Pembroke, New Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Pembroke is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire
, United States
. The population was 7,115 at the 2010 census. Pembroke includes part of the village of Suncook
. The center of population
of New Hampshire is located in Pembroke.
First granted in 1728, the town was known as "Lovewell's Town", in honor of Captain John Lovewell
, who built the stockade
at Ossipee
. Shortly afterward, the town took the name of "Suncook", the Pennacook
Abenaki name for the river flowing through the area. When the town was incorporated in 1759 by Colonial
Governor Benning Wentworth
, it was given the name "Pembroke" in honor of Henry Herbert, ninth Earl of Pembroke
in southern Wales
.
Pembroke's early history is reflected in the various mills
of the downtown area, located to use water power from the Suncook River
. The better-known mills were the Pembroke Mills, Webster Manufacturing and China Manufacturing, all producing print cloth. Pembroke industries included brickmaking, with bricks manufactured from clay
along the Merrimack River
. In 1852, the Concord and Portsmouth Railroad
established a station in Pembroke.
The town's high school is Pembroke Academy
, founded in 1818 as a private school. The school today is public and takes students from Pembroke and from the neighboring towns of Allenstown
, Epsom
, Chichester
, and historically, Deerfield
. With approximately 1,000 students, the school is Class I in athletics, the second highest class, and the mascot of the school is the Spartan.
, the town has a total area of 23 square miles (59.6 km²), of which 22.8 sq mi (59.1 km²) is land and 0.2 sq mi (0.517997622 km²) is water, comprising 0.70% of the town. Pembroke is drained by the Suncook, Soucook and Merrimack rivers. The highest point in town, Plausawa Hill
, elevation 1000 feet (304.8 m) above sea level
, is in the north.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 6,897 people, 2,661 households, and 1,876 families residing in the town. The population density
was 302.1 people per square mile (116.6/km²). There were 2,734 housing units at an average density of 119.8 per square mile (46.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.84% White, 0.38% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.03% from other races
, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.43% of the population.
There were 2,661 households out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples
living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $49,494, and the median income for a family was $57,106. Males had a median income of $37,786 versus $26,781 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $20,800. About 3.0% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.
Merrimack County, New Hampshire
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 136,225 people, 51,843 households, and 35,460 families residing in the county. The population density was 146 people per square mile . There were 56,244 housing units at an average density of 60 per square mile...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 7,115 at the 2010 census. Pembroke includes part of the village of Suncook
Suncook, New Hampshire
Suncook is a census-designated place in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,379 at the 2010 census. Approximately 2/3 of Suncook village is located in the town of Pembroke, with the remainder in Allenstown....
. The center of population
Center of population
In demographics, the center of population of a region is a geographical point that describes a centerpoint of the region's population...
of New Hampshire is located in Pembroke.
History
John Lovewell (Junior)
John Lovewell was a famous Ranger in the 18th century who fought during Dummer's War . He lived in present-day Nashua, New Hampshire...
, who built the stockade
Stockade
A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls made of logs placed side by side vertically with the tops sharpened to provide security.-Stockade as a security fence:...
at Ossipee
Ossipee, New Hampshire
Ossipee is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,345 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Carroll County...
. Shortly afterward, the town took the name of "Suncook", the Pennacook
Pennacook
The Pennacook, also known by the names Merrimack and Pawtucket, were a North American people that primarily inhabited the Merrimack River valley of present-day New Hampshire and Massachusetts, as well as portions of southern Maine...
Abenaki name for the river flowing through the area. When the town was incorporated in 1759 by Colonial
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
Governor Benning Wentworth
Benning Wentworth
Benning Wentworth was the colonial governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766.-Biography:The eldest child of the John Wentworth who had been Lieutenant Governor, he was born and died in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Wentworth graduated from Harvard College in 1715...
, it was given the name "Pembroke" in honor of Henry Herbert, ninth Earl of Pembroke
Earl of Pembroke
Earl of Pembroke is a title created ten times, all in the Peerage of England. It was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title is associated with Pembroke, Pembrokeshire in West Wales, which is the site of Earldom's original seat Pembroke Castle...
in southern Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
.
Pembroke's early history is reflected in the various mills
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
of the downtown area, located to use water power from the Suncook River
Suncook River
The Suncook River is a river located in central New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Merrimack River, which flows to the Gulf of Maine....
. The better-known mills were the Pembroke Mills, Webster Manufacturing and China Manufacturing, all producing print cloth. Pembroke industries included brickmaking, with bricks manufactured from clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
along 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...
. In 1852, the Concord and Portsmouth Railroad
Portsmouth and Concord Railroad
The Portsmouth and Concord Railroad was a railroad in New Hampshire that existed under various names from 1845 to 1945.- History and construction :...
established a station in Pembroke.
Education
There are currently four public schools in Pembroke. The Village School is located in the village of Suncook and houses kindergarten and first grade. The Hill School is attended by children in the second, third, and fourth grades. Three Rivers School, named after the three rivers that form most of the borders of the town, was built in the early 1990s and contains fifth through eighth grade.The town's high school is Pembroke Academy
Pembroke Academy
Pembroke Academy is a secondary school in Pembroke, New Hampshire.-History:Pembroke Academy was incorporated on June 25, 1818, and the first building dedicated May 25, 1819. The academy opened with 48 students on May 26, 1819. The first headmaster of Pembroke Academy was the Reverend Amos Burnham...
, founded in 1818 as a private school. The school today is public and takes students from Pembroke and from the neighboring towns of Allenstown
Allenstown, New Hampshire
Allenstown is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,322 at the 2010 census. Allenstown includes a portion of the village of Suncook. Just over one-half of the town's area is covered by Bear Brook State Park....
, Epsom
Epsom, New Hampshire
Epsom is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,566 at the 2010 census.-History:Incorporated in 1727, Epsom takes its name from Epsom, England. Although dotted with several small mountains, the land was suitable for grazing and growing grain...
, Chichester
Chichester, New Hampshire
Chichester is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,523 at the 2010 census.-History:Chichester was granted in 1727, named for Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Earl of Chichester, and England's Secretary of State for the Southern...
, and historically, Deerfield
Deerfield, New Hampshire
Deerfield is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,280 at the 2010 census. Deerfield is home to the annual Deerfield Fair.- History :...
. With approximately 1,000 students, the school is Class I in athletics, the second highest class, and the mascot of the school is the Spartan.
Notable inhabitants
- Megan McTavishMegan McTavishMegan McTavish is an American television actress and soap opera writer. McTavish is best known for several head writing stints on All My Children.-Early career:...
(b. 1949), Daytime EmmyDaytime Emmy AwardThe Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
winner and soap opera writer (All My ChildrenAll My ChildrenAll My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
, Guiding LightGuiding LightGuiding Light is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running drama in television and radio history, running from 1937 until 2009...
, One Life to LiveOne Life to LiveOne Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
, General HospitalGeneral HospitalGeneral Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
) - PlausawaPlausawaPlausawa was a Pennacook Indian who lived in what is now New Hampshire. In 1728 he was the last known Native American living in the town of Suncook. At the start of King George's War in 1740 Plausawa moved to St...
(c.1700-1754), Native American who lived on Plausawa Hill. Both the hill and the golf course are named after him. - Caleb StarkCaleb StarkCaleb Stark was the eldest son of General John Stark and his wife Molly Stark.-Biography:He was born December 3, 1759, at Dunbarton, New Hampshire. During the American Revolutionary War Caleb served with his father in the 1st New Hampshire Regiment at the Battle of Bunker Hill, Trenton and...
(1759–1838), Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
officer and son of Gen. John StarkJohn StarkJohn Stark was a New Hampshire native who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. He became widely known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his exemplary service at the Battle of Bennington in 1777.-Early life:John Stark was born in Londonderry, New... - Laurence F. Whittemore (1894–1960), president of the Federal Reserve Bank of BostonFederal Reserve Bank of BostonThe Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, commonly known as the Boston Fed, is responsible for the First District of the Federal Reserve, which covers most of Connecticut , Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. It is headquartered in the Federal Reserve Bank Building in Boston,...
(1946–1948)
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 23 square miles (59.6 km²), of which 22.8 sq mi (59.1 km²) is land and 0.2 sq mi (0.517997622 km²) is water, comprising 0.70% of the town. Pembroke is drained by the Suncook, Soucook and Merrimack rivers. The highest point in town, Plausawa Hill
Plausawa
Plausawa was a Pennacook Indian who lived in what is now New Hampshire. In 1728 he was the last known Native American living in the town of Suncook. At the start of King George's War in 1740 Plausawa moved to St...
, elevation 1000 feet (304.8 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...
, is in the north.
Demographics
Census
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 6,897 people, 2,661 households, and 1,876 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 302.1 people per square mile (116.6/km²). There were 2,734 housing units at an average density of 119.8 per square mile (46.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.84% White, 0.38% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.03% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.43% of the population.
There were 2,661 households out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% 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, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.06.
The median income for a household in the town was $49,494, and the median income for a family was $57,106. Males had a median income of $37,786 versus $26,781 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 $20,800. About 3.0% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 10.9% of those age 65 or over.