Cheshire County
Administration Building

33 West St.,
Keene, NH 03431

Register of Deeds
Evelyn Hubal

Deputy
Nancy DiBernardo

(603) 352-0403
(603) 352-7678 Fax

Evelyn Hubal

NOTICE

Purchasing property at foreclosure or through the tax lien procedure in Cheshire County

There is no information in the County Commissioner’s office or the Registry of Deeds regarding the availability of foreclosures for purchase in Cheshire County by the general public. Financial institutions need to be contacted for this information.

In Cheshire County, all towns and the City of Keene have adopted the tax lien procedure and as such only a municipality, county or the state where the property is located may acquire the tax lien against the land and building for unpaid taxes. Sales to private individuals are prohibited. (Refer to NH RSA 80:20-a)
NH Deeds Website

CHESHIRE COUNTY REGISTRY OF DEEDS IMAGES ON THE WEB.

In keeping up with the electronic age, Cheshire County was the first Registry of Deeds in the State of New Hampshire to have images on their website - www.nhdeeds.com. The grantor/grantee index from 1980 to the last verified day in the Registry is on the site as well as the images which can be viewed without a password. For printing privileges, more information can be obtained by contacting Wanda McNamara at 352-0403 or wmcnamara@co.cheshire.nh.us.

The County of Cheshire was one of five counties established in 1769, along with Rockingham, Strafford, Hillsborough and Grafton.

Major Josiah Willard, who had been the first representative to the legislature (1768-1770), was appointed the first "Recorder of Deeds and Conveyances of Real Estate" in March 1771. Land records were held in Walpole until 1813. County land records were in several locations until the present County Court House was built in 1858. Property records remained in that building until 1988 when the Registry outgrew their facilities. In October, 1987, the old Ashuelot National Bank was acquired and land records were moved. Land records for Cheshire County beginning in 1771 to present can now be found in the Administration Building at 33 West Street, Keene, N.H.

Records prior to 1771 are in the State Archives in Concord, N.H. Sullivan County land records from 1771 until 1827 are also located in the early Cheshire County records.

The Registry of Deeds is the office that processes information as it relates to the selling and buying of property. It is a public office open to the legal profession and general public for researching the records. Besides deeds, mortgages, liens, and attachments, there are various other types of documents pertaining to land records filed with the Registry. All towns have now furnished the Registry with copies of the tax maps for identification purposes only. Plans of surveyed properties are also on record. A collection of plans that have been donated to the Registry and available for research are the late surveyors Samuel Wadsworth, Heman Chase and William House.

The office provides information to the 23 towns in Cheshire County regarding the sale of properties for tax purposes, but does not give this information to any agencies or publications. There is much information available in the early volumes and anyone interested in genealogy will probably find it useful to research the records. The occupation, spouse's name and other pertinent data to a genealogist is often listed within the instruments.

All documents have been micro-filmed for security purposes, and the office is now in the process of scanning all documents and plans for ease in locating information. Copies of documents are available immediately if the customer is present. Requests by mail will be honored if book and page is known and payment is made at the time of request. Copies of the very early volumes are also available, but will be mailed to the customer, because they have to be typed.

The Registry staff will help the public begin to locate the necessary information, but WILL NOT do the research, unless the request comes in the mail from a distant location.

Office hours of the Registry are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The telephone number is (603)352-0403 and the fax number is (603)352-7678. The office is located at 33 West Street and the mailing address is PO Box 584, Keene, NH 03431