One man's generosity played an integral role in the preservation of Chesterfield Gorge. George White, a local farmer, bought the land in 1936 to prevent encroaching loggers from clear-cutting it. He sold fifteen acres of the gorge to the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. The land was then donated to the State of New Hampshire.

The Visitor Center was created and is staffed due to volunteer support. The publications and exhibits in the center highlight the natural and cultural history of the region, as well as provide area information. A major display of early New Hampshire logging tools, donated by Mrs. H. T. Gregory of Norwich, Vermont, may be viewed.