Mont Vernon, New Hampshire
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| Mont Vernon, New Hampshire | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | New Hampshire |
| County | Hillsborough County |
| Incorporated | 1803 |
| Government | |
| - Board of Selectmen | P. Michael Fimbel, Chair John (Jack) Esposito Gerald Griffin |
| Area | |
| - Town | 16.7 sq mi (43.3 km²) |
| - Land | 16.6 sq mi (43.0 km²) |
| - Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km²) |
| Elevation | 820 ft (250 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Town | 2,034 |
| - Density | 122.4/sq mi (47.3/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| Website: town.mont-vernon.nh.us | |
Mont Vernon is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, USA. As of the 2000 census, it had a population of 2,034.
It is not clear why it is spelled differently than the many other towns in the United States named after Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington. Some say the "u" in "Mount" was accidentally dropped by a town clerk filling out official papers; some say the change was made deliberately to draw attention to the town; some say it uses the French spelling of "mont" as a nod to what was then the region's large French-Canadian population. According to town histories, as late as the 1920s, there was some dispute about how to spell the name, with the post office and one of its most prominent hotels using a "u" for many decades.
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[edit] History
Mont Vernon broke away from neighboring Amherst in 1803, following a dispute over the town parish. It later added a small portion of neighboring Lyndeborough.
Mont Vernon's general history follows that of many towns in this region: Originally settled for agriculture, its farms were hard hit after the Civil War when railroads opened up better farming land in the Midwest. Population peaked in 1870 and began to decline.
By the late 1890s it had become a tourist town, drawing summer visitors from points south, notably Boston, who escaped the heat in Mont Vernon's hills. At one point it had five large summer hotels, including the Grand Hotel, located on top of Grand Hill.
The hotel business began to wither with the development of the automobile, which allowed tourists to reach places like the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and it was killed by the Great Depression. The town's population bottomed out at barely 300 in 1930, at which time the Grand Hotel was destroyed in a fire. The remaining hotels were torn down before World War II.
Since the war, Mont Vernon has slowly become a suburban community. It wasn't until the 1970 census that its official population passed mid-19th century highs.
Agriculture, including a 1940s and 1950s boom in chicken and egg farming, has all but disappeared. As of 2006, the town had one dairy farm.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 43.3 km² (16.7 mi²). 43.0 km² (16.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water, comprising 0.48% of the town. Mont Vernon is drained by Beaver Brook and Caesar's Brook. The town's highest point is on its northern border (1,015 feet / 309 meters above sea level), near the summit of Storey Hill.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 2,034 people, 693 households, and 575 families residing in the town. The population density was 47.3/km² (122.4/mi²). There were 720 housing units at an average density of 16.7/km² (43.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.57% White, 0.15% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.54% of the population.
There were 693 households out of which 43.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.7% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.9% were non-families. 12.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.90 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the town the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 104.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $71,250, and the median income for a family was $77,869. Males had a median income of $50,353 versus $32,500 for females. The per capita income for the town was $30,772. About 1.0% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Education
The only public school in town is the Mont Vernon Village School. It is an elementary school, with grades kindergarten to sixth. For 7th and 8th grades, Mont Vernon sends its students to the Amherst Middle School. For 9th through 12th grades, the students are sent to Souhegan High School, which is in Amherst but jointly owned by Amherst and Mont Vernon.
[edit] Culture
The town has two major annual celebrations: On the last Saturday in September, it hosts "Lamson Farm Day" at a town-owned farm to celebrate its agricultural past. In late April or early May, it has a celebration of spring called the "Mont Vernon Spring Gala." Both feature games, food and local entertainers and draw hundreds of people.
[edit] Sites of Interest
- Mont Vernon Historical Society Museum, upstairs in Town Hall.
[edit] External links
- Mon Vernon, NH Official Website
- Daland Memorial Library
- New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile
- Mont Vernon genealogy, history
