Sugar Hill, New Hampshire
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| Sugar Hill, New Hampshire |
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Hampshire |
| County | Grafton County |
| Incorporated | 1962 |
| Board of Selectmen | |
| Area | |
| - City | 44.6 km² (17.2 sq mi) |
| - Land | 44.3 km² (17.1 sq mi) |
| - Water | 0.3 km² (0.1 sq mi) 0.64% |
| Elevation | 404 m (1,325 ft) |
| Population | |
| - City (2000) | 563 |
| - Density | 12.7/km² (32.9/sq mi) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
Sugar Hill is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, USA. The population was 563 at the 2000 census. Sugar Hill is a venerable resort community which overlooks the White Mountain National Forest, including the Presidential, Franconia, Kinsman and Dalton ranges.
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[edit] History
This town is New Hampshire's youngest, incorporated in 1962. After considerable litigation, it was carved out of Lisbon to be an independent voting unit. The name Sugar Hill comes from a large grove of sugar maples in the hills.
With clean air and panoramic views from atop Sunset Hill Ridge of both the White Mountains and Green Mountains, the community became a fashionable Victorian resort. First attracted by paintings of White Mountain artists, the wealthy arrived by train to escape the heat, humidity and pollution of summers in Boston, Hartford, New York and Philadelphia. Several hostelries were built, including the Hotel Lookoff. But the grandest was the Sunset Hill House, built in 1880 after rail service arrived in neighboring Lisbon Village (Sunset Hill Station). With the longest porch on a single side in New Hampshire, the Second Empire hotel accommodated 350 guests and 300 staff. Patrons found amusement in the casino, bowling alley, or on carriage rides touring nearby Franconia Notch. Built in 1897, the 9-hole Sugar Hill House Golf Course, together with its 1900 clubhouse, are the oldest in the state and today listed on the National Register. Bobby Jones played the links.
With the advent of automobiles came a decline in grand hotels, however, as tourists were no longer restricted by the limits of rail service. The Sunset Hill House remained open until 1973, longer than many of its type in the region. But it closed at season's end, when the furnishings were sold at auction. The aging structure was demolished in 1974, although its annex survived and now operates as an inn of the same name.
The first resort-based ski school in the U.S. was opened at Sugar Hill in 1929 by Katharine "Kate" Peckett with her husband, Austrian ski instructor Sig Buchmayer, both important figures in the history of skiing. The same year, organized ski trains from Boston began running to the White Mountains.
 The Sunset Hill House in c. 1906 |
 Mount Lafayette from Sugar Hill in 1913 |
 Carriage Ride in c. 1905 |
 Green Mountains from Sugar Hill in c. 1920 |
[edit] Notable inhabitants
- Bette Davis, actress
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 44.6 km² (17.2 mi²). 44.3 km² (17.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water, comprising 0.64% of the town. Sugar Hill is drained by the Gale River and other tributaries of the Ammonoosuc River. The town is bisected by New Hampshire Route 117 and Interstate 93. The highest point in town is Bronson Hill (2,078 feet / 633 meters above sea level).
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 563 people, 258 households, and 164 families residing in the town. The population density was 12.7/km² (32.9/mi²). There were 385 housing units at an average density of 8.7/km² (22.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.40% White, 1.24% Asian, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.18% of the population.
There were 258 households out of which 22.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.72.
In the town the population was spread out with 18.1% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 33.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $49,219, and the median income for a family was $60,288. Males had a median income of $36,667 versus $25,714 for females. The per capita income for the town was $29,743. About 4.3% of families and 5.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.
