City Services

Here is a list of services offered by the City of Laconia.

NAME OF SERVICE	TELEPHONE	ADDRESS
Fire Department (Weirs Beach Fire Station)	603-366-2229 (Dial 911 in an emergency)	Lucerne Avenue at Route 11B
The Weirs Beach Fire Station. 1984-present. Weirs Beach Fire Engine #5 in front of NHVA headquarters
Police Department	603-524-5252 (Dial 911 in an emergency)	126 New Salem St, Laconia
The Laconia Police Station. 2002-present.
Laconia Library	603-524-4775	695 Main St, Laconia
The Laconia Library. Old half: 1903-present. New half: 2005-present, replacing the 1957 wing.
Weirs Beach Public Docks		The Boardwalk
The new Weirs Beach Public Docks, May 15, 2025. The docks were reconfigured in early 2025. Several dock fingers were removed. The remaining fingers were extended. The purpose was to accommodate larger boats. Boats are now much larger than was typical when the docks were built in 1948 and extended in 1959. In addition, the footbridge was rebuilt slightly (7.5 ") higher, with 7 steps to the top instead of 6. The extra height was to encourage jet skiers and other personal watercraft operators to pass underneath the footbridge and dock in the inner lagoon, rather than take up space at the main docks. Docking is prohibited between 2am and 6am. Between 6am and 9pm, docking is limited to a maximum of three hours.
Weirs Community Center	603-366-5185	25 Lucerne Avenue
The Weirs Community Center. 1984-present.
Weirs Community Park (27 acres)	603-524-5046	49 Lucerne Avenue
Lakeport Community Association

For information on other city services, go to the CITY OF LACONIA WEBSITE

City Hall. 1972-present. Originally built with a flat roof, the gabled roof was added in 1986.

HISTORICAL VIEWS OF LACONIA

Day and night views of Laconia, Dixon’s Point, and Lake Winnisquam from a hill at the entrance to Laconia. One of the earliest views of Laconia was drawn at this spot in 1875. Click here for the 1875 view, many alternate views, and a history of the hotels that stood atop this hill.

HISTORICAL IMAGES OF LACONIA FIRE DEPARTMENT

In 1917, the Laconia Fire Department acquired its first “autombile fire engine”, although use of its horse-drawn hose wagons, hook and ladders, and the steamer continued for a number of years longer.

Laconia, N.H. Fire Dept. Comb. No. 1.

Central Fire Station postcard, postmarked 1908.

J.A. Greene Hose Co. No. 1, The Weirs, N.H. From the cover of a menu for a banquet held on July 2, 1906, at the New Hotel Weirs

The 1893-1935 Weirs fire station J.A. Green Hose 1, hose drying tower, and hose wagon. The wooden bridge to Centenary Avenue is seen behind the building.

Historical Views of Veterans Square

A 1910s view of Veterans Square, showing both the Laconia Library and the Laconia Tavern.

A similar view of the Square also shows the Soldiers’ Monument.

The Laconia Library

The Gale Memorial Library, named after its benefactor Napoleon Bonaparte Gale , a local banker (died 1894), opened on June 9, 1903. The building, constructed in the Romanesque Revival architectural style, features rock-faced masonry, heavy arches, and broad roofs. Builders used both Deer Island and New Brunswick granite, oak paneling and stained-glass windows. Added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1985. Recent addition built in 2005 and opened in 2006.

Based on an original black and white photo, the postcard artist has colored everything in except for the library itself, which is reddish in color. Card postmarked in 1937.

A modern photo of the library shows the actual color. Part of the 1957-2004 wing can be seen to the right.

A front-on postcard view of the library.

A partial view of the library shows the Laconia Tavern across the street.

The Laconia Tavern

The Laconia Tavern, built in 1913, was the largest hotel in downtown Laconia until 1969, when it was converted to affordable apartments. The Tavern featured a restaurant, bar, coffee shop, and numerous meeting rooms. Its most famous guest was President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who stayed at the hotel on June 23, 1955, during his re-election campaign.

Contemporary photo of the Tavern.

The former Laconia Tavern on May 16, 2024, as seen from Main Street. No longer a hotel, the building is now the Tavern Inn Apartments, subsidized housing offered to senior residents who are all 62 years old or older. The Laconia Housing Authority acquired the building in 1997. There are 50 apartments in the building. Eight apartments are efficiency, and 42 are one-bedroom.

Not clearly seen in the old postcards above, here is a modern photo that shows the elaborate brick pattern above the first-floor Tavern windows.

The Laconia Railroad Station

The brick Laconia Railroad Station was dedicated on August 22, 1892, replacing a wooden station that had been located where the HQ of Bank of NH is now.

The Laconia Railroad Station in the 1950s, before the left side of the station was filled in.

The Laconia Railroad Station circa 1905.

The Laconia Railroad station circa 1910, with cars, a horse-drawn cart, and trolley tracks.

A view of the station from the other direction. Seen are the Veterans Square obelisk, a cannon and two piles of cannonballs.

As seen in this contemporary photo taken May 18, 2024, the cannons and cannonballs have been moved to the other side of the Civil War obelisk.

A closer look at the Veterans Square obelisk and cannonballs. The three inscriptions on the obelisk read “1861-1865”; “To Our Country’s Defenders”; and “Erected by Laconia in honor of the heroic valor and patriotic service of her sons during the Civil War.”

There are now plaques in Veterans’ Park memorializing the names of the fallen Laconia heroes of the Spanish American War, WWI, WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. There is also a memorial fountain with words circling its base: “May courage, wisdom and perseverence flow through the souls of all who serve and protect this nation each day.”

Depot Square circa 1900