Get Direct NH Market Insight
Join my Skelley Report mailing list.
Sign Up Now
Ossipee
Ossipee sits at a crossroads in Carroll County, literally and figuratively. Routes 16 and 25 meet here, which has made it a hub since the railroad arrived in the 1870s and opened the area to tourists coming up from Boston. It is the county seat, which gives it a bit more infrastructure and activity than the surrounding towns. Ossipee Lake is one of the larger lakes in New Hampshire outside of Winnipesaukee, quieter and less known, which is exactly the point. The Ossipee Mountains rise to the west, a circular range that geologists travel from around the world to study because they mark the outline of an ancient volcanic ring formation still visible in the landscape. Big history, accessible lake, and more elbow room than most.
THE LAKE HAS STORIES
Did you know the word “snowmobile” was invented in Ossipee?
In 1913, a West Ossipee man named Virgil White figured out how to attach wooden runners to the front of a Ford Model T and tractor treads to the rear, turning it into a vehicle that could travel on snow. He patented the name “Snowmobile” and became the first person to use the term. These were not recreational machines. Before roads were plowed, they allowed doctors, mail carriers and others to travel in winter at a pace a horse-drawn sleigh could not match. White sold the conversion kits for $400 and the finished snowmobiles for $750. He sold about 25,000 of them.
Start with a conversation.
Whether you are exploring Wolfeboro, comparing Lakes Region towns, preparing to sell, or trying to understand the market more clearly, the first step is a calm conversation about what matters most to you.
