Troy, New Hampshire

Troy, New Hampshire
Town

Town Hall

Location in Cheshire County, New Hampshire
Coordinates: 42°49′30″N 72°11′01″W / 42.82500°N 72.18361°WCoordinates: 42°49′30″N 72°11′01″W / 42.82500°N 72.18361°W
Country United States
State New Hampshire
County Cheshire
Incorporated 1815
Government
 • Board of Selectmen Gideon L. Nadeau, Sr.
William T. Matson
Robert J. Kemp, Jr.
Area
 • Total 17.6 sq mi (45.5 km2)
 • Land 17.4 sq mi (45.1 km2)
 • Water 0.2 sq mi (0.4 km2)  0.91%
Elevation 1,010 ft (308 m)
Population (2010)
 • Total 2,145
 • Density 120/sq mi (47/km2)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 03465
Area code(s) 603
FIPS code 33-77380
GNIS feature ID 0873740
Website www.troy-nh.us/index.html

Troy is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,145 at the 2010 census.[1] It is situated at the base of Mount Monadnock.

The town center village, where 1,221 people resided at the 2010 census,[1] is defined as the Troy census-designated place (CDP), and is located along New Hampshire Route 12. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Troy Village Historic District.

History

Bird's-eye view c. 1905

Settled in 1762, by 1815 the community had grown so much that it sought its own incorporation.[2] It was set off from Marlborough that year, and included parts of Fitzwilliam, Swanzey and Richmond. A prominent citizen and friend of Governor John Taylor Gilman, Captain Benjamin Mann of Mason, suggested the name Troy. His daughter, Betsy, was married to Samuel Wilson, famous as "Uncle Sam", and at that time a resident of Troy, New York. At least seven members of Wilson's family were living in the town at the time, thus securing the name. The town hall, built in 1813-1814 near the rail-fenced common, was originally the village meetinghouse.[3]

Troy Mills, which started making horse blankets in the mid-19th century, served as the backbone of the town's economy for nearly 100 years. In 1865, the company was sold by founder Thomas Goodall, who in 1867 would establish Goodall Mills in Sanford, Maine. Troy Mills declared bankruptcy in late 2001, and ceased operations in 2002. The giant mill complex on Monadnock Street now houses two smaller spin-offs of Troy Mills—Knowlton Nonwovens and Cosmopolitan Textiles. The Troy trademark is now used for felt made by a company in West Virginia. Wooden-ware, pottery and fine building stone were also once the products of Troy industries. As of 2008, Troy Mills was being renovated to become a retirement community.[4]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 17.6 square miles (45.6 km2), of which 17.4 sq mi (45.1 km2) is land and 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km2) is water, comprising 0.91% of the town. Troy is drained by the South Branch of the Ashuelot River.

Mt. Monadnock from Perkins Pond causeway on Route 124

The highest point in town is the south summit of Gap Mountain, at 1,900 feet (580 m) above sea level, near the eastern border. The summit of Mount Monadnock is 2 miles (3 km) northeast of the town in Jaffrey.

Troy is crossed by New Hampshire Route 12 and New Hampshire Route 124.

Demographics

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 1,962 people, 733 households, and 527 families residing in the town. The population density was 112.6 people per square mile (43.5/km²). There were 775 housing units at an average density of 44.5 per square mile (17.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.62% White, 0.05% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.38% of the population. 18.7% were of American, 13.4% French, 11.8% English, 10.6% Irish, 8.4% French Canadian, 8.2% Finnish and 7.0% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 733 households out of which 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 19.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the town the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $41,875, and the median income for a family was $47,500. Males had a median income of $28,816 versus $23,980 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,323. About 3.8% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Residents of Troy attending public high school go to Monadnock Regional High School, which is part of the Monadnock Regional School District.[6]

Notable people

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 United States Census Bureau, American FactFinder, 2010 Census figures. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Troy, New Hampshire". City-Data.com. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  3. ↑ Coolidge, Austin J.; John B. Mansfield (1859). A History and Description of New England. Boston, Massachusetts. p. 666.
  4. ↑ "The Residences at Troy Blanket Mills". Troy Mills Developers. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
  5. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  6. ↑ "Monadnock Regional School District". Monadnock Regional School District. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  7. ↑ "EASTMAN, Ira Allen, (1809 - 1881)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved December 5, 2013.

External links

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