In 1776, Washington, New Hampshire, became the first town in the nation to be incorporated under the name of General Washington. In the early 19th century, two major turnpikes joined near this site: Second New Hampshire Turnpike, now Lempster Mountain Road, and Croydon Turnpike, now NH 31. Goods and traffic from northern New England farms traveled these roads toward Boston, contributing to the prosperity of early Washington. Nearby are the Shedd Free Library, erected and dedicated in 1881; the historic Washington Common, including the 1840 Congregational Church, the 1883 School, and the original 1787 Meetinghouse; and the Tefts-Beede house, built in the 1870s and moved in 2006, whose original foundation lies beneath the east end of the park and is identified by four corner markers.