Charlestown, New Hampshire
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| Charlestown, New Hampshire | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | New Hampshire | ||
| County | Sullivan County | ||
| Incorporated | 1783 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Board of Selectmen | Brenda Ferland, Chair Jon B LeClair Steven A Neill |
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| Area | |||
| - Town | 38.0 sq mi (98.3 km²) | ||
| - Land | 35.8 sq mi (92.7 km²) | ||
| - Water | 2.2 sq mi (5.6 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 384 ft (117 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - Town | 4,749 | ||
| - Density | 132.6/sq mi (51.2/km²) | ||
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) | ||
| Website: www.charlestown-nh.gov | |||
Charlestown is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, USA. The population was 4,749 at the 2000 census. Charlestown includes the villages of North and South Charlestown. The town is home to Hubbard State Forest and the Student Conservation Association.
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[edit] History
The area was first granted in 1735 by Colonial Governor Jonathan Belcher of Massachusetts as Plantation No. 4, the fourth in a line of forts on the Connecticut River border established as trading posts. Settled in 1740, Number Four was the northernmost township, and its 1744 log fort became a strategic military site throughout the French and Indian Wars. Several settlers were ambushed and captured by the Indians, and in 1747 the fort was besieged for three days by a force of 400 French and Indians. Captain Phineas Stevens and 31 soldiers, stationed at the fort, repelled the attack. Their success became well-known, and the fort was never attacked again.
In 1753, the town would be regranted as Charlestown by Governor Benning Wentworth, after Admiral Charles Knowles of the British navy, then governor of Jamaica. Admiral Knowles, in port at Boston during the 1747 siege, sent Captain Stevens a sword to acknowledge his valor. The town responded by naming itself in his honor. In 1781, Charlestown briefly joined Vermont because of dissatisfaction with treatment by the New Hampshire government. Returning at the insistence of George Washington, it was incorporated in 1783. Part of Unity would be annexed in 1810.
The community developed into a center for law and lawyers, second regionally only to Boston. Its prosperity would be expressed in fine architecture. Sixty-three buildings on Charlestown's Main Street are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They include the Gothic Revival South Parish Church erected by master-builder Stephen Hassam in 1842, St. Luke's Church designed by Richard Upjohn in 1863, and the Italianate Town Hall designed in 1872 by Edward Dow, New Hampshire's most prominent architect after the Civil War. Dow also designed Thompson Hall, centerpiece of the University of New Hampshire.
A reproduction of the Fort at Number 4 is now a historical site, where military reenactments and musters occur frequently throughout the summer months. Tours are offered of its stockaded parade ground and pioneer-syle houses.
 Main Street in 1909 |
 St. Luke's in c. 1910 |
 Silsby Library in c. 1912 |
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 98.3 km² (38.0 mi²). 92.7 km² (35.8 mi²) of it is land and 5.6 km² (2.2 mi²) of it is water, comprising 5.66% of the town. Charlestown is drained by Clay Brook. The highest point in town is Sams Hill (1,683 feet / 513 meters above sea level).
[edit] Demographics
This article describes the town of Charlestown as a whole. Additional demographic detail is available which describes only the central settlement or village within the town, although that detail is included in the aggregate values reported here. See: Charlestown (CDP), New Hampshire.
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,749 people, 1,920 households, and 1,332 families residing in the town. The population density was 51.2/km² (132.6/mi²). There were 2,067 housing units at an average density of 22.3 persons/km² (57.7 persons/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.53% White, 0.32% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.06% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. 0.59% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,920 households out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 9.3% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 30.6% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.7% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $38,024, and the median income for a family was $45,172. Males had a median income of $31,010 versus $22,986 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,654. 6.5% of the population and 3.5% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 5.7% are under the age of 18 and 10.3% are 65 or older.
[edit] Sites of interest
[edit] External links
- Charlestown, NH Official Website
- Charlestown Main Street Historic District
- Fort at Number Four
- New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile
