Newport, New Hampshire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Newport, New Hampshire | |
 |
|
 |
|
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | New Hampshire |
| County | Sullivan County |
| Incorporated | 1761 |
| Government | |
| - Board of Selectmen | Michael Pettinicchio, Chairman Elizabeth W. Maiola Gary E. Nichols Beverly T. Rodeschin Virginia Irwin |
| Area | |
| - Town | 43.7 sq mi (113.1 km²) |
| - Land | 43.6 sq mi (112.8 km²) |
| - Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²) |
| Elevation | 814 ft (248 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Town | 6,269 |
| - Density | 143.9/sq mi (55.6/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| Website: www.newportnh.net | |
Newport is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, USA. It is 43 miles (69 km) west-northwest of Concord, on the Sugar River. The population was 6,269 at the 2000 census. Newport, which includes the villages of Kellyville and Guild, is the county seat. A covered bridge is in the northwest. The area is noted for maple sugar and apple orchards.
Contents |
[edit] History
Granted in 1753 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth, the town was named Grenville after George Grenville, prime minister of England and brother-in-law of William Pitt. But ongoing hostilities during the French and Indian War, as close as the Fort at Number 4 at Charlestown, delayed settlement. Nevertheless, in 1761 the town would be incorporated as Newport, for Henry Newport, a distinguished English soldier and statesman.
The area would be settled in 1765, when the Connecticut River was the only route for travel, until a road was cut through the wilderness to Charlestown in 1767. The following year, the first gristmill was established. But dissatisfied with treatment by the state government far beyond the mountains, Newport in 1781 joined 33 other towns along the Connecticut River and seceded from New Hampshire to join Vermont. George Washington, however, would dissolve their union with Vermont in 1782, and the towns rejoined New Hampshire.
With excellent soil for farming, and abundant water power from the Sugar River and its South Branch to run mills, Newport grew prosperous. The first cotton mill was established by Colonel James D. Wolcott in 1813. Local cabinet making flourished, producing much fine furniture. And then in 1817, perhaps inspired by the Erie Canal, businessmen proposed digging a canal to connect the Connecticut and Merrimack rivers -- beginning with the Sugar River, and using its source, Lake Sunapee, as a reservoir. Not surprisingly, the plan was abandoned before it got started. Even if it were feasible to carve a canal across the Granite State, the 1871 entrance of the Sugar River Railroad from Bradford would have instantly rendered it obsolete.
But the river was recognized as central to industrial development, and in 1820, mill owners from Claremont, Sunapee and Newport united to create the Sunapee Dam Corporation, which built a dam to regulate the Sugar River's flow, running mill machinery even during drought. This plan worked, and over 120 water wheels would turn along the stream's course. One mill was the Sibley Scythe Company, established in 1842, which manufactured the scythes that cleared jungle during construction of the Panama Canal. It closed in 1929.
The venerable mill town has significant architectural landmarks, including the 1823 Congregational Church designed by Elias Carter, the Newport Opera House built in 1886, and the Richards Free Library, built as the home of Colonel Seth Mason Richards in 1898.
 Congregational Church in c. 1910 |
 Pollards Mill in c. 1905 |
 Main Street in c. 1910 |
 Methodist Church in 1909 |
[edit] Notable inhabitants
- George Belknap, admiral in the U.S. Navy
- Sarah Josepha Hale, editor & writer
- Mason Weare Tappan, state representative, U.S. Congressman, colonel during the American Civil War, and the NH State Attorney General
[edit] Sites of interest
- Newport Historical Society Museum
- Newport Opera House
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 113.1 km² (43.7 mi²). 112.8 km² (43.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water, comprising 0.18% of the town. Newport is drained by the Sugar River and its South Branch, with the town center at their confluence. The highest point in town is along its southern border, where an unnamed ridge has an elevation of approximately 1,920 feet (585 meters) above sea level.
[edit] Demographics
This article describes the town of Newport 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: Newport (CDP), New Hampshire.
In 1900, 3,126 people lived in Newport; in 1910, 3,765; and in 1940, 5,304. As of the census of 2000, there were 6,269 people, 2,473 households, and 1,656 families residing in the town. The population density was 55.6/km² (143.9/mi²). There were 2,633 housing units at an average density of 23.3 persons/km² (60.4 persons/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.01% White, 0.14% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.11% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. 0.56% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,473 households out of which 31.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.1% were married couples living together, 10.4% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 33.0% were non-families. 25.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,442, and the median income for a family was $45,508. Males had a median income of $31,807 versus $22,788 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,964. 14.4% of the population and 10.8% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 19.3% are under the age of 18 and 10.0% are 65 or older.
[edit] References
- Wheeler, Edmund (1879). The History of Newport, New Hampshire, from 1766 to 1878, with a Genealogical Register. Concord, NH: Republican Press Association. LCCN 01-008046.
[edit] External links
- Town of Newport
- Richards Free Library
- New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile
