Stonedam Island Natural Area and the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad.The primary village in town, where 1,718 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined as the Meredith census-designated place, and is located at the junction of U.S. Route 3 and New Hampshire Route 25 at the head of Meredith Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee.HistoryMeredith was first known as Palmer's Town in honor of Samuel Palmer, a teacher of surveying and navigation who laid out much of the land surrounding Lake Winnipesaukee. In 1748, it was one of the first towns to have a charter granted by the Masonian Proprietors. Many grantees were from Salem, Massachusetts, so Palmer's Town was renamed New Salem. It was settled in 1766 by Jacob Eaton and Colonel Ebenezer Smith, then regranted in 1768 by Governor John Wentworth and named after Sir William Meredith, 3rd Baronet, a member of Parliament who opposed taxation on the colonies.
