Whitefield, New Hampshire

Whitefield, New Hampshire
Town

Town Hall and Library c. 1910

Location in Coos County, New Hampshire
Coordinates: 44°22′24″N 71°36′44″W / 44.37333°N 71.61222°W / 44.37333; -71.61222Coordinates: 44°22′24″N 71°36′44″W / 44.37333°N 71.61222°W / 44.37333; -71.61222
Country United States
State New Hampshire
County Coos
Incorporated 1804
Government
 • Board of Selectmen Duane Hall
Wendy Hersom
Mark Lufkin
Area
 • Total 34.7 sq mi (89.8 km2)
 • Land 34.2 sq mi (88.7 km2)
 • Water 0.4 sq mi (1.1 km2)  1.24%
Elevation 948 ft (289 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 2,306
 • Density 66/sq mi (26/km2)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 03598
Area code(s) 603
FIPS code 33-84420
GNIS feature ID 0873754
Website www.whitefieldnh.org

Whitefield is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, USA, in the White Mountains Region. The population was 2,306 at the 2010 census.[1] Situated on the northern edge of the White Mountains, Whitefield is home to the Mount Washington Regional Airport and the White Mountains Regional High School.

Whitefield is part of the Berlin, NH–VT Micropolitan Statistical Area. The central village in the town, where 1,142 people resided at the 2010 census,[1] is defined as the Whitefield census-designated place (CDP) and is located at the junction of U.S. Route 3, New Hampshire Route 116 and NH Route 142.

History

The last town to be granted under the English provincial government, Whitefield was chartered on July 4, 1774, exactly two years before adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Some believe it was named for George Whitefield, a famous English evangelist, and a friend of William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth, the patron of Dartmouth College. Others believe the name originated from earlier references to the snowy white fields one would see upon approach through any of the surrounding mountain passages. The chartered name was "Whitefields" but the "s" was dropped on December 1, 1804—the date of incorporation. Early grantees included Jeremy Belknap, historian, and John Langdon, who succeeded John Wentworth as governor.

With the entrance of the railroad in the 19th century, tourists discovered the town and its cool, clean mountain air. They sought relief from the heat, humidity and pollution of coal-era summers in Boston, Hartford, New York and Philadelphia. Several inns and hotels were built to accommodate their increasing numbers. On a hilltop facing the Presidential Range is the grandest, The Mountain View House (now called the Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa), established in 1866. The historic hotel underwent an extensive renovation in the 2000s, and is now one of the most luxurious in New Hampshire.

Whitefield has many examples of Victorian architecture, including a landmark bandstand built in 1875 on the common. The century old town hall with bell tower was torn down in 2013. At the 2014 Town Meeting, voters chose to build a pre-fab building to be located outside of the town center.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 34.7 square miles (90 km2), of which 34.2 sq mi (89 km2) is land and 0.4 sq mi (1.0 km2), or 1.24%, is water. Whitefield is drained by Bog Brook and the Johns River, which runs through the center of town. Forest Lake, the largest lake in town, straddles the Whitefield/Dalton town line and is located southwest of the town center. Burns Lake is near Forest Lake, off Route 116 closer to the town center. Mirror Lake is a small water body close to Route 3 north of the center of town.

The two highest points in Whitefield are Howland Hill and Kimball Hill, both of which top 1,712 feet (522 m) above sea level.

The central village of Whitefield, a census-designated place, has a total area of 1.3 sq mi (3.4 km2).

Demographics

Mountain View House, c. 1915

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,038 people, 819 households, and 547 families residing in the town. The population density was 59.5 people per square mile (23.0/km²). There were 1,158 housing units at an average density of 13.1 persons/km² (33.8 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 98.09% White, 0.20% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. 1.13% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 819 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.2% were married couples living together, 9.4% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 33.2% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.90.

Lindsay's Inn c. 1915

In the town the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $34,583, and the median income for a family was $41,528. Males had a median income of $29,293 versus $21,378 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,070. 9.8% of the population and 6.1% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 9.8% are under the age of 18 and 13.5% are 65 or older.

Town center

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,089 people, 433 households, and 272 families residing in the central village of Whitefield, a census-designated place. The population density was 845.9 people per square mile (325.9/km²). There were 525 housing units at an average density of 157.1 persons/km² (407.8 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 98.26% White, 0.37% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.09% Asian, and 1.10% from two or more races. 0.64% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 433 households out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 10.2% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 37.0% were non-families. 31.2% 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 2.36 and the average family size was 2.95.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 19.5% from 45 to 64, and 21.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 83.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.

The median income for a household is $31,071, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $28,068 versus $20,375 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,217. 10.3% of the population and 7.1% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 11.7% are under the age of 18 and 17.9% are 65 or older.

Transportation

Whitefield is at the intersections of New Hampshire Route 116 and U.S. Route 3 and is also served by New Hampshire Route 142, which leads to Dalton and points beyond. Once important but now seldom-used railroad lines of the Maine Central and Boston and Maine railroads run through town. The Mount Washington Regional Airport is located in Whitefield. As of January 2006 Whitefield is also served by The Tri-Town Bus, a public transportation route connecting with Lancaster and Littleton.

Sites of interest

References

  1. 1 2 United States Census Bureau, American FactFinder, 2010 Census figures. Retrieved March 23, 2011.

External links

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