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is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 9,674 at the 2000 census. Part of Pawtuckaway State Park is in the north.
The central village in town, where over 29% of the population resides, is defined as the Raymond census-designated place (CDP), and is located along the Lamprey River near New Hampshire Route 27.
This town was first settled by families from Exeter as a parish of Chester, and known as Freetown because the tall pine trees, which were for the King's use, were usually taken by the local settlers, therefore it was a "free town". The town was incorporated in 1764 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth. Contrary to a 1970's book by Elmer Munson Hunt, the town was NOT named for Captain William Raymond of Beverly, Massachusetts. According to Joseph Fullonton, in his History of Raymond, published 1875, the name was chosen as "a new and classical one." Fullonton fancied the name meant "Shining World".
In 1906, Andrew Carnegie awarded a grant of $2000 toward the construction of a Carnegie library in Raymond, and in 1908 the Dudley-Tucker Library opened overlooking the Common.