Hampton, New Hampshire

Hampton, New Hampshire
Great Boar's Head c. 1920
Flag Seal
Location in Rockingham County and the state of New Hampshire.
Coordinates: 42°56′15″N70°50′20″W / 42.93750°N 70.83889°W / 42.93750; -70.83889
Country	United States
State	New Hampshire
County	Rockingham
Founded	October 14, 1638
Incorporated	May 22, 1639
Villages	Hampton Hampton Beach Great Boars Head North Beach Plaice Cove
Government
•  Board of Selectmen	Amy Hansen, Chair Rusty Bridle Chuck Rage James Waddell Carleigh Beriont
• Town Manager	Jamie Sullivan
Area [1]
• Total	14.6 sq mi (37.9 km2)
• Land	12.9 sq mi (33.4 km2)
• Water	1.7 sq mi (4.5 km2)  11.76%
Elevation	36 ft (11 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	16,214
• Density	1,256/sq mi (484.9/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP codes	03842–03843
Area code	603
FIPS code	33-33060
GNIS feature ID	0873616
Website	hamptonnh.gov

Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 16,214 at the 2020 census. ^[2] On the Atlantic coast, Hampton is home to Hampton Beach, a summer tourist destination.

The densely populated central part of the town, where 9,597 people resided at the 2020 census, ^[3] is defined as the Hampton census-designated place (CDP) and centers on the intersection of U.S. 1 and NH 27.

History

First called the "Plantation of Winnacunnet", Hampton was one of four original New Hampshire townships chartered by the General Court of Massachusetts, which then held authority over the colony. Winnacunnet is an Algonquian Abenaki word meaning "pleasant pines" and is the name of the town's high school, serving students from Hampton and the surrounding towns of Seabrook, North Hampton, and Hampton Falls.

In March 1635, Richard Dummer and John Spencer of the Byfield section of Newbury, Massachusetts, came round in their shallop, coming ashore at the landing, and were much impressed by the location. Dummer, who was a member of the General Court, got that body to lay its claim to the section and plan a plantation here. The Massachusetts General Court of March 3, 1636, ordered that Dummer and Spencer be given power to "To presse men to build there a Bound house." ^[4]

Lane Memorial Library

The town was settled in 1638 by a group of parishioners led by Oxford University graduate Reverend Stephen Bachiler, who had formerly preached at the settlement's namesake: Hampton, England. ^[5] The town, incorporated in 1639, once included Seabrook, Kensington, Danville, Kingston, East Kingston, Sandown, North Hampton and Hampton Falls. On September 18, 1679, the Acts of Privy Council records that Stephen Bachiler's son-in-law, "Christopher Hussey of Hampton, Esquire", was appointed by King Charles II to "govern the provence of New Hampshire" as a member of the newly established council of seven men. ^{[6] [7]}

Also among Hampton's earliest settlers was Thomas Leavitt, who previously had been among the first settlers at Exeter. His descendant Thomas Leavitt, Esq., lived in Hampton Falls, and was the leading Democratic politician in southern New Hampshire for many years. ^[8] He made a noted early survey and plan of the town of Hampton in 1806. ^[9] James Leavitt, of the same family, occupied the home which had previously belonged to Gen. Jonathan Moulton. ^[9] Later members of the family ran Leavitts' Hampton Beach Hotel, a fixture in the area for generations. ^[9]

Construction of the railroad in the 1850s, as well as the Exeter and Hampton Trolley line, made Hampton's oceanfront a popular resort. Hampton Beach remains a tourist destination, offering shops, restaurants, beaches, and summer seasonal housing.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 14.6 square miles (37.9 km²), of which 12.9 square miles (33.4 km²) are land and 1.7 square miles (4.5 km²) are water, comprising 11.76% of the town. ^[1]

Hampton is drained by the Hampton and Drakes rivers. The town lies fully within the New Hampshire Coastal watershed. ^[10] The highest point in Hampton is Bride Hill (approximately 150 feet (46 m) above sea level), near the town line with Exeter.

Adjacent municipalities

• North Hampton (north)
• Seabrook (south)
• Hampton Falls (southwest)
• Exeter (northwest)

Climate

Climate data for Hampton, New Hampshire
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	61 (16)	66 (19)	79 (26)	91 (33)	99 (37)	95 (35)	101 (38)	100 (38)	94 (34)	87 (31)	76 (24)	68 (20)	101 (38)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	31.6 (−0.2)	33.8 (1.0)	42.2 (5.7)	53.6 (12.0)	65.0 (18.3)	74.3 (23.5)	79.8 (26.6)	77.8 (25.4)	70.3 (21.3)	59.7 (15.4)	48.5 (9.2)	36.1 (2.3)	56.1 (13.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	16.1 (−8.8)	18.0 (−7.8)	27.3 (−2.6)	36.7 (2.6)	46.7 (8.2)	55.7 (13.2)	61.6 (16.4)	60.0 (15.6)	52.2 (11.2)	42.0 (5.6)	33.8 (1.0)	21.8 (−5.7)	39.3 (4.1)
Record low °F (°C)	−16 (−27)	−9 (−23)	0 (−18)	17 (−8)	29 (−2)	38 (3)	47 (8)	40 (4)	32 (0)	23 (−5)	11 (−12)	−9 (−23)	−16 (−27)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	3.59 (91)	3.80 (97)	5.02 (128)	4.63 (118)	4.45 (113)	4.82 (122)	3.77 (96)	4.00 (102)	4.19 (106)	5.20 (132)	4.09 (104)	5.03 (128)	52.59 (1,336)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	18.6 (47)	20.5 (52)	10.9 (28)	1.4 (3.6)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0.2 (0.51)	0.8 (2.0)	10.2 (26)	62.6 (159)
Source: NOAA [11]

Average sea temperature: ^[12]

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
41.7 °F (5.4 °C)	39.0 °F (3.9 °C)	39.0 °F (3.9 °C)	42.6 °F (5.9 °C)	50.2 °F (10.1 °C)	58.1 °F (14.5 °C)	65.1 °F (18.4 °C)	66.4 °F (19.1 °C)	63.0 °F (17.2 °C)	56.7 °F (13.7 °C)	50.0 °F (10.0 °C)	45.3 °F (7.4 °C)	51.4 °F (10.8 °C)

Demographics

Hotel Whittier c. 1910

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1790	853		—
1800	875		2.6%
1810	990		13.1%
1820	1,098		10.9%
1830	1,102		0.4%
1840	1,320		19.8%
1850	1,192		−9.7%
1860	1,230		3.2%
1870	1,177		−4.3%
1880	1,184		0.6%
1890	1,330		12.3%
1900	1,209		−9.1%
1910	1,215		0.5%
1920	1,251		3.0%
1930	1,507		20.5%
1940	2,137		41.8%
1950	2,847		33.2%
1960	5,379		88.9%
1970	8,011		48.9%
1980	10,493		31.0%
1990	12,324		17.4%
2000	14,973		21.5%
2010	14,976		0.0%
2020	16,214		8.3%
U.S. Decennial Census [13]

As of the census of 2010, there were 14,976 people, 6,868 households, and 4,079 families residing in the town. There were 9,921 housing units, of which 3,053, or 30.8%, were vacant. 2,221 of the vacant units were for seasonal or recreational uses. The racial makeup of the town was 96.1% White, 0.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.5% some other race, and 1.3% from two or more races. 1.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. ^[14]

Of the 6,868 households, 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were headed by married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16, and the average family size was 2.77. ^[14]

In the town, 17.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.0% were from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 35.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males. ^[14]

For the period 2011–2015, the estimated median annual income for a household was $76,836, and the median income for a family was $98,642. Male full-time workers had a median income of $65,519 versus $51,009 for females. The per capita income for the town was $45,189. 5.9% of the population and 4.7% of families were below the poverty line. 5.9% of the population under the age of 18 and 2.5% of those 65 or older were living in poverty. ^[15]

The marshes, c. 1905

Education

Hampton is part of School Administrative Unit 90, which covers the elementary and middle schools, ^[16] and SAU 21 which includes Winnacunnet High School, a regional high school serving Hampton and several surrounding communities.

Economy

Hampton is home to the headquarters of Planet Fitness. ^[17]

Sites of interest

• Benjamin James House (1723)
• Hampton Beach State Park
• Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom

Notable people

Beach & Casino c. 1910

• Bill Alfonso (born 1957), professional wrestling personality
• Stephen Bachiler (1561–1656), English clergyman; town founder
• Eunice "Goody" Cole (c. 1590–1680), the only woman convicted of witchcraft in New Hampshire
• Henry Dearborn (1751–1829), physician, general and 5th U.S. Secretary of War
• Abraham Drake (1715–1781), Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and politician
• Jimmy Dunn, stand-up comedian, actor
• Christopher Hussey (1599–1686), English nobleman, one of the original founders of Nantucket, Massachusetts
• Thomas Leavitt (1616–1696), early settler
• Paul Maher Jr. (born 1963), author
• Stephen E. Merrill (1946–2020), 77th governor of New Hampshire
• Jonathan Moulton (1726–1787), Revolutionary War era brigadier general
• Jane Pierce (1806–1863), First Lady of the United States, wife of Franklin Pierce
• Robert Preston (1929–2021), businessman and New Hampshire state senator
• Trish Regan (born 1972), business news broadcaster
• Tristram Shaw (1786–1843), U.S. congressman

References

• New Hampshire portal

1. "2021 U.S. Gazetteer Files – New Hampshire". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
2. "Census - Geography Profile: Hampton town, Rockingham County, New Hampshire". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 24, 2021.
3. "Census - Geography Profile: Hampton CDP, New Hampshire". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 24, 2021.
4. Sawyer, Roland D. (August 31, 1950). "The Pre-Bachiler Days of the White Men at Hampton". Some Account of the History of Earlier Hampton and its Daughter and Neighbor Towns. Hampton Union. Retrieved December 18, 2009.
5. Boyd, M. "Stephen Bachiler". © 2004 by Michelle Boyd, All rights reserved. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
6. Robertson, William (1834). A General History of North and South America: Including the Celebrated Work by Robertson. Mayhew, Isaac, and Company. p. 424. Retrieved November 6, 2017. 18th September 1679....The king was represented by a president and council of his own appointment....to govern the provence of New Hampshire.....Christopher Hussey of Hampton, Esquire...to be of the council...
7. Dow, Joseph (1839). "An historical address: delivered at Hampton, New-Hampshire, on the 25th of ..." Printed by Asa McFarland. Retrieved November 7, 2017. The names of the first settlers are Stephen Bachiler, Christopher Hussey...
8. Brown, Warren (1900). History of the Town of Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, From the Time of the First Settlement Within Its Borders, 1640 until 1900. Manchester, N.H.: John B. Clarke Company.
9. Dow, Joseph; Lucy Ellen Dow (1893). History of the Town of Hampton, New Hampshire, From Its Settlement in 1638 to the Autumn of 1892, Vol. II. Salem, Massachusetts: Salem Press Printing and Publishing Co. ISBN   9781548542160.
10. Foster, Debra H.; Batorfalvy, Tatianna N.; Medalie, Laura (1995). Water Use in New Hampshire: An Activities Guide for Teachers. U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Geological Survey.
11. "NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . Retrieved November 21, 2021.
12. "Hampton Beach, NH water temperature today". seatemperature.info. Retrieved November 21, 2021.
13. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
14. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (DP-1): Hampton town, Rockingham County, New Hampshire". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
15. "Selected Economic Characteristics: 2011-2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (DP03): Hampton town, Rockingham County, New Hampshire". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
16. "Hampton School District SAU 90". www.sau90.org.
17. "Planet Fitness World Headquarters". Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved June 3, 2024.

External links

• Official website
• Hampton Beach State Park
• Hampton Historical Society
• Lane Memorial Library, Hampton's public library (with town historical information)
• New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile
• Winnacunnet High School
• Hampton Union, local newspaper