Enfield, New Hampshire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Enfield, New Hampshire | |||
|
|||
 |
|||
| Coordinates: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Country | United States | ||
| State | New Hampshire | ||
| County | Grafton County | ||
| Incorporated | 1761 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Board of Selectmen | Nancy Scovner, Chairman Curtis Payne Dominic Albanese |
||
| Area | |||
| - Town | 43.1 sq mi (111.6 km²) | ||
| - Land | 40.2 sq mi (104.2 km²) | ||
| - Water | 2.8 sq mi (7.4 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 778 ft (237 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - Town | 4,618 | ||
| - Density | 114.7/sq mi (44.3/km²) | ||
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) | ||
| Website: www.enfield.nh.us | |||
Enfield is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, USA. The population was 4,618 at the 2000 census. Enfield includes the villages of Upper Shaker Village, Lower Shaker Village and Lockehaven.
Contents |
[edit] History
The town was incorporated in 1761 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth. First named "Enfield" by settlers from Enfield, Connecticut, the town was renamed "Relhan" in 1766 to honor Dr. Anthony Relhan (ca. 1715-1776). The doctor was a promoter of sea-bathing as a curative, making Brighton a fashionable English resort. Following the Revolution, the town was renamed "Enfield" in 1784.
The very first settler in town was Jonathan Paddleford and family who arrived, after the successful conclusion of the French and Indian War, between 1765 and 1772.[1]
On the southwest shore of Mascoma Lake is Enfield Shaker Village, once a utopian religious community of Shakers, renowned for simple and functional architecture and furniture. Established in 1793 and called "Chosen Vale," the village was subdivided into several "Families," with men and women leading pious, celibate and industrious lives. Although the genders shared dormitories, like Enfield's "Great Stone Dwelling" built between 1837-1841, the sexes used separate doors and stairways. They practiced ecstatic singing and dancing, an expression of their worship, which earned them the appellation: "Shaking Quakers," or "Shakers."
Several trades operated at the village, from agriculture and packaging of seeds, to manufacture of brooms, brushes, spinning-wheels and furniture. To speed delivery of products to the railroad across Mascoma Lake, in 1849 the community erected "Shaker Bridge."
The Shaker movement crested in the 1840s, with 19 "societies" scattered from Maine to Kentucky, and west to Indiana. But growing employment opportunities created by the Industrial Revolution, as near as the mill town of Lebanon, enticed away potential and practicing church members. Others grew disaffected with celibacy, self-abnegation, and communal ownership of property. Indeed, Mary Marshall Dyer, once a member of the Enfield church, became an outspoken Anti-Shaker. Eventually the village would close and, in 1927, be sold to the La Salette Brotherhood of Montreal, a Catholic order noted for its Christmas display. In 1986, Enfield Shaker Village was established as a museum.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 111.6 km² (43.1 mi²). 104.2 km² (40.2 mi²) of it is land and 7.4 km² (2.8 mi²) of it is water, comprising 6.61% of the town. Enfield is drained by the Mascoma River. Mascoma Lake, in the west, represents Enfield's lowest elevation at 751 feet (229 meters) above sea level. The highest is over 2,100 feet (640 meters) at the summit of Prospect Hill, overlooking Halfmile Pond. Crystal Lake is in the east.
[edit] Demographics
This article describes the town as a whole. Additional demographic detail is available describing the more densely populated central village area, but that detail is reflected in the aggregate values reported here. See: Enfield (CDP), New Hampshire
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,618 people, 1,975 households, and 1,291 families residing in the town. The population density was 44.3/km² (114.7/mi²). There were 2,372 housing units at an average density of 22.8 persons/km² (58.9 persons/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.94% White, 0.15% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. 0.74% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 1,975 households out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 7.5% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 34.6% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.78.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $47,990, and the median income for a family was $53,631. Males had a median income of $33,139 versus $27,177 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,054. 5.0% of the population and 3.2% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 4.3% are under the age of 18 and 5.6% are 65 or older.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ New Hampshire Search Roots. History of Enfield, Grafton County, New Hampshire. Retrieved on January 2, 2007.
[edit] Sites of Interest
- Enfield Shaker Museum
- Shaker Historic Trail, Enfield
- Lockhaven Schoolhouse Museum
