Welcome Message from Russ Dean, Town Manager

Welcome to Exeter!

Exeter is located in the New Hampshire seacoast area, just a few miles from the Atlantic Ocean.  Exeter has a little bit of everything in its nearly 22 square miles: a historic downtown, a beautiful parkway, great public schools, train service to Boston, a full service hospital, full time Police, Fire/EMS, and Parks/Recreation services, a nice mix of restaurants, and Phillips Exeter Academy.

Exeter is proud of its history, which dates back to 1638, when the Town was founded by Reverend John Wheelwright. Originally, like many New England towns, Exeter was a "mill town."  Over the years, Exeter has preserved many elements of its historic downtown.  The Exeter River, located in downtown Exeter, ends its run and empties into the Squamscott River, which in turn empties into Great Bay.  In the 1600's, the Town was built around the first dams, sawmills, and grist mills put up by early settlers including Edward and John Gilman.

The face of Exeter has evolved over nearly 400 years.  The Town's original mill buildings today are housing for residents.  In recent years, the Town has seen its share of new residential developments, including the ongoing renovation of the old IOKA Theatre into condominiums.  These changes have helped bring the Town' s population from 14,306 at the 2010 census to over 16,000 residents today.

Founded in 1781, Phillips Exeter Academy (PEA) maintains as strong a presence as ever in Exeter as one of the country's premier private educational institutions.  The Exeter public school system maintains a strong reputation in the community as well, with the Main Street and Lincoln Street schools serving children in grades K-5.  Exeter is a member of SAU16, with middle school and high school age children attending the Cooperative Middle School in Stratham, and the Exeter High School on Blue Hawk Drive in Exeter.

In our downtown you will find our majestic Town Hall, built in 1855.  A walk around the downtown will highlight Exeter's mix of old and new, including newer restaurants like Sea Dog Brewing at 1-9 Water Street, Czar's Brewing on Center Street, and Vino E Vivo on Water Street.  Exeter's restaurant scene has improved in recent years, with Otto Pizza, the Big Bean, Otis, OBA Noodle Bar, Me and Ollie's, Laney and Lu's, Szechuan Taste, and Capital Thai all providing great eat-in opportunities. The downtown also features newer sidewalks and a rehabilitated String Bridge, providing safe passage down to beautiful Swasey Parkway. You'll also find amazing history in the downtown with signage spread about talking about the events of the past, including the route Abraham Lincoln took when he spoke at the Town Hall in 1860.  Our iconic bandstand located in the center of downtown was a gift from Ambrose Swasey back in 1916.  The American Independence Museum, Folsom Tavern, and the Ladd Gilman house all offer a unique view of Exeter history, including some of the most iconic documents of America's past.

You can get to and from Exeter on the Downeaster train, which stops on Lincoln Street.  The Downeaster runs from North Station in Boston all the way up to Brunswick, Maine.  Exeter is the busiest stop on the Downeaster in New Hampshire, and provides an affordable way to visit the town and spend the day.

In 2016, the Town completed the removal of the Great Dam.  This once in a lifetime project has restored the Exeter River as it now runs freely through the downtown emptying into the Squamscott River.  Views of the river are taken in daily by residents who walk the Great Bridge and from the decks of Sea Dog.

Exeter also has a very active presence of families, and most weekends you'll find activities going on at the Recreation Park at 4 Hampton Road, such as youth soccer, baseball, and in the summer, our outdoor pool keeps the kids cool!  The Rinks, located on Industrial Drive, is the home to the Exeter Blue Hawks hockey team and hosts many tournaments throughout the year.  The Town's Parks and Recreation Department runs a variety of programs and events that help promote Exeter as a great place to raise children and have a family.  A brand new YMCA also opened in 2016 and offers a variety of recreation programming.  The Town has a number of active community leagues as well, in all areas of sports.

Exeter has a full time Police Department, which operates 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.  Our Fire Department, also full time, provides EMS services to the paramedic level (ALS).  The Town's public library, located at Founders Park, is open six days per week for all to enjoy.

It's hard to beat a town in the NH region that has our proximity to Portland Maine and Boston, lots of great community activities, and our high quality of life.  We strive to make Exeter an inclusive community and available to all.  Come and visit!

Russ Dean, Town Manager

The Town Manager in Exeter

The Town Manager is appointed by the Town's governing body, the Select Board.  The Town Manager serves in accordance with RSA 37, the "Town Manager Plan" as the Town's Chief Administrative Officer.  The Town Manager supervises all Town Departments with the exception of the Exeter Public Library.

The Town Manager prepares the annual budget for review and recommendation by the Select Board to the Town under RSA 40:13.  Other specific duties and authorities of the Town Manager are found in NH RSA 37:5 and RSA 37:6.

Exeter adopted the Town Manager plan on or about 1956.  The first Town Manager in Exeter was Allen Marks.

Former Town Manager, Ted Nowak, passed away unexpectedly in 1967 while in office.  The Nowak Room at the current Town Office Building located at 10 Front Street is named in his honor.

About Town Manager Russ Dean

Russ Dean has a B.A. from Arizona State University and a Master's of Public Administration from the University of New Hampshire.  He is a member of the International City Managers'  Association (ICMA) and also a member of the Municipal Manager's Association of New Hampshire  (MMANH).  Mr. Dean serves on the board of HealthTrust, as an honorary board member of the Exeter Area Chamber of Commerce, and on the board of the Exeter High School Alumni Association.  Mr. Dean was also active as a board member of the Exeter Junior Baseball and Softball league (EJBSL).  He has served as Town Manager in Exeter since March 28th, 2005.

Mr. Dean lives in Exeter with his family.