The town was granted on May 20, 1727,[4] by Lieutenant Governor John Wentworth[5] to the Reverend Joseph Adams and others.

Settlement commenced in 1765, and two years later Barnstead was incorporated as a town by Governor John Wentworth.

Barnstead manufactured large amounts of lumber, which it supplied to neighboring towns.

[1] The highest point in Barnstead is 1,190 feet (360 m) above sea level along the town's northern border, near the community of Locke's Corner.

New Hampshire Route 126 begins in Center Barnstead and travels southeast to Strafford and Barrington.

New Hampshire Route 107 cuts through the western corner of Barnstead, leading from Pittsfield in the south to Laconia in the north.

In the New Hampshire Senate, Barnstead is in the 6th District, represented by Republican James Gray.

On the Executive Council of New Hampshire, Barnstead is in the 2nd District, represented by Democrat Cinde Warmington.