Nottingham was the first municipality in the United States to institute mandatory recycling. Nottingham is predominantly a residential community with many summer cottages on Pawtuckaway Lake and surrounding lakes and ponds. The historically Winnipesaukee land was organized in 1722 at the petition 101 residents of seacoast towns from Portsmouth to Boston. As originally granted, Nottingham originally included the current day towns of Deerfield and Northwood that independently incorporated in 1766 and 1773. Mills and schools were constructed gradually with development following the Revolutionary War. The town sustained a population of approximately 1,200 until the Civil War, when the population began to decline, reaching a low of 450 residents in 1930. Nottingham has since recovered and grew with improved access to metropolitan New Hampshire in the 20th century. Nottingham is home to Pawtuckaway State Park that offers trails, swimming, fishing, camping, among many other recreational amenities and activities.