Pittsfield, New Hampshire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Pittsfield, New Hampshire | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | New Hampshire | ||
| County | Merrimack County | ||
| Incorporated | 1782 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Board of Selectmen | Arthur Morse, Chairman Larry Konopka Donna Keeley Linda Small Edward Vien |
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| Area | |||
| - Town | 23.9 sq mi (61.8 km²) | ||
| - Land | 23.6 sq mi (61.0 km²) | ||
| - Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.8 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 525 ft (160 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - Town | 3,931 | ||
| - Density | 166.8/sq mi (64.4/km²) | ||
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) | ||
| Website: www.pittsfield-nh.com | |||
Pittsfield is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, USA. The population was 3,931 at the 2000 census. The United States Postal Service has assigned Pittsfield the ZIP code 03263 as part of the North Chichester postal service area.
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[edit] History
For many years prior to its 1782 incorporation, this town was an unnamed parish of Chichester. Like Pittsburg in the north, Pittsfield was named for William Pitt, Prime Minister of England, and a great friend of the Colonies prior to the American Revolution. The town was settled in 1768 by several families originally from Hampton. Founder John Cram built grist and sawmills here in the late 1700s. Since 1901, Globe Manufacturing has made protective clothing for firefighters here.
The town claimed the Guinness World Record in July, 2001 as the place where the most number of people wore Groucho Marx glasses at the same time (522). Before Pittsfield's attempt, no other town had tried to set the record.
[edit] Notable inhabitants
- Walter Scott, Baptist minister and educator (d. 1944)
- Harrison R. Thyng, United States general and WWII Ace.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 61.8 km² (23.9 mi²). 61.0 km² (23.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.8 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water, comprising 1.26% of the town. Pittsfield is drained by the Suncook River. The town is located at . The highest point in town is Catamount Mountain (1,331 feet / 406 meters above sea level), southeast of the town center.
[edit] Demographics
This article describes the town as a whole. Additional demographic detail is available that describes only the more densely populated central settlement, but that detail is included in the aggregate numbers reported here. See: Pittsfield (CDP), New Hampshire.
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,931 people, 1,498 households, and 1,056 families residing in the town. The population density was 64.4/km² (166.8/mi²). There were 1,569 housing units at an average density of 25.7 persons/km² (66.6 persons/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.38% White, 0.38% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 1.76% from two or more races. 1.14% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,498 households out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 13.4% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 29.5% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.2% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 93.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $38,833, and the median income for a family was $44,233. Males had a median income of $31,726 versus $24,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,082. 8.8% of the population and 6.8% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 11.6% are under the age of 18 and 6.6% are 65 or older.
[edit] Artistic tributes
In 1934, the American composer Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000), who spent time with his maternal family members (specifically the family of the Reverend Walter Scott, his grandfather) in Pittsfield during his youth, wrote a fantasy for cello and piano entitled Legend of the Sunkook [sic] Valley (Op. 1, no. 4).
