The area was first called "Peterborough Slip", which included what is now the town of
Sharon. In 1758, Maj. Ephraim Heald and his wife Sarah, along with his brother Deacon Peter Heald and Oliver Heald, a cousin, were among the first settlers. Peter Heald is generally considered to be the founder of Temple, and his child, Peter, was the first male child born in the town. In 1768, it was incorporated by colonial Governor
John Wentworth, who named it after his lieutenant governor,
John Temple. Peter Felt, from Lynn, Massachusetts, arrived with his wife Lucy Andrews, of Concord, Massachusetts, in 1769. Temple
Glassworks was founded in 1780 by Robert Hewes of
Boston. Although the company is long defunct, surviving examples of Temple glass are today rare and prized collectibles. By 1859, Temple had a population of 579, with two
sawmills, one
gristmill, and a
tannery. The town of
Temple, Maine was named after Temple, NH. Terrain is generally uneven and rocky. It is also elevated, commanding distant views to the east and south. File:TempleNH CongregationalChurch.jpg|Congregational Church File:Cemetery in Temple, New Hampshire.jpg|Cemetery gate File:TempleNH BirchwoodInn.jpg|Birchwood Inn File:Pack Monadnock.jpg|View from Temple Mountain == Geography ==