Albany, New Hampshire
Encyclopedia
Albany is a town
in Carroll County
, New Hampshire
, United States
. The population was 735 at the 2010 census.
Albany includes Mount Chocorua
and Mount Paugus, as well as the southeastern corner of the White Mountain National Forest
. Albany is the entrance to the Mount Washington
Valley, and features a 120 feet (36.6 m) covered bridge
that spans the Swift River
just north of the Kancamagus Highway. Spectacular views of Mount Chocorua, popular with hikers, are seen from this picturesque town. Albany is also home to the World Fellowship Center, a resort and retreat center founded in 1941 by and for peace activists.
Governor Benning Wentworth
as Burton for General Jonathan Burton of Wilton
. The town was incorporated and renamed Albany in 1833, when the New York Central Railroad
from New York City to Albany
, New York
was chartered.
, the town has a total area of 75.2 square miles (194.8 km²), of which 74.6 square miles (193.2 km²) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) is water, comprising 0.77% of the town. It is drained by the Swift River
in the north and the Chocorua River
in the south. Mount Chocorua
, the highest point in Albany, has an elevation of 3474 feet (1,058.9 m), and Mount Paugus has an elevation of 3201 ft (975.7 m). Albany lies fully within the Saco River
watershed
.
85% of the area of the town is part of the White Mountain National Forest
. Most residential development occurs in the southeastern portion of the town, along New Hampshire Route 16
. Route 112
, the Kancamagus Highway, runs east-west along the Swift River and is nearly entirely within the national forest. The former village of Passaconaway occupies a broad valley along the Kancamagus Highway in the northwestern part of the town. The area is now a national forest visitor attraction. Other place names within the town limits include Ferncroft
, in the extreme southwest corner of town, and the former site of Paugus Mill, along the town's southern boundary.
of 2000, there were 654 people, 262 households, and 182 families residing in the town. The population density
was 8.7 people per square mile (3.4/km²). There were 506 housing units at an average density of 6.8 per square mile (2.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.47% White, 0.15% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.31% Pacific Islander, and 0.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.76% of the population.
There were 262 households out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples
living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 36.7% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,635, and the median income for a family was $39,250. Males had a median income of $29,821 versus $20,250 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $20,690. About 10.8% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.9% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
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 Carroll County
Carroll County, New Hampshire
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 43,666 people, 18,351 households, and 12,313 families residing in the county. The population density was 18/km² . There were 34,750 housing units at an average density of 14/km²...
, 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 735 at the 2010 census.
Albany includes Mount Chocorua
Mount Chocorua
Mount Chocorua is a summit in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. At an elevation of it is the easternmost peak of the Sandwich Range....
and Mount Paugus, as well as the southeastern corner of the White Mountain National Forest
White Mountain National Forest
The White Mountain National Forest is a federally-managed forest contained within the White Mountains in the northeastern United States. It was established in 1918 as a result of the Weeks Act of 1911; federal acquisition of land had already begun in 1914. It has a total area of...
. Albany is the entrance to the Mount Washington
Mount Washington (New Hampshire)
Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at , famous for dangerously erratic weather. For 76 years, a weather observatory on the summit held the record for the highest wind gust directly measured at the Earth's surface, , on the afternoon of April 12, 1934...
Valley, and features a 120 feet (36.6 m) covered bridge
Covered bridge
A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
that spans the Swift River
Swift River (Saco River)
The Swift River is a river in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Saco River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean in Maine....
just north of the Kancamagus Highway. Spectacular views of Mount Chocorua, popular with hikers, are seen from this picturesque town. Albany is also home to the World Fellowship Center, a resort and retreat center founded in 1941 by and for peace activists.
History
The community was first chartered in 1766 by ColonialColony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
Governor Benning Wentworth
Benning Wentworth
Benning Wentworth was the colonial governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766.-Biography:The eldest child of the John Wentworth who had been Lieutenant Governor, he was born and died in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Wentworth graduated from Harvard College in 1715...
as Burton for General Jonathan Burton of Wilton
Wilton, New Hampshire
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 3,743 people, 1,410 households, and 1,023 families living in the town. The population density was 145.3 people per square mile . There were 1,451 housing units at an average density of 56.3 per square mile...
. The town was incorporated and renamed Albany in 1833, when the New York Central Railroad
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad , known simply as the New York Central in its publicity, was a railroad operating in the Northeastern United States...
from New York City to Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
was chartered.
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 75.2 square miles (194.8 km²), of which 74.6 square miles (193.2 km²) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km²) is water, comprising 0.77% of the town. It is drained by the Swift River
Swift River (Saco River)
The Swift River is a river in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Saco River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean in Maine....
in the north and the Chocorua River
Chocorua River
The Chocorua River is a river located in eastern New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Bearcamp River, part of the Ossipee Lake / Saco River watershed leading to the Atlantic Ocean....
in the south. Mount Chocorua
Mount Chocorua
Mount Chocorua is a summit in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. At an elevation of it is the easternmost peak of the Sandwich Range....
, the highest point in Albany, has an elevation of 3474 feet (1,058.9 m), and Mount Paugus has an elevation of 3201 ft (975.7 m). Albany lies fully within the Saco River
Saco River
The Saco River is a river in northeastern New Hampshire and southwestern Maine in the United States. It drains a rural area of of forests and farmlands west and southwest of Portland, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at Saco Bay, from its source. It supplies drinking water to roughly 250,000...
watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
.
85% of the area of the town is part of the White Mountain National Forest
White Mountain National Forest
The White Mountain National Forest is a federally-managed forest contained within the White Mountains in the northeastern United States. It was established in 1918 as a result of the Weeks Act of 1911; federal acquisition of land had already begun in 1914. It has a total area of...
. Most residential development occurs in the southeastern portion of the town, along New Hampshire Route 16
New Hampshire Route 16
New Hampshire Route 16 is a long north–south highway in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Much of its length is close to the border with Maine. NH 16 is the main route from the Seacoast region north to the Lakes Region and the White Mountains. The section from Portsmouth to Milton is a...
. Route 112
New Hampshire Route 112
New Hampshire Route 112 is a long east–west state highway in northern New Hampshire. The highway winds across the state, connecting Bath to Conway via the scenic and mountainous area of the White Mountain National Forest. Part of this highway, which runs through the White Mountains, is known as...
, the Kancamagus Highway, runs east-west along the Swift River and is nearly entirely within the national forest. The former village of Passaconaway occupies a broad valley along the Kancamagus Highway in the northwestern part of the town. The area is now a national forest visitor attraction. Other place names within the town limits include Ferncroft
Ferncroft, New Hampshire
Ferncroft is a village lying mostly in the town of Albany in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. Some of the roads and houses in Ferncroft stretch into the towns of Sandwich and Waterville Valley...
, in the extreme southwest corner of town, and the former site of Paugus Mill, along the town's southern boundary.
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 654 people, 262 households, and 182 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 8.7 people per square mile (3.4/km²). There were 506 housing units at an average density of 6.8 per square mile (2.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.47% White, 0.15% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.31% Pacific Islander, and 0.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.76% of the population.
There were 262 households out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% 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, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 36.7% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 8.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,635, and the median income for a family was $39,250. Males had a median income of $29,821 versus $20,250 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 $20,690. About 10.8% of families and 15.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.9% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.