Gilmanton, New Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Gilmanton is a town
in Belknap County
, New Hampshire
, United States
. The population was 3,777 at the 2010 census. Gilmanton includes the villages of Gilmanton Corner and Gilmanton Ironworks
. The town became well-known in the 1950s after it was rumored that the popular novel Peyton Place
, written by resident Grace Metalious, was based on the town.
. Twenty-four members of the Gilman family received land grants in the new town of Gilmanton. (Other families related to the Gilmans also received grants in the new town, including the Dudleys, the Leavitts, the Folsoms and the Coffins.) At one time it was the second-largest town in the state, following Portsmouth
. The original town was larger than it is now, with villages and parishes including Belmont
, Gunstock Parish (Gilford
), Hurricane, Tioga, Factory Village and Lakeport. A parish first called Averytown, the site of an unprofitable iron
-mining
enterprise, is still known as Gilmanton Iron Works.
, the town has a total area of 59 square miles (152.8 km²), of which 57.2 square miles (148.1 km²) is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) is water, comprising 2.98% of the town. The highest point in Gilmanton is Mount Mack, at 1945 feet (592.8 m) above sea level
, on the town line with Gilford. Crystal Lake
is in the east, and Shellcamp Pond is in the west. Gilmanton lies fully within the Merrimack River
watershed
.
The town is served by state routes 106
, 107
and 140
. The town has two major villages. Gilmanton Corner (or simply "Gilmanton", as shown on topographic maps) is located in the western part of the town at the crossroads of NH 107 and NH 140. It is the location of several historic buildings, including Gilmanton Academy and Centre Congregational Church
. Gilmanton Ironworks
is located in the eastern part of town along NH 140, near the outlet of Crystal Lake.
of 2000, there were 3,060 people, 1,165 households, and 900 families residing in the town. The population density
was 53.6 people per square mile (20.7/km²). There were 1,848 housing units at an average density of 32.4 per square mile (12.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.59% White, 0.10% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.13% Asian, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.29% of the population.
There were 1,165 households out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.8% were married couples
living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% 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 2.96.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 102.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,542, and the median income for a family was $51,712. Males had a median income of $37,077 versus $27,727 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $23,163. About 3.3% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Belknap County
Belknap County, New Hampshire
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 56,325 people, 22,459 households, and 15,496 families residing in the county. The population density was 140 people per square mile . There were 32,121 housing units at an average density of 80 per square mile...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 3,777 at the 2010 census. Gilmanton includes the villages of Gilmanton Corner and Gilmanton Ironworks
Gilmanton Ironworks, New Hampshire
Gilmanton Ironworks is an unincorporated village in the town of Gilmanton in Belknap County, New Hampshire, in the United States. It is located near the eastern boundary of the town, along a stretch of the Suncook River south of the outlet of Crystal Lake...
. The town became well-known in the 1950s after it was rumored that the popular novel Peyton Place
Peyton Place (novel)
Peyton Place is a 1956 novel by Grace Metalious. It sold 60,000 copies within the first ten days of its release and remained on the New York Times best seller list for 59 weeks. It was adapted as both a 1957 film and a 1964–69 television series....
, written by resident Grace Metalious, was based on the town.
History
Gilmanton was incorporated in 1727. First known as Gilmantown, the town was home to the Gilman family, originally settled at ExeterExeter, New Hampshire
Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town's population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood...
. Twenty-four members of the Gilman family received land grants in the new town of Gilmanton. (Other families related to the Gilmans also received grants in the new town, including the Dudleys, the Leavitts, the Folsoms and the Coffins.) At one time it was the second-largest town in the state, following Portsmouth
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
. The original town was larger than it is now, with villages and parishes including Belmont
Belmont, New Hampshire
Belmont is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 7,356 at the 2010 census.The primary settlement in town, where 1,301 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined by the U.S...
, Gunstock Parish (Gilford
Gilford, New Hampshire
Gilford is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 7,126 at the 2010 census. Situated on Lake Winnipesaukee, Gilford is home to Governors Island, Ellacoya State Beach, Belknap Mountain State Forest, Gunstock Mountain Ski Resort, and Meadowbrook U.S...
), Hurricane, Tioga, Factory Village and Lakeport. A parish first called Averytown, the site of an unprofitable iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
-mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
enterprise, is still known as Gilmanton Iron Works.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 59 square miles (152.8 km²), of which 57.2 square miles (148.1 km²) is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) is water, comprising 2.98% of the town. The highest point in Gilmanton is Mount Mack, at 1945 feet (592.8 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, on the town line with Gilford. Crystal Lake
Crystal Lake (Gilmanton, New Hampshire)
Crystal Lake is a water body located in Belknap County in the Lakes Region of central New Hampshire, United States, in the town of Gilmanton. Water from Crystal Lake flows via the Suncook River to the Merrimack River....
is in the east, and Shellcamp Pond is in the west. Gilmanton lies fully within the Merrimack River
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Massachusetts, and then flows northeast until it empties into the Atlantic Ocean at Newburyport...
watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
.
The town is served by state routes 106
New Hampshire Route 106
New Hampshire Route 106 is a long secondary north–south highway in Merrimack and Belknap counties in central New Hampshire...
, 107
New Hampshire Route 107
New Hampshire Route 107 is a long north–south state highway in New Hampshire. It connects Laconia in the Lakes Region with Seabrook on the Atlantic coast....
and 140
New Hampshire Route 140
New Hampshire Route 140 is a long east–west state highway in New Hampshire. It runs from Tilton to Alton.The western terminus of NH 140 is in Tilton at U.S. Route 3 and New Hampshire Route 11. The eastern terminus is in Alton at NH 11 and New Hampshire Route 28A . In Alton, the road is named the...
. The town has two major villages. Gilmanton Corner (or simply "Gilmanton", as shown on topographic maps) is located in the western part of the town at the crossroads of NH 107 and NH 140. It is the location of several historic buildings, including Gilmanton Academy and Centre Congregational Church
Centre Congregational Church
Centre Congregational Church is a historic Congregational Church on Province Road in Gilmanton, New Hampshire.It was built in 1826 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983....
. Gilmanton Ironworks
Gilmanton Ironworks, New Hampshire
Gilmanton Ironworks is an unincorporated village in the town of Gilmanton in Belknap County, New Hampshire, in the United States. It is located near the eastern boundary of the town, along a stretch of the Suncook River south of the outlet of Crystal Lake...
is located in the eastern part of town along NH 140, near the outlet of Crystal Lake.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,060 people, 1,165 households, and 900 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 53.6 people per square mile (20.7/km²). There were 1,848 housing units at an average density of 32.4 per square mile (12.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.59% White, 0.10% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.13% Asian, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.29% of the population.
There were 1,165 households out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.8% 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 2.96.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 102.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,542, and the median income for a family was $51,712. Males had a median income of $37,077 versus $27,727 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $23,163. About 3.3% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.
Notable inhabitants
- John B. BachelderJohn B. BachelderJohn Badger Bachelder was a portrait and landscape painter, lithographer, and photographer, but best known as the preeminent 19th century historian of the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War...
, painter, photographer and historian - William BadgerWilliam BadgerWilliam Badger was an American manufacturer and mill owner from Gilmanton, New Hampshire. He served in both houses of the New Hampshire state legislature and was elected Governor for two terms....
, mill owner and governor - David CoteDavid Cote (writer)David Cote is a member of the New York Drama Critics Circle and the theater editor and chief drama critic for Time Out New York. He has also written freelance articles for The New York Times, The New York Sun, Opera News and Maxim...
, author and New York theater critic - Ira Allen EastmanIra Allen EastmanIra Allen Eastman was a U.S. Representative from New Hampshire, nephew of Nehemiah Eastman.Born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, Eastman attended the local schools. He was graduated from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, in 1829. He studied and was admitted to the bar in 1832, commencing...
, congressman - Nehemiah EastmanNehemiah EastmanNehemiah Eastman was a United States Representative from New Hampshire. He was born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire. He attended the local academy in Gilmanton and then studied law. Admitted to the bar in 1807, he practiced in Farmington, New Hampshire.Eastman served as a member of the New Hampshire...
, congressman - John R. FrenchJohn R. FrenchJohn Robert French was an American Congressional Representative from North Carolina.Born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, French received an academic education in Gilmanton and Concord, New Hampshire. He learned the printer’s trade, and worked as publisher and associate editor of the New Hampshire...
, congressman - Charles A. GilmanCharles A. GilmanCharles Andrew Gilman was a Minnesota legislator, Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, and the 9th Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota. Born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, he later moved to Minnesota...
, governor of Minnesota - H. H. HolmesH. H. HolmesHerman Webster Mudgett , better known under the alias of Dr. Henry Howard Holmes, was one of the first documented American serial killers in the modern sense of the term...
, serial killer - Grace Metalious, author of Peyton PlacePeyton Place (novel)Peyton Place is a 1956 novel by Grace Metalious. It sold 60,000 copies within the first ten days of its release and remained on the New York Times best seller list for 59 weeks. It was adapted as both a 1957 film and a 1964–69 television series....
- Charles H. PeasleeCharles H. PeasleeCharles Hazen Peaslee was a U.S. Representative from New Hampshire.Born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, Peaslee attended Gilmanton Academy and was graduated from Dartmouth College, Hanover, in 1824. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1828, commencing practice in Concord...
, congressman - John Sewell SanbornJohn Sewell SanbornJohn Sewell Sanborn was a Canadian educator, lawyer, judge and political figure.He was born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire and graduated from Dartmouth College, later studying at the University of Bishop’s College in Lennoxville, Quebec. He was the principal at a secondary school in Sherbrooke...
, educator, judge and politician - Ainsworth Rand SpoffordAinsworth Rand SpoffordAinsworth Rand Spofford was an American journalist and publisher. He was the sixth Librarian of the United States Congress from 1864 to 1897.-Early years:...
, journalist and publisher - Henry M. SpoffordHenry M. SpoffordHenry Martyn Spofford , born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire, was a judge of the Louisiana Supreme Court. He graduated from Amherst College and relocated to Louisiana, in 1845, where he practiced law. Spofford was elected to the Louisiana Supreme Court and served until 1858, when he resigned to return...
, judge