The town of Newington, just over the bridge on our way to Portsmouth, is easily misunderstood.

With a 2010 population of a mere 753, it often appears to be little more than the Spaulding Turnpike exits to the mall and big-box stores plus a few apartment complexes and a section of the Pease International Tradeport industrial park.

It also has a major electrical generation plant contributing heavily to the property tax base – a major, major factor for any municipality in New Hampshire as it addresses public finances.

The town is also surrounded on three sides by tidewater, including ocean docking on its eastern edge.

But the place was also severely impacted during the Cold War when the U.S. Air Force used eminent domain to acquire 4,255 acres to construct an air base (now turned into the industrial zone) mostly in Newington. The noise of bomber-sized jet planes taking off and landing did little to enhance the neighborhood as a place to live peacefully in those days – the frequent interruptions even forced the grade school to find a quieter setting. After all, its runway, now used by commercial, private, and National Guard flights, is among the longest in New England.

Given those factors, few people would have much incentive to take the Nimble Hill Road exit from the turnpike.

As it turns it, the road presents some classic New England just before culminating in a dead end near the runway. The historic district is a treasure.

Here’s a taste of what you’d see.