Barnstead, New Hampshire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Barnstead, New Hampshire | |
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| — Town — | |
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| Coordinates: 43°20′26″N 71°15′39″W / 43.34056°N 71.26083°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Hampshire |
| County | Belknap |
| Incorporated | 1767 |
| Government | |
| - Board of Selectmen | Gordon Preston Dave Kerr Jim Barnard Andrew Houle Phil Grillo |
| Area | |
| - Total | 44.0 sq mi (113.9 km2) |
| - Land | 41.9 sq mi (108.6 km2) |
| - Water | 2.0 sq mi (5.3 km2) 4.66% |
| Elevation | 505 ft (154 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 3,886 |
| - Density | 92.7/sq mi (35.8/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 03218, 03225 |
| Area code(s) | 603 |
| FIPS code | 33-03220 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0873537 |
| Website | www.barnstead.org |
Barnstead is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,886 at the 2000 census. Home to the Suncook Lakes, Barnstead includes the villages of Center Barnstead and Barnstead Parade.
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[edit] History
The town was granted by Governor William Dummer in 1727 to the Reverend Joseph Adams and others. Settlement commenced in 1767, the year Barnstead was incorporated as a town by Governor John Wentworth. Many of the settlers came from Barnstable, Massachusetts and Hempstead, New York - the name is taken from these two. [1]
Although not mountainous, the terrain forms large swells, good for grazing. By 1830, when the population was 2,047, the town contained about 2,500 sheep. [2] Farmers found the soil easy to cultivate and productive. The Suncook River and its tributaries provided water power for mills. By 1859, industries included a woolen cloth factory, seven sawmills, four shingle mills, four clapboard mills, one grooving machine, one turning machine, and two tanneries. Barnstead manufactured large amounts of lumber, which it supplied to neighboring towns. [3]
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 44.0 square miles (114 km2), of which 41.9 sq mi (109 km2) is land and 2.0 sq mi (5.2 km2) is water, comprising 4.66% of the town. The highest point in Barnstead is 1,190 feet (360 m) above sea level along the town's northern border, near the community of Locke's Corner. Drained by the Suncook River, Barnstead lies fully within the Merrimack River watershed.[4]
The town is crossed by New Hampshire Route 28, New Hampshire Route 107 and New Hampshire Route 126.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 3,886 people, 1,422 households, and 1,096 families residing in the town. The population density was 92.7 people per square mile (35.8/km²). There were 1,994 housing units at an average density of 47.6/sq mi (18.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.74% White, 0.62% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.05% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.59% of the population.
There were 1,422 households out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.2% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.9% were non-families. 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 104.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $47,449, and the median income for a family was $49,404. Males had a median income of $34,130 versus $24,904 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,773. About 2.8% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Education
Barnstead has one elementary school (Barnstead Elementary School), serving pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. High school students go to Prospect Mountain High School, a regional high school in the neighboring town of Alton.
[edit] Notable inhabitants
- S. Millett Thompson, soldier
- Harrison Thyng, brigadier general
- Hiram A. Tuttle, merchant and governor of New Hampshire
[edit] References
- ^ "Barnstead, New Hampshire". http://newenglandtowns.org/new-hampshire/barnstead. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
- ^ Hayward's New England Gazetteer of 1839
- ^ Austin J. Coolidge & John B. Mansfield, A History and Description of New England; Boston, Massachusetts 1859
- ^ Foster, Debra H.; Batorfalvy, Tatianna N.; and Medalie, Laura (1995). Water Use in New Hampshire: An Activities Guide for Teachers. U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Geological Survey. http://nh.water.usgs.gov/Publications/nh.intro.html.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
[edit] External links
- Town website
- Oscar Foss Memorial Library
- Lower Suncook Lake webcam in Center Barnstead
- New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile
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