Peterborough (pop. 5,000), settled in 1749, is no quaint colonial town gathered primly around a village green. Rather, it has the feel of a once-prosperous commercial center, where the hum of industry provided harmony for a thriving economy. While the hum is a bit quieter these days, Peterborough is still a beautiful town with diverse architecture, set in a valley at the confluence of the Contoocook and Nubanusit rivers. Improbably enough, Peterborough has carved out a niche in the high-tech world as a publishing center for computer magazines.
In the literary universe, Peterborough remains famous for inspiring Thornton Wilder to write Our Town. It's also home to the noted MacDowell Colony, founded in 1907 to provide a retreat for artists, musicians, and writers to tap their creative talents without the distractions of cooking or attending to errands. It's hard to find a writer of note who hasn't spent some time at MacDowell. (The colony isn't open to the public; writers compete for the honor of working there.)
