Sunapee, New Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Sunapee is a town
in Sullivan County
, New Hampshire
, United States
. The population was 3,365 at the 2010 census. Sunapee is home to part of Lake Sunapee
. The town includes the village of Georges Mills
.
share the name which comes from the Algonquian
Indian
words "suna" meaning "goose", and "apee", meaning "lake". The Indians called the area "Goose Lake" because it was a favorite spot of wild geese
.
Before Sunapee was a sizable tourist attraction, it was an industrial area. One factory produced 110 clothespins a minute. After the factories faded away, the major attraction became the pristine lake, once surrounded by a number of grand hotels. People used large ferries to get from hotel to hotel around the lake, but the ferries were mostly gone by 1915, when the automobile was widely introduced to the area. Lake Sunapee is the only lake in New Hampshire
with three working lighthouses, which were built in the 1890s and maintained by the Lake Sunapee Protective Association. Steven Tyler
of Aerosmith
owns a home on the lake and can occasionally be seen around Sunapee.
, the town has a total area of 25.2 square miles (65.3 km²), of which 21.1 sq mi (54.6 km²) is land and 4.1 sq mi (10.6 km²) is water, comprising 16.19% of the town. Sunapee is drained by the Sugar River
. The highest point in town is about 1600 feet (487.7 m) above sea level
, along the town's northern border, just north of Ledge Pond.
of 2000, there were 3,055 people, 1,294 households, and 878 families residing in the town. The population density
was 144.7 people per square mile (55.8/km²). There were 2,143 housing units at an average density of 101.5 per square mile (39.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.97% White, 0.20% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.46% of the population.
There were 1,294 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% were married couples
living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% 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 2.83.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 102.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $49,353, and the median income for a family was $55,909. Males had a median income of $40,720 versus $27,237 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $29,184. About 3.8% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line
, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.
.
by Republican
Bob Odell in the Senate
and by Democrat
Sue Gottling in the House of Representatives
.
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...
. The population was 3,365 at the 2010 census. Sunapee is home to part of Lake Sunapee
Lake Sunapee
Lake Sunapee is located within Sullivan County and Merrimack County in western New Hampshire, the United States. It is the fifth-largest lake located entirely in New Hampshire....
. The town includes the village of Georges Mills
Georges Mills, New Hampshire
Georges Mills is an unincorporated village in the town of Sunapee in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, in the United States. It is located in the northeast corner of the town, on a strip of land between the north end of Lake Sunapee and the south shore of Otter Pond. New Hampshire Route 11 runs...
.
History
Like many other towns, this one went through name changes before its incorporation in 1781: "Saville" in 1768, "Corey's Town", and then "Wendell", for one of the Masonian Proprietors, John Wendell. The marsh near Sunapee Middle High School still bears Wendell's name. The name "Sunapee" was substituted for "Wendell" by the legislature in 1850. The town, Lake Sunapee and Mount SunapeeMount Sunapee
Mount Sunapee is a -long mountain ridge in the towns of Newbury and Goshen in western New Hampshire. Its highest peak, at the north end of the mountain, is above sea level. The mountain has three secondary peaks, White Ledges at ; North Peak at ; and South Peak at...
share the name which comes from the Algonquian
Algonquian languages
The Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
words "suna" meaning "goose", and "apee", meaning "lake". The Indians called the area "Goose Lake" because it was a favorite spot of wild geese
Goose
The word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
.
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...
with three working lighthouses, which were built in the 1890s and maintained by the Lake Sunapee Protective Association. Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler
Steven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...
of Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
owns a home on the lake and can occasionally be seen around Sunapee.
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 25.2 square miles (65.3 km²), of which 21.1 sq mi (54.6 km²) is land and 4.1 sq mi (10.6 km²) is water, comprising 16.19% of the town. Sunapee is drained by the Sugar River
Sugar River (New Hampshire)
The Sugar River is a 27.0 mile long river located in western New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Connecticut River, which flows to Long Island Sound....
. The highest point in town is about 1600 feet (487.7 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...
, along the town's northern border, just north of Ledge Pond.
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 3,055 people, 1,294 households, and 878 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 144.7 people per square mile (55.8/km²). There were 2,143 housing units at an average density of 101.5 per square mile (39.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.97% White, 0.20% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.46% of the population.
There were 1,294 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.8% 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, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.1% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% 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 2.83.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 102.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $49,353, and the median income for a family was $55,909. Males had a median income of $40,720 versus $27,237 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 $29,184. About 3.8% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line
Poverty threshold
The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an adequate standard of living in a given country...
, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.
Fire safety
The town of Sunapee maintains a volunteer Fire Safety Program. Despite the amount of waterfront property and the number of boaters coming from Sunapee, the fire department does not have a public safety diverPolice diving
Police diving is a branch of professional diving carried out by police services. Police divers are usually sworn police officers, and may either be employed full-time as divers or as general water police officers, or be volunteers who usually serve in other units but are called in if their diving...
.
Politics
Sunapee is represented in the New Hampshire General CourtNew Hampshire General Court
The General Court of New Hampshire is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The lower house is the New Hampshire House of Representatives with 400 members. The upper house is the New Hampshire Senate with 24 members...
by Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Bob Odell in the Senate
New Hampshire Senate
The New Hampshire Senate has been meeting since 1784. It is the upper house of the New Hampshire General Court. It consists of 24 members representing Senate districts based on population...
and by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Sue Gottling in the House of Representatives
New Hampshire House of Representatives
The New Hampshire House of Representatives is the lower house in the New Hampshire General Court. The House of Representatives consists of 400 members coming from 103 districts across the state, created from divisions of the state's counties. On average, each legislator represents about 3,300...
.