Exeter is a town in
Rockingham County-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 277,359 people, 104,529 households, and 74,320 families residing in the county. The population density was 399 people per square mile . There were 113,023 housing units at an average density of 163 per square mile...
,
New HampshireNew 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 StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The town's population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring
BrentwoodBrentwood is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 4,486. Brentwood has been the county seat of Rockingham County since 1997...
. Home to the
Phillips Exeter AcademyPhillips Exeter Academy is a private secondary school located in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States.Exeter is noted for its application of Harkness education, a system based on a conference format of teacher and student interaction, similar to the Socratic method of learning through asking...
, a private
university-preparatory schoolA university-preparatory school or college-preparatory school is a secondary school, usually private, designed to prepare students for a college or university education...
, Exeter is situated where the
Exeter RiverThe Exeter River is a -long river located in Rockingham County in southeastern New Hampshire, the United States.It rises in the town of Chester, southeast of Manchester. It follows a winding course east and northeast to Exeter, where it becomes the Squamscott River, a tidal river leading north to...
feeds the tidal
Squamscott RiverThe Squamscott River is a tidal river in Rockingham County, southeastern New Hampshire, in the United States. It rises at Exeter, fed by the Exeter River...
.
The urban portion of the town, where 9,242 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined by the U. S. Census Bureau as the Exeter
census-designated placeA census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
.
History
The area was once the domain of the Squamscott
IndiansThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
, a sub-tribe of the
PennacookThe Pennacook, also known by the names Merrimack and Pawtucket, were a North American people that primarily inhabited the Merrimack River valley of present-day New Hampshire and Massachusetts, as well as portions of southern Maine...
nation, which fished at the falls where the
Exeter RiverThe Exeter River is a -long river located in Rockingham County in southeastern New Hampshire, the United States.It rises in the town of Chester, southeast of Manchester. It follows a winding course east and northeast to Exeter, where it becomes the Squamscott River, a tidal river leading north to...
becomes the tidal
SquamscottThe Squamscott River is a tidal river in Rockingham County, southeastern New Hampshire, in the United States. It rises at Exeter, fed by the Exeter River...
, the site around which the future town of Exeter would grow. On April 3, 1638, the Reverend
John WheelwrightJohn Wheelwright was a clergyman in England and America.-Early life:...
and others purchased the land from Wehanownowit, the
sagamoreSagamore may refer to:* Sagamore , denoting the head of some Native American tribes* Sagamore, exclusive honor society at Washburn University* Josiah Sagamore, the name by which the Native American leader Wampatuck Sagamore may refer to:* Sagamore (title), denoting the head of some Native American...
. Wheelwright had been exiled by the
Massachusetts Bay ColonyThe Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
, a
puritanThe Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
theocracyTheocracy is a form of organization in which the official policy is to be governed by immediate divine guidance or by officials who are regarded as divinely guided, or simply pursuant to the doctrine of a particular religious sect or religion....
, for sharing the dissident religious views of his sister-in-law,
Anne HutchinsonAnne Hutchinson was one of the most prominent women in colonial America, noted for her strong religious convictions, and for her stand against the staunch religious orthodoxy of 17th century Massachusetts...
. The minister took with him about 175 individuals to found the town he named after
ExeterExeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
in
DevonDevon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
,
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
One of the four original townships in the province, Exeter originally included
NewmarketNewmarket is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 8,936 at the 2010 census. Some residents are students and employees at the nearby University of New Hampshire in Durham....
,
NewfieldsNewfields is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,680 at the 2010 census. The primary village in town, where 301 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined as the Newfields census-designated place , and is located along New Hampshire Route 85 and the...
,
BrentwoodBrentwood is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 4,486. Brentwood has been the county seat of Rockingham County since 1997...
,
EppingEpping is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,411 at the 2010 census. Epping includes the area known as Camp Hedding....
and
FremontFremont is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,283 at the 2010 census. Fremont is crossed by the Rockingham Recreation Trail and NH Route 107.-History:...
. On July 4, 1639 35 freemen of Exeter signed the
Exeter Combination, a document written by Reverend Wheelwright to establish their own government. The settlers
huntedHunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
, planted and
fishedFishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
. Others tended
cattleCattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
and swine, or made shakes and
barrelA barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container, traditionally made of vertical wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. Traditionally, the barrel was a standard size of measure referring to a set capacity or weight of a given commodity. A small barrel is called a keg.For example, a...
staves.
Thomas Wilson established the first grist mill on the eastern side of the island in the lower falls. This mill was established within the first season of settling in Exeter, and his son Humphrey assumed control of the mill in 1643, when Thomas died.
Some early Exeter settlers came from
Hingham, MassachusettsHingham is a town in northern Plymouth County on the South Shore of the U.S. state of Massachusetts and suburb in Greater Boston. The United States Census Bureau 2008 estimated population was 22,561...
, including the Gilman, Folsom and Leavitt families. In 1647, Edward Gilman, Jr. established the first
sawmillA sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
, and by 1651 Gilman had his own 50-ton sloop with which to conduct his burgeoning business in lumber, staves and masts. Although he was lost at sea in 1653 while traveling to England to purchase equipment for his mills, his family later became prominent as
lumberLumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
men,
shipbuildersShipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
, merchants and statesmen.
The
Gilman Garrison HouseGilman Garrison House is a historic house at 12 Water Street in Exeter, New Hampshire owned by Historic New England, which operates the home as a house museum....
, a
National Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
, and the
American Independence MuseumThe American Independence Museum is located in Exeter, New Hampshire. Its campus includes the Ladd-Gilman House , a registered National Historic Landmark, and the Folsom Tavern ....
were both former homes of the Gilman family. The Gilman family also donated the land on which Phillips Exeter Academy stands, including the Academy's original Yard, the oldest part of campus. The Gilmans of Exeter also furnished America with one of its founding fathers,
Nicholas GilmanNicholas Gilman, Jr. was a soldier in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, a delegate to the Continental Congress, and a signer of the U.S. Constitution, representing New Hampshire. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives during the first four...
, and the state of New Hampshire with treasurers, a governor, representatives to the General Assembly and judges to the General Court.
The Gilman family began trading as far as the West Indies with ships they owned out of Portsmouth. It was a high-stakes business. In an 1803 voyage, for instance, the 180-ton clipper 'Oliver Peabody,' owned by Gov.
John Taylor GilmanJohn Taylor Gilman was a farmer, shipbuilder, and statesman from Exeter, New Hampshire. He represented New Hampshire in the Continental Congress in 1782-1783 and was Governor of New Hampshire for 14 years, from 1794 to 1805, and from 1813 to 1816.Gilman was born in Exeter, New Hampshire, to a...
, Oliver Peabody, Col. Gilman Leavitt and others, was boarded by brigs belonging to the
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
under command of Admiral Horatio Nelson. Enforcing a blockade against the French, Nelson offered ship Captain Stephen Gilman of Exeter a glass of wine and paid him for his cargo in Spanish dollars. The trip demonstrates how far afield the ambitious merchants of Exeter reached in their trading forays.
Exeter suffered its last Indian raid in August of 1723 and by 1725 the tribes had left the area. In 1774 the rebellious Provincial Congress began to meet in the Exeter Town House after
ColonialIn 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
John WentworthSir John Wentworth, 1st Baronet was the British colonial governor of New Hampshire at the time of the American Revolution. He was later also Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia.-Early life:...
banned it from the
colonialIn 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....
capitol at
PortsmouthPortsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
. In July of 1775, the Provincial Congress had the provincial records seized from royal officials in Portsmouth and brought to Exeter as well. And so Exeter became New Hampshire's
American Revolutionary WarThe American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
capital, an honor it held for fourteen years until
ConcordThe city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
assumed the role.
In 1827, the Exeter Manufacturing Company was established beside the river, using water power to produce
cottonCotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
textileA textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
s. Other businesses would manufacture
shoesShoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...
,
saddleA saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is the equestrian saddle designed for a horse, but specialized saddles have been created for camels and other creatures...
s,
harnessA horse harness is a type of horse tack that allows a horse or other equine to pull various horse-drawn vehicles such as a carriage, wagon or sleigh. Harnesses may also be used to hitch animals to other loads such as a plow or canal boat....
es, lumber,
boxBox describes a variety of containers and receptacles for permanent use as storage, or for temporary use often for transporting contents. The word derives from the Greek πύξος , "box, boxwood"....
es, bricks,
carriageA carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
s and bicycles. In 1836, the last
schoonerA schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
was launched at Exeter. In 1840, the Boston & Maine Railroad entered the town.
According to former governor
Hugh GreggHugh Gregg was governor of the U.S. state of New Hampshire from 1953 to 1955, and was the youngest person ever elected to that office. He is the father of former U.S. Senator, former governor, and former U.S. Congressman Judd Gregg of New Hampshire.A native of Nashua, New Hampshire, Gregg...
, the United States Republican Party was born in Exeter on October 12, 1853 at the Squamscott Hotel, but nothing came of the secret meeting of
Amos TuckAmos Tuck was a political figure in New Hampshire, credited by some New Hampshire sources as a founder of the Republican Party.-Early life and education:...
with other abolitionists that day, and the party was not organized in the state until 1856.
Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
, the first Republican president, visited Exeter in 1860. His son,
Robert Todd LincolnRobert Todd Lincoln was an American lawyer and Secretary of War, and the first son of President Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln...
, was attending Phillips Exeter Academy, the college preparatory school founded in 1781 by
Dr. John PhillipsJohn Phillips graduated from Harvard College in 1735. Among many other activities, he was a trustee of Dartmouth College from 1773 to 1793 and endowed the Phillips Professorship of Theology there...
. The town was also once home to the Robinson Female Seminary, established in 1867 and previously known as the Exeter Female Academy (established in 1826). Its landmark Second Empire schoolhouse, completed in 1869, burned in 1961.
In September 1965 Exeter earned a place in UFO history when two Exeter police officers, Eugene Bertrand and David Hunt, witnessed a bright red UFO at close range with a local teenager, Norman Muscarello. Their sighting attracted national publicity and became the focus of a bestselling book,
Incident at ExeterThe Exeter incident was a highly-publicized UFO sighting that occurred on September 3, 1965 approximately 5 miles from Exeter, New Hampshire, in the neighboring community of Kensington...
, by journalist
John G. FullerJohn Grant Fuller, Jr. was a New England-based American author of several non-fiction books and newspaper articles, mainly focusing on the theme of extra-terrestrials and the supernatural. For many years he wrote a regular column for the Saturday Review magazine, called "Trade Winds"...
. The Air Force eventually admitted to the three men that it had been unable to identify the strange object they had observed, and it is still considered by many UFO buffs to be one of the most impressive UFO sightings on record.
Exeter has a considerable inventory of structures by prominent
architectAn architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
s.
Arthur GilmanArthur Delevan Gilman was an American architect, designer of many Boston neighborhoods, and member of the American Institute of Architects. Gilman was a descendant of Edward Gilman Sr., one of the first settlers of Exeter, New Hampshire.Gilman was educated at Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut...
, descendant of one of Exeter's founding families, designed the Old Town Hall of 1855. The Old Public Library of 1894, which now is home to the Exeter Historical Society, was designed by the
BostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
firm of
Rotch & TildenRotch & Tilden was an American architectural firm active in Boston, Massachusetts from 1880 through 1895.The firm was organized by partners Arthur Rotch and George Thomas Tilden...
.
Ralph Adams CramRalph Adams Cram FAIA, , was a prolific and influential American architect of collegiate and ecclesiastical buildings, often in the Gothic style. Cram & Ferguson and Cram, Goodhue & Ferguson are partnerships in which he worked.-Early life:Cram was born on December 16, 1863 at Hampton Falls, New...
, who trained with Rotch & Tilden, designed both Phillips Church, built in 1897, and Tuck High School, built in 1911. His firm of Cram & Ferguson designed the entire Phillips Exeter Academy campus between 1908 and 1950. More recent is the noted
Academy LibraryThe Phillips Exeter Academy Library in Exeter, New Hampshire, U.S., with 160,000 volumes on nine levels and a shelf capacity of 250,000 volumes, is the largest secondary school library in the world...
, built in 1971 to the design of Louis I. Kahn.
Daniel Chester FrenchDaniel Chester French was an American sculptor. His best-known work is the sculpture of a seated Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.-Life and career:...
, sculptor and Exeter native, created the town's war memorial in 1922. He is best known for his statue of Abraham Lincoln in Washington at the
Lincoln MemorialThe Lincoln Memorial is an American memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. It is located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The architect was Henry Bacon, the sculptor of the main statue was Daniel Chester French, and the painter of the interior...
, which was designed by
Henry BaconHenry Bacon was an American Beaux-Arts architect who is best remembered for the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. , which was his final project.- Education and early career :...
, who also designed in 1916 the Swasey Pavilion at Exeter's town square.
Other features of the town include the Swasey Parkway, which replaced
wharvesA wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
and
warehouseA warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
s along the Squamscott River, and the Ioka Theatre of 1915 on Water Street. The latter was built by Edward Mayer, an Exeter judge and resident. Mayer's opening feature was
The Birth of a NationThe Birth of a Nation is a 1915 American silent film directed by D. W. Griffith and based on the novel and play The Clansman, both by Thomas Dixon, Jr. Griffith also co-wrote the screenplay , and co-produced the film . It was released on February 8, 1915...
, by
D. W. GriffithDavid Llewelyn Wark Griffith was a premier pioneering American film director. He is best known as the director of the controversial and groundbreaking 1915 film The Birth of a Nation and the subsequent film Intolerance .Griffith's film The Birth of a Nation made pioneering use of advanced camera...
. The theatre's curious name was proposed in a contest by a young woman with an enthusiasm for
ScoutingScouting in New Hampshire has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.- Early history :...
. Ioka was a
Native AmericanNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
word meaning playground.
Notable inhabitants
- Charles H. Bell
Charles Henry Bell was an American lawyer and Republican politician from Exeter, New Hampshire. Born in 1823 in Chester, New Hampshire, he served New Hampshire in both the state House of Representatives and Senate, as a U.S. Senator, and as Governor.Charles was one of the ten children of Governor...
, governor
- Dan Brown
Dan Brown is an American author of thriller fiction, best known for the 2003 bestselling novel, The Da Vinci Code. Brown's novels, which are treasure hunts set in a 24-hour time period, feature the recurring themes of cryptography, keys, symbols, codes, and conspiracy theories...
, author
- Lewis Cass
Lewis Cass was an American military officer and politician. During his long political career, Cass served as a governor of the Michigan Territory, an American ambassador, a U.S. Senator representing Michigan, and co-founder as well as first Masonic Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Michigan...
, politician
- Chris Carpenter
Christopher John Carpenter is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the St. Louis Cardinals since 2003, and is currently signed with the team until the 2011 season, with a club option for 2012.Carpenter was 22 years old and a highly-regarded prospect when he broke into the...
, Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcherIn baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
- Henry Alexander Scammell Dearborn
Henry Alexander Scammell Dearborn was an American lawyer, author, statesman and soldier...
, statesmanA statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
and soldier
- Rev. Samuel Dudley (1608–1683), Puritan minister, son of Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Thomas DudleyThomas Dudley was a colonial magistrate who served several terms as governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Dudley was the chief founder of Newtowne, later Cambridge, Massachusetts, and built the town's first home...
of the Massachusetts Bay ColonyThe Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
- Nathaniel Folsom
Nathaniel Folsom was an American merchant and statesman.He was a delegate for New Hampshire in the Continental Congress in 1774 and 1777 to 1780, as well as the Major General of the New Hampshire Militia.-Private life:Folsom was born into a large family in Exeter, New Hampshire...
, merchant, general & statesman
- Daniel Chester French
Daniel Chester French was an American sculptor. His best-known work is the sculpture of a seated Abraham Lincoln at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.-Life and career:...
, sculptor
- John Taylor Gilman
John Taylor Gilman was a farmer, shipbuilder, and statesman from Exeter, New Hampshire. He represented New Hampshire in the Continental Congress in 1782-1783 and was Governor of New Hampshire for 14 years, from 1794 to 1805, and from 1813 to 1816.Gilman was born in Exeter, New Hampshire, to a...
, statesman & governor
- Nicholas Gilman, Jr., signer of U.S. Constitution
- Michael Golay
Michael Golay is an American author and former journalist. He is most known for his book A Ruined Land: The End of the Civil War, which was a finalist for the prestigious Lincoln Prize. He currently lives with his wife, Julie Quinn, in Exeter, New Hampshire, where he teaches history at Phillips...
, historian and author
- Todd Hearon
Todd Hearon is an American poet. His most notable work is Strange Land, a Surrealist poem. He is the winner of several awards and has published his work in multiple magazines.-Life:...
, poet
- John Irving
John Winslow Irving is an American novelist and Academy Award-winning screenwriter.Irving achieved critical and popular acclaim after the international success of The World According to Garp in 1978...
, author
- John Knowles
John Knowles was an American novelist best known for his novel A Separate Peace. He died in 2001 at the age of seventy-five.-Early life:...
, author
- Dudley Leavitt (publisher)
Dudley Leavitt was an American publisher. He was an early graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy in his native town of Exeter, New Hampshire, and later moved to Gilmanton where he first edited a newspaper and taught school...
(1750–1831) publisher of Farmers Almanack and Miscellaneous Yearbook
- Moses Leavitt
Moses Leavitt was an early settler of Exeter, New Hampshire, where he worked as a surveyor. Later he became a large landowner, and served as selectman, and as a Deputy and later Moderator of the New Hampshire General Court from Exeter...
(1650–1730), surveyor, Selectman, Deputy, Moderator of the General Court
- Gilman Marston
Gilman Marston was a United States Representative, Senator, and United States Army general from New Hampshire.-Early life:...
, politician & general
- Dr. John Phillips
John Phillips graduated from Harvard College in 1735. Among many other activities, he was a trustee of Dartmouth College from 1773 to 1793 and endowed the Phillips Professorship of Theology there...
, founder of Phillips Exeter Academy
- Enoch Poor
Enoch Poor was a brigadier general in the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He was a ship builder and merchant from Exeter, New Hampshire.-Biography:...
, shipbuilder, merchant & general
- Edward L. Rowan
Edward Leslie Rowan is a retired psychiatrist, sex therapist, active author, and Scouting leader from Exeter, New Hampshire. He has been associated with the Boy Scouts of America for over 50 years and is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the BSA in 1992.Rowan was born...
, psychiatrist, author, ScoutingScouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
leader
- Tristram Shaw
Tristram Shaw was a United States Representative from New Hampshire. He was born in Hampton, New Hampshire in 1786. He completed preparatory studies there....
, United States Representative from New Hampshire
- Henry Shute
Henry Augustus Shute was a lawyer and a judge who was best known for his "Plupy" stories in The Saturday Evening Post and a series of books....
, lawyer, judge, & author
- Statik Selektah
Patrick Baril better known as Statik Selektah, is an East Coast-based DJ, Producer and CEO of Showoff Records.-Biography:...
, DJ/producer
- Walter Stahr
Walter B. Stahr is an international lawyer and writer.He graduated near the top of his class at Phillips Exeter Academy in 1975, Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University in 1978, "cum laude" from Harvard Law School, and with honors from the Kennedy School of Public Policy in 1982. At Harvard he was...
, lawyer and author
- Tabitha Gilman Tenney
Tabitha Gilman Tenney was an early American author from Exeter, New Hampshire. Her novel Female Quixotism first appeared in 1801. She married Samuel Tenney, a politician....
(1762–1837), novelist
- Amos Tuck
Amos Tuck was a political figure in New Hampshire, credited by some New Hampshire sources as a founder of the Republican Party.-Early life and education:...
, lawyer & politician
- Edward Tuck
Edward Tuck was an American banker and philanthropist. Born in Exeter, New Hampshire, he was educated at Dartmouth College. Tuck donated $500,000 to Dartmouth to endow the Amos Tuck School of Administration and Finance, in memory of his father...
, banker & philanthropist
- Rev. John Wheelwright
John Wheelwright was a clergyman in England and America.-Early life:...
, founder of Exeter
Geography
According to the
United States Census BureauThe 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 20 square miles (51.8 km²), of which 19.6 sq mi (50.8 km²) is land and 0.4 sq mi (1 km²) is water, comprising 1.85% of the town. Exeter is drained by the
Exeter RiverThe Exeter River is a -long river located in Rockingham County in southeastern New Hampshire, the United States.It rises in the town of Chester, southeast of Manchester. It follows a winding course east and northeast to Exeter, where it becomes the Squamscott River, a tidal river leading north to...
, which feeds the
Squamscott RiverThe Squamscott River is a tidal river in Rockingham County, southeastern New Hampshire, in the United States. It rises at Exeter, fed by the Exeter River...
. The highest point in Exeter is 250 feet (76.2 m) above
sea levelMean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
on Great Hill at the town's southwest corner. Exeter lies fully within the
Piscataqua RiverThe Piscataqua River, in the northeastern United States, is a long tidal estuary formed by the confluence of the Salmon Falls and Cocheco rivers...
(Coastal)
watershedA 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...
.
The town's center, defined as a
census-designated placeA census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP), has a total area of 4.5 square miles (11.7 km²), of which 4.4 sq mi (11.4 km²) is land and 0.2 sq mi (0.517997622 km²) (3.74%) is water.
Demographics
As of the
censusA 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 14,058 people, 5,898 households, and 3,715 families residing in the town. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 715.9 people per square mile (276.4/km²). There were 6,107 housing units at an average density of 311.0 per square mile (120.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.18% White, 0.42% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.29% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.87% of the population.
There were 5,898 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.0% were
married couplesMarriage 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, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.0% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $49,618, and the median income for a family was $63,088. Males had a median income of $45,091 versus $30,435 for females. The
per capita incomePer 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 $27,105. About 2.9% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over.
Town center
As of the
censusA 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 9,759 people, 4,233 households, and 2,539 families residing in the central urban settlement. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,230.4 people per square mile (860.3/km²). There were 4,376 housing units at an average density of 1,000.1 per square mile (385.7/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.21% White, 0.46% Black or
African AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.20% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.22% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.77% of the population.
There were 4,233 households out of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were
married couplesMarriage 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, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the
CDPA census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
the population was spread out with 23.7% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 89.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $44,279, and the median income for a family was $53,174. Males had a median income of $41,760 versus $30,000 for females. The
per capita incomePer 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 CDP was $24,663. About 4.1% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
See also
- Exeter (Amtrak station)
Exeter is a train station in Exeter, New Hampshire served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. The station is a sheltered platform that replaced a station built in 1891.The station is served five times daily by Amtrak's Downeaster service...
- List of newspapers in New Hampshire in the 18th century: Exeter
- The Exeter Inn
The Exeter Inn, also known as The Inn at Exeter, is an inn in Exeter, New Hampshire. It is located on Front Street and was first built in 1932. It is located close to the campus of Phillips Exeter Academy and is within walking distance of downtown Exeter. The inn's architectural style is very...
Sites of interest
External links
Further reading
- Cross-Grained & Wiley Waters: A Guide to the Piscataqua Maritime Region, Jeffrey W. Bolster, Editor; Peter Randall Publisher, Portsmouth, 2001
- Exeter New Hampshire 1888-1988, Nancy C. Merrill; Peter E. Randall, Publisher, Exeter, NH 1988
- History of Exeter, New Hampshire, Charles H. Bell, Exeter, NH 1888; Reprinted by Heritage Books, 1990
- Images of America: Exeter, Carol Walker Aten; Arcadia Publishers, Dover, NH, 1996, reprint 1998
- Ports of Piscataqua: Soundings in the Maritime History of the Portsmouth, N.H., Customs District from the Days of Queen Elizabeth and the Planting of Strawberry Banke to the Times of Abraham Lincoln and the Waning of the American Clipper, William Gurdon Saltonstall, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1941
- Postcards from Exeter, Carol Walker Aten; Arcadia Publishers, Dover, NH, 2003
- The Exeter-Squamscott: River of Many Uses, Olive Tardiff; Peter E. Randall, Publisher, Exeter, NH 1986, 2004