Peterborough, New Hampshire | |
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Town | |
![]() Town House, built in 1918 | |
![]() Location in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire | |
Coordinates: 42°52′14″N71°57′06″W / 42.87056°N 71.95167°W | |
Country | United States |
State | New Hampshire |
County | Hillsborough |
Incorporated | 1760 |
Villages | Peterborough Happy Valley Noone North Village West Peterborough |
Government | |
• Select Board | Tyler Ward, Chair William Taylor William Kennedy |
• Town Administrator | Nicole MacStay |
Area | |
• Total | 38.43 sq mi (99.53 km2) |
• Land | 38.02 sq mi (98.47 km2) |
• Water | 0.41 sq mi (1.06 km2) 1.06% |
Elevation | 718 ft (219 m) |
Population (2020) [2] | |
• Total | 6,418 |
• Density | 169/sq mi (65.2/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern) |
ZIP Code | 03458 |
Area code | 603 |
FIPS code | 33-60580 |
GNIS feature ID | 0873697 |
Website | www |
Peterborough is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,418 at the 2020 census. [2] The main village, with 3,090 people at the 2020 census, is a census-designated place (CDP) and lies along the Contoocook River at the junction of U.S. Route 202 and New Hampshire Route 101. Peterborough is 38 miles (61 km) west of Manchester and 72 miles (116 km) northwest of Boston.
Granted by Massachusetts in 1737, it was first permanently settled in 1749. The town suffered several attacks during the French and Indian War. Nevertheless, by 1759, there were fifty families settled. Incorporated on January 17, 1760, by Governor Benning Wentworth, it was named after Lieutenant Peter Prescott (1709–1784) of Concord, Massachusetts, a prominent land speculator. [3]
The Contoocook River and Nubanusit Brook offered numerous sites for watermills, and Peterborough became a prosperous mill town. In 1810, the first cotton factory was established. By 1859, when the population was 2,222, there were four more cotton factories and a woolen mill. Other industries included two paper mills, an iron foundry, a machine shop, a carriage factory, a basket-maker, a maker of trusses and supporters, a boot and shoe factory, seven sawmills, and three gristmills. [3]
The Reverend Abiel Abbot, after being charged with heresy by the Connecticut religious establishment, came to Peterborough as minister to the Peterborough Unitarian Church in 1827. [4] He founded the town's first prep school, the Monadnock Summer Lyceum, [5] and the first free library in the US, all in Peterborough. [6]
Peterborough established the first tax-supported free public library in the United States, in 1833. [7] Its success led the New Hampshire State Legislature to pass legislation in 1849 authorizing towns to raise money to establish and maintain their own libraries. The library was in the town's general store and post office, and the postmaster served as librarian. The library moved to the town hall in 1873. [8]
Other early cultural institutions include Mariarden, a summer theatre, where Paul Robeson played in Eugene O'Neill's The Emperor Jones . Bette Davis performed there in her teens. [9]
Performance blossomed again in 1976, when Widdie and Jonathon Hall founded the Peterborough Folkway. "Within a few years, it became a 'must play' on the East Coast for folk musicians"; it remained popular for two decades. Regular performers included Tom Paxton, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shawn Colvin, and Suzanne Vega. [10]
In the 1980s, thanks to publisher Wayne Green, "Peterborough was clearly the per capita magazine production capital of the world." [11] Over 100 magazines, mostly about computers and technology, were published there; these included Byte and MacComputing.
Peterborough's leadership in environmental protection began in the 1990s, when its Earth Day USA office supported the United States Air Force's annual Earth Day events around the world. [12]
The town is 38.4 square miles (99.5 km2), of which 38.0 square miles (98.5 km2) are land and 0.42 square miles (1.1 km2) (1.06%) are water. [1] Peterborough is drained by the Contoocook River and its tributaries, Nubanusit Brook and Otter Brook. The entire town is part of the Merrimack River watershed. The highest point in Peterborough as well as in Hillsborough County is the summit of South Pack Monadnock (2,290 feet (698 m) above sea level), in Miller State Park in the southeast corner of town. Peterborough is also home to Edward MacDowell Dam and Lake recreation area, where visitors can walk across the dam, hike, cross-country ski, swim, boat, picnic, play Frisbee golf, play horseshoes, and take advantage of other recreational opportunities, many of them accessible to people with disabilities. The town is crossed by U.S. Route 202 and Route 101.
![]() | This section needs to be updated.(February 2022) |
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1790 | 861 | — | |
1800 | 1,333 | 54.8% | |
1810 | 1,537 | 15.3% | |
1820 | 1,500 | −2.4% | |
1830 | 1,984 | 32.3% | |
1840 | 2,163 | 9.0% | |
1850 | 2,222 | 2.7% | |
1860 | 2,265 | 1.9% | |
1870 | 2,236 | −1.3% | |
1880 | 2,206 | −1.3% | |
1890 | 2,507 | 13.6% | |
1900 | 2,527 | 0.8% | |
1910 | 2,277 | −9.9% | |
1920 | 2,615 | 14.8% | |
1930 | 2,521 | −3.6% | |
1940 | 2,470 | −2.0% | |
1950 | 2,556 | 3.5% | |
1960 | 2,963 | 15.9% | |
1970 | 3,807 | 28.5% | |
1980 | 4,895 | 28.6% | |
1990 | 5,239 | 7.0% | |
2000 | 5,883 | 12.3% | |
2010 | 6,284 | 6.8% | |
2020 | 6,418 | 2.1% | |
U.S. Decennial Census [13] |
As of the 2010 United States census, there were 6,284 people, 2,713 households, and 1,629 families residing in the town. The population density was 167.0 inhabitants per square mile (64.5/km2). There were 2,956 housing units at an average density of 78.4 per square mile (30.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.1% White, 1.8% Asian, 0.7% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.4% some other race, and 0.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.4% of the population. [14]
There were 2,713 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.8% were headed by married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. Of all households 33.6% were made up of individuals, and 15.2% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24, and the average family size was 2.85. [14]
In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 19.9% from 25 to 44, 30.3% from 45 to 64, and 22.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 86.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.7 males. [14]
For the period 2009–2013, the estimated median annual income for a household in the town was $66,026, and the median income for a family was $89,401. Male full-time workers had a median income of $66,314 versus $34,707 for females. The per capita income for the town was $40,385. [15]
Peterborough is a global village and entrepreneurial seedbed. [16] Start-ups based in Peterborough include New Hampshire Ball Bearing, Microspec, Pure Flow, Peterboro Basket Company, Borrego Solar, MobileRobots Inc., Toadstool Bookstores, Froling Energy, Brookstone, SoClean and Hyndsight Vision Systems. Approximately a third of Peterborough workers are home-based entrepreneurs or remote workers. [17]
Like the rest of New Hampshire and the Monadnock region, Peterborough's third largest industry is tourism.[ citation needed ]
Its cultural attractions include the Monadnock Center for History and Culture, the exhibition gallery and craft gallery of the Sharon Arts Center, the Peterborough Players theatre, Peterborough Community Theater cinema, Monadnock Music concerts, the Monadnock Summer Lyceum, MAXT Makerspace and Mariposa Children's Museum. Peterborough's First Saturday contradances are a place for singles and dance enthusiasts to enjoy live music in the spacious Peterborough Town Hall.
Many artists' introduction to the town comes as fellows to the MacDowell Colony, a wooded creative retreat that provides grants to about 300 artists per year.
The town celebrates First Friday monthly with presentations by MacDowell artists, gallery openings, shopping, live music, and local pubs.
The Peterborough Diner, a Worcester railway lunch car in the center of the village square, attracts many presidential hopefuls every four years. [18]
Peterborough hosts the Snow Ball in January, Children and the Arts Day in May, Thing in the Spring music festival in June, and Greenerborough, a summer festival promoting the town's sustainability. [19]
The Moses Cheney house in Peterborough served as a stop on the Underground Railroad in the mid-19th century.
The Peterborough Players have performed since 1933. [20] [21]
New Hampshire's oldest continuously active state militia unit, the Lafayette Artillery Company, was founded in Peterborough in 1804. It is now based in nearby Lyndeborough. Since the early 20th century, Peterborough has been home to the Amoskeag Veterans, founded in Manchester in 1855. [22]
The Mariposa Museum houses a collection of marionettes and puppets. [23]
The town's outdoor amenities include hiking trails, wild flowers, cross-country skiing, kayaking, cycling and small lakes for swimming, sailing, fishing and ice-skating. It is a popular bird-watching area, one of two sites of the NH Audubon autumn migratory raptor count. [24]
The public schools are part of Contoocook Valley school district (SAU 1) which has a total of 11 schools and one applied technology center.
The Monadnock Ledger-Transcript is published twice-weekly.[ citation needed ]
The town wants to achieve 100 percent reliance on sustainable energy, [28] and built the largest solar facility in New Hampshire, [29] next to its wastewater treatment plant. [30]
The town was a model for the play Our Town , written by Thornton Wilder while in residence at the MacDowell Colony. His fictional town of Grover's Corners appears to have been named for Peterborough's Grove Street. [34]
The film The Sensation of Sight was shot entirely in Peterborough. [35]
Hillsborough County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2020 census, the population was 422,937, almost one-third the population of the entire state. Its county seats are Manchester and Nashua, the state's two biggest cities. Hillsborough is northern New England's most populous county as well as its most densely populated.
Dublin is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,532 at the 2020 census. It is home to Dublin School and Yankee magazine.
Harrisville is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. Besides the town center, it also includes the villages of Chesham and Eastview. The population of the town was 984 at the 2020 census.
Nelson is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 629 at the 2020 census, down from 729 at the 2010 census. Nelson includes the village of Munsonville.
Rindge is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,476 at the 2020 census, up from 6,014 at the 2010 census. Rindge is home to Franklin Pierce University, the Cathedral of the Pines and part of Annett State Forest.
Bennington is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,501 at the 2020 census.
Greenfield is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,716 at the 2020 census. Greenfield is home to the Crotched Mountain Rehabilitation Center, to Greenfield State Park, and to part of the Wapack Trail.
Hancock is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,731 at the 2020 census. Hancock is home to the Welch Family Farm Forest.
Temple is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,382 at the 2020 census. It is home to Temple Mountain State Reservation, formerly the Temple Mountain Ski Area.
Canterbury is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,389 at the 2020 census. The Canterbury Shaker Village is in the eastern part of the town.
Jaffrey is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,320 at the 2020 census.
Antrim is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,651 at the 2020 census. The main village in the town, where 1,395 people lived at the 2020 census, is defined as the Antrim census-designated place (CDP) and is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 202 and New Hampshire Route 31. The town of Antrim also includes the villages of Antrim Center, North Branch, and Clinton Village.
Hillsborough is a census-designated place (CDP) and the main village in the town of Hillsborough in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population of the CDP was 2,156 at the 2020 census, out of 5,939 in the entire town.
Peterborough is a census-designated place (CDP) and the main village in the town of Peterborough, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population of the CDP was 3,090 at the 2020 census, out of 6,418 in the entire town.
Henniker is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 census, the reported total population of the town was 6,185, although the figure, 27.9% greater than the 2010 population, has been questioned by local officials. Henniker is home to New England College and Pats Peak Ski Area. Henniker is a college town and resort area, featuring both skiing and white-water kayaking.
Hillsborough, frequently spelled Hillsboro, is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,939 at the 2020 census. The town is home to Fox State Forest and part of Low State Forest.
The Contoocook River is a 71-mile-long (114 km) river in New Hampshire. It flows from Contoocook Lake on the Jaffrey/Rindge border to Penacook, where it empties into the Merrimack River. It is one of only a few rivers in New Hampshire that flow in a predominantly northward direction. Four covered bridges span the river, one in the town of Henniker, one on the Hancock-Greenfield line, and two in the town of Hopkinton, New Hampshire with one being in the village of Contoocook, and the other in the populated place of West Hopkinton. Residents and tourists have made the Contoocook popular for fishing and whitewater boating.
Nubanusit Brook is a 14.3-mile-long (23.0 km) stream in southern New Hampshire in the United States. The brook begins at the outlet of Nubanusit Lake in Nelson. It is a tributary of the Contoocook River, part of the Merrimack River watershed. The brook flows south into Harrisville, interrupted by Harrisville Pond and Skatutakee Lake, then east to the MacDowell Reservoir in Peterborough. The brook turns south, passes the village of West Peterborough, and reaches the Contoocook River after passing through Peterborough village.
The Monadnock Ledger-Transcript is a twice-weekly newspaper based in Peterborough, New Hampshire, and covering the Monadnock Region. It was formed in September 2006, when the 50-year-old Monadnock Ledger bought the 150-year-old Peterborough Transcript.
Bennington is a census-designated place (CDP) and the main village in the town of Bennington in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population of the CDP was 338 at the 2020 census, out of 1,501 in the entire town.