Plainfield, New Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Plainfield is a town
in Sullivan County
, New Hampshire
, United States
. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 2,364. The town is home to the Helen Woodruff Smith Bird Sanctuary and Annie Duncan State Forest.
The central settlement in town, where 205 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined as the Plainfield census-designated place
(CDP) and is located along New Hampshire Route 12A. Plainfield includes the village of Meriden
, home to Kimball Union Academy
, a private preparatory school
.
, Connecticut
. It was one of the towns incorporated by Colonial
Governor Benning Wentworth
in 1761, at the beginning of the reign of King George III. A part of Plainfield known as Meriden Parish, named for the farm of Massachusetts
Governor Jonathan Belcher
, became the site of Kimball Union Academy, built in 1813.
Plainfield lies on the northern edge of the enclave known as the Cornish Art Colony
, which existed between 1885 and 1930. Maxfield Parrish
painted the stage backdrop in the Plainfield Town Hall. In 1910, Ernest Harold Baynes founded the Meriden Bird Club, the first institution of its type in the nation.
, the town has a total area of 52.9 square miles (137 km²), of which 52.2 sq mi (135.2 km²) is land and 0.8 sq mi (2.1 km²) is water, comprising 1.42% of the town. Bounded on the west by the Connecticut River
, Plainfield is drained by Blood's Brook and Blow-me-down Brook
. Croydon Mountain is a high ridge that occupies the eastern edge of the town. Grantham Mountain, a peak along the ridge, is the highest point in Plainfield at 2660 feet (810.8 m) above sea level
.
The town is crossed by the north-south state routes 12A and 120
. Route 12A, serving the western part of the town, passes through the village of Plainfield. Route 120, passing through the eastern part of the town, serves the village of Meriden.
of 2000, there were 2,241 people, 844 households, and 663 families residing in the town. The population density
was 43.0 people per square mile (16.6/km²). There were 877 housing units at an average density of 16.8 per square mile (6.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.08% White, 0.27% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races
, and 0.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.36% of the population.
There were 844 households out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.0% were married couples
living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.4% were non-families. 16.2% 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 2.66 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $57,083, and the median income for a family was $61,205. Males had a median income of $36,968 versus $29,491 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $26,062. About 1.8% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 4.7% 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 Sullivan County
Sullivan County, New Hampshire
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 40,458 people, 16,530 households, and 11,174 families residing in the county. The population density was 29/; . There were 20,158 housing units at an average density of 38 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...
. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 2,364. The town is home to the Helen Woodruff Smith Bird Sanctuary and Annie Duncan State Forest.
The central settlement in town, where 205 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined as the Plainfield census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) and is located along New Hampshire Route 12A. Plainfield includes the village of Meriden
Meriden, New Hampshire
Meriden is a village in the eastern part of the town of Plainfield in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. Meriden is home to Kimball Union Academy, a private boarding school....
, home to Kimball Union Academy
Kimball Union Academy
Kimball Union Academy is a private boarding school located in New Hampshire. Founded in 1813, it is the 22nd oldest boarding school in the United States...
, a private preparatory school
University-preparatory school
A university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
.
History
The town was first settled by a group from PlainfieldPlainfield, Connecticut
Plainfield is a town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 14,619 at the 2000 census. The town comprises four villages: Plainfield , Moosup , Wauregan , and Central Village . Each village has their own respective United States Post Office and fire department...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. It was one of the towns incorporated 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...
in 1761, at the beginning of the reign of King George III. A part of Plainfield known as Meriden Parish, named for the farm of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
Governor Jonathan Belcher
Jonathan Belcher
Jonathan Belcher was colonial governor of the British provinces of Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire, and New Jersey.-Early life:Jonathan Belcher was born in Cambridge, Province of Massachusetts Bay, in 1682...
, became the site of Kimball Union Academy, built in 1813.
Plainfield lies on the northern edge of the enclave known as the Cornish Art Colony
Cornish Art Colony
The Cornish Art Colony was a popular art colony centered in Cornish, New Hampshire from about 1895 through the years of World War I. Attracted by the natural beauty of the area, about 100 artists, sculptors, writers, designers, and politicians lived there either full time or during the summer...
, which existed between 1885 and 1930. Maxfield Parrish
Maxfield Parrish
Maxfield Parrish was an American painter and illustrator active in the first half of the twentieth century. He is known for his distinctive saturated hues and idealized neo-classical imagery.-Life:...
painted the stage backdrop in the Plainfield Town Hall. In 1910, Ernest Harold Baynes founded the Meriden Bird Club, the first institution of its type in the nation.
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 52.9 square miles (137 km²), of which 52.2 sq mi (135.2 km²) is land and 0.8 sq mi (2.1 km²) is water, comprising 1.42% of the town. Bounded on the west by the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
, Plainfield is drained by Blood's Brook and Blow-me-down Brook
Blow-me-down Brook
Blow-me-down Brook is a 12.8 mile long stream located in western New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Connecticut River, which flows to Long Island Sound....
. Croydon Mountain is a high ridge that occupies the eastern edge of the town. Grantham Mountain, a peak along the ridge, is the highest point in Plainfield at 2660 feet (810.8 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...
.
The town is crossed by the north-south state routes 12A and 120
New Hampshire Route 120
New Hampshire Route 120 is a long secondary north–south state highway in Sullivan and Grafton counties in the upper Connecticut River Valley region of New Hampshire. NH 120 runs between the towns of Claremont and Hanover....
. Route 12A, serving the western part of the town, passes through the village of Plainfield. Route 120, passing through the eastern part of the town, serves the village of Meriden.
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 2,241 people, 844 households, and 663 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 43.0 people per square mile (16.6/km²). There were 877 housing units at an average density of 16.8 per square mile (6.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.08% White, 0.27% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.27% 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 0.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.36% of the population.
There were 844 households out of which 37.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.0% 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, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.4% were non-families. 16.2% 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 2.66 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 102.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $57,083, and the median income for a family was $61,205. Males had a median income of $36,968 versus $29,491 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 $26,062. About 1.8% of families and 2.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.
Notable inhabitants
- Ethel BarrymoreEthel BarrymoreEthel Barrymore was an American actress and a member of the Barrymore family of actors.-Early life:Ethel Barrymore was born Ethel Mae Blythe in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the second child of the actors Maurice Barrymore and Georgiana Drew...
, actress (summer resident) - Stephen BreyerStephen BreyerStephen Gerald Breyer is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994, and known for his pragmatic approach to constitutional law, Breyer is generally associated with the more liberal side of the Court....
, justice of the supreme courtSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
(vacation home) - Edward and Elaine BrownEdward and Elaine BrownEdward Lewis Brown and his wife, Elaine Alice Brown , residents of the state of New Hampshire, gained national news media attention in early 2007 for not paying the U.S. federal income tax and refusing to surrender to federal government agents after having been convicted of tax crimes...
, tax protesterTax protester (United States)A tax protester is someone who refuses to pay a tax on constitutional or legal grounds, typically because he or she believes that the tax laws are unconstitutional or otherwise invalid...
s - Ben CheringtonBen CheringtonBen Cherington is the general manager of the Boston Red Sox.He followed Theo Epstein as general manager, having worked in the team's baseball operations office since 1999, before Epstein's arrival...
, baseball personnel official - Maxfield ParrishMaxfield ParrishMaxfield Parrish was an American painter and illustrator active in the first half of the twentieth century. He is known for his distinctive saturated hues and idealized neo-classical imagery.-Life:...
, artist and illustrator - Will SheffWill SheffWill Sheff is the frontman for the Austin, Texas-based indie band Okkervil River . Originally from Meriden, New Hampshire, he is also a founding member and co-songwriter for Shearwater , another Austin band...
, musician - Ellen Biddle ShipmanEllen Biddle ShipmanEllen Biddle Shipman was an American landscape architect known for her formal gardens and lush planting style.Born in Philadelphia, she spent her childhood in Texas and the Arizona territory. Her father, Colonel James Biddle, was a career Army officer, stationed on the western frontier...
, landscape architect - Evan ShipmanEvan Shipman HandicapThe Evan Shipman Handicap is a race restricted to New York bred Thoroughbred horses, age three-years-old and up, run at Belmont Park in the state of New York...
, horse racing authority (summer resident) - Hollis SmithHollis SmithHollis Smith was a businessman and political figure in Canada East, now part of the Canadian province of Quebec.-Biography:...
, businessman and politician