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Wolfeboro, New Hampshire

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Wolfeboro, New Hampshire
Town
Motto: 
The Oldest Summer Resort in America
Location in Carroll County, New Hampshire
Location in Carroll County, New Hampshire
CountryUnited States
StateNew Hampshire
CountyCarroll
Incorporated1770
Government
 • Board of SelectmenSarah M. Silk, Chair
Linda T. Murray
David A. Senecal
Q. David Bowers
Brad Harriman
Area
 • Total58.5 sq mi (151.4 km2)
 • Land47.9 sq mi (124.0 km2)
 • Water10.6 sq mi (27.4 km2)  18.09%
Elevation
512 ft (156 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total6,269
 • Density110/sq mi (41/km2)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code
03894
Area code603
FIPS code33-86420
GNIS feature ID0873760
Websitewww.wolfeboronh.us

Wolfeboro is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,269 at the 2010 census.[1] A venerable resort area situated beside Lake Winnipesaukee, Wolfeboro includes the village of Wolfeboro Falls. The community is home to Wentworth State Park.

The main village of the town, where 2,838 people resided at the 2010 census,[1] is defined as the Wolfeboro census-designated place (CDP), and is located at the head of Wolfeboro Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee, at the junction of New Hampshire routes 28 and 109.

History

Bird's-eye view in 1909

The town was granted by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth in 1759 to four young men of Portsmouth, and named Wolfeborough in honor of English General James Wolfe, who had been victorious at Quebec in 1759. In 1763, 2,300 acres (930 ha) were added to the 60 acres (24 ha) reserved for the governor. Colonial Governor John Wentworth, his nephew, established an estate on the site, known as Kingswood. Built in 1771 beside what is now called Lake Wentworth, this was the first summer country estate in northern New England. Settled in 1768, the town was incorporated in 1770.

Wolfeboro continues to be a popular summer destination, particularly for families from Boston and southern New Hampshire. The town's motto is "The Oldest Summer Resort in America", indicating its long tradition as a summer colony. Recently, it has also become a popular year-round home for many seeking an idyllic, small town existence. Its downtown is picturesque, with shops lining the main street, and large public docks at the lake shore.

The town has seen a steady stream of famous individuals visit on vacation. Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco, Kurt Vonnegut, Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon have spent time in Wolfeboro.[2] In August 2007, French president Nicolas Sarkozy vacationed there.[3]

  • Wolfeboro Bay c. 1906
    Wolfeboro Bay c. 1906
  • Hobbs Landing c. 1910
    Hobbs Landing c. 1910
  • So. Main Street c. 1915
    So. Main Street c. 1915
  • Huggins Hospital in 1916
    Huggins Hospital in 1916
  • Road to Pleasant Valley and the Hill Camp c. 1925
    Road to Pleasant Valley and the Hill Camp c. 1925

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 58.5 square miles (152 km2), of which 47.9 square miles (124 km2) is land and 10.6 square miles (27 km2) is water, comprising 18.09% of the town.[4] Wolfeboro is drained by the Smith River, which is the outlet of Lake Wentworth and an inlet of Lake Winnipesaukee. The highest point in town is Moody Mountain, elevation 1,420 feet (430 m) above sea level, located near the northern boundary.

The main village of Wolfeboro, a census-designated place, has a total area of 7.3 sq mi (19 km2). 7.0 sq mi (18 km2) of it is land and 0.3 sq mi (0.78 km2) of it, or 3.56%, is water.

Demographics

Hotel Elmwood c. 1915

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,083 people, 2,574 households, and 1,722 families residing in the town. The population density was 125.9 people per square mile (48.6/km²). There were 3,903 housing units at an average density of 31.2 persons/km² (80.8 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 99.13% White, 0.16% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.05% from other races, and 0.23% from two or more races. 0.61% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,574 households out of which 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couples living together, 7.1% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 33.1% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.83.

The Kingswood Club c. 1910

In the town the population was spread out with 22.1% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 24.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $44,013, and the median income for a family was $53,269. Males had a median income of $36,433 versus $29,850 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,361. 6.3% of the population and 3.5% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 9.0% are under the age of 18 and 2.9% are 65 or older.

Town center

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,979 people, 1,304 households, and 792 families residing in the census-designated place corresponding to the central village of Wolfeboro. The population density was 423.5 people per square mile (163.6/km²). There were 1,722 housing units at an average density of 94.6 persons/km² (244.8 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 99.26% White, 0.17% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.07% from other races, and 0.23% from two or more races. 1.07% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,304 households out of which 22.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 7.4% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 39.2% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.78.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 20.0% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 27.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 82.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.5 males.

The median income for a household is $42,853, and the median income for a family was $51,005. Males had a median income of $36,950 versus $30,688 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,466. 4.6% of the population and 1.7% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 4.9% are under the age of 18 and 4.3% are 65 or older.

Controversy surrounding racist comments by police commissioner

In May of 2014, Wolfeboro became the target of international condemnation when it was revealed that its 82-year-old police commissioner Robert Copeland had been overheard in a cafe using the N-word to refer to President Barack Obama two months earlier. Copeland acknowledged in an email to his colleagues that he did in fact use the word, but said that "for this I do not apologize." At a subsequent meeting with residents, Copeland refused calls for his resignation. [5]

Notable people

Education

Wolfeboro is served by Kingswood Regional High School, located on Main Street southeast of the center of town. Adjoining the high school is Kingswood Regional Middle School. The two elementary schools located in the community are Carpenter and Crescent Lake. All of the aforementioned schools are part of the Governor Wentworth Regional School District, which includes five additional towns.[8] The town is also home to Brewster Academy, a private preparatory school.

Health care

Wolfeboro is home to Huggins Hospital, a non-profit hospital that serves Wolfeboro and the surrounding communities of Alton, Brookfield, Effingham, Freedom, Madison, Moultonborough, New Durham, Ossipee, Sanbornville, Sandwich, Tamworth, Tuftonboro, and Wakefield.[citation needed]

Sites of interest

Clark House c. 1920

References

  1. ^ a b United States Census Bureau, American FactFinder, 2010 Census figures. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
  2. ^ "N.H. lake resort draws glitterati". Durham Herald-Sun. August 12, 2007. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ "For town, business as usual", Sarah Liebowitz, Concord Monitor, August 7, 2007
  4. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001) - Wolfeboro town, New Hampshire". U.S. Census Bureau American Factfinder. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  5. ^ Associated Press. "Residents of Wolfeboro, N.H., urge police official to quit for calling Obama the N-word", Masslive, May 16, 2014. Retrieved on May 16, 2014.
  6. ^ Think Progress by Nicole Flatow, May 16, 2014
  7. ^ http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/12/03/romney-re-joins-marriotts-corporate-board/
  8. ^ http://www.govwentworth.k12.nh.us/
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