North Conway, New Hampshire
Encyclopedia
North Conway is a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A 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) in eastern 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 2,349 at the 2010 census. A year-round resort area, North Conway is the largest village within the town of Conway
Conway, New Hampshire
Conway is a town, the largest in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 10,115 at the 2010 census. Parts of the White Mountain National Forest are in the west and north. Cathedral Ledge and Echo Lake State Park are in the west...

, which is bounded on the east by the Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...

 state line. 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...

 is to the west and north. Conway is home to Cathedral Ledge (popular with climbers
Climbing
Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.Climbing activities include:* Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small...

), Echo Lake
Echo Lake (North Conway)
Echo Lake is a water body located near North Conway in Carroll County, New Hampshire. It is part of Echo Lake State Park, which features a small swimming beach....

 State Park, and Mount Cranmore
Cranmore Mountain Resort
Cranmore Mountain Resort is located in North Conway, New Hampshire. Currently, it is one of New Hampshire's most successful ski resorts.It was founded in 1937 by a group of businessmen, led by Harvey Dow Gibson a native son of North Conway and president of the Manufacturers Trust Company, who...

. North Conway is known for its large amount of outlet shops.

History

Chartered in 1765 by Colonial 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...

, the town is named for Henry Seymour Conway
Henry Seymour Conway
Field Marshal Henry Seymour Conway was a British general and statesman. A brother of the 1st Marquess of Hertford, and cousin of Horace Walpole, he began his military career in the War of the Austrian Succession and eventually rose to the rank of Field Marshal .-Family and education:Conway was...

, ambitious son of a prominent English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

 family, who was elected to the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...

 at age twenty, fought at Culloden
Battle of Culloden
The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the 1745 Jacobite Rising. Taking place on 16 April 1746, the battle pitted the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart against an army commanded by William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, loyal to the British government...

, and became Secretary of State
Secretary of State (United Kingdom)
In the United Kingdom, a Secretary of State is a Cabinet Minister in charge of a Government Department ....

. Early settlers called the area Pequawket
Pequawket
The Pequawket are a Native American subdivision of the Abenaki people who formerly lived near the headwaters of the Saco River in Carroll County, New Hampshire and Oxford County, Maine...

 (known colloquially as Pigwacket), adopting the name of the Abenaki Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native 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...

 village which stretched down 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...

 to its stockade
Stockade
A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls made of logs placed side by side vertically with the tops sharpened to provide security.-Stockade as a security fence:...

d center at Fryeburg, Maine.

North Conway is located in the White Mountains
White Mountains (New Hampshire)
The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...

, with 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...

 located to the northwest. The rugged terrain became popular in the 19th century with artists. Their paintings were known collectively as White Mountain art
White Mountain art
White Mountain art is the body of work created during the 19th century by over four hundred artists who painted landscape scenes of the White Mountains of New Hampshire in order to promote the region and, consequently, sell their works of art....

, which in turn attracted tourists to the area, particularly after the Portsmouth, Great Falls & Conway Railroad extended service in 1872 to North Conway. In 1874, the line built an Second Empire depot
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...

, designed by Nathaniel J. Bradlee. In 1932, "snow trains" began carrying enthusiasts to "the birthplace of American skiing
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...

," as North Conway is known.

Increasing automobile travel brought the decline of trains. The railroad, then part of the Boston & Maine
Boston and Maine Railroad
The Boston and Maine Corporation , known as the Boston and Maine Railroad until 1964, was the dominant railroad of the northern New England region of the United States for a century...

, abandoned passenger service to the area in 1961, and freight service in 1972. Subsequently, the Conway Scenic Railroad
Conway Scenic Railroad
The Conway Scenic Railroad is a heritage railway in North Conway, New Hampshire. The railroad operates over two historic railway routes: a line from North Conway to Conway that was formerly part of the Conway Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad, and a line from North Conway through Crawford...

 was established. Today, the line offers visitors a tour of the region, including Crawford Notch
Crawford Notch
Crawford Notch is the steep and narrow gorge of the Saco River in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, located almost entirely within the town of Hart's Location...

. The station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

.

In the late 1980s, the White Mountain Airport
White Mountain Airport (New Hampshire)
White Mountain Airport was a public airport located in North Conway, in Carroll County, New Hampshire, USA. This general aviation airport had one runway.The airport closed in the late 1980s...

 closed and was redeveloped as a large outlet mall called Settlers' Green Outlet Village
Settlers' Green Outlet Village
Settlers' Green Outlet Village, founded in 1988, is an outlet shopping center in North Conway, New Hampshire, which was built in the location of the former White Mountain Airport . It offers a large selection of tax-free outlets.-History:...

. Continued growth through the 1990s and 2000s in North Conway and the villages nearby made Conway the most populous community 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...

. Traffic congestion led to an overhaul of the road system, including widening 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...

 through North Conway village and constructing a road parallel to Route 16 to allow traffic to move between Redstone
Redstone, New Hampshire
Redstone is a village within the town of Conway in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. It is located on the road from Center Conway to North Conway at the base of Rattlesnake Mountain...

 and Intervale
Intervale, New Hampshire
Intervale is an unincorporated village located on the boundary between the towns of Bartlett and Conway in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The village is part of the Mount Washington Valley, a resort area that also includes the communities of North Conway and Jackson.Intervale is found along...

 uninterrupted. A bypass
Conway Bypass (New Hampshire)
The Conway Bypass is a proposed rerouting of New Hampshire Route 16 around the villages of Conway and North Conway. Though it has been in a proposal stage for decades, the project is still slowly moving forward...

 of the area is being developed.

North Conway remains a popular destination due to its shopping, recreation, and attractions.

Recreation

North Conway and its surrounding towns offer hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...

 in 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...

. The area is a major rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...

 destination in the northeastern United States
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...

, particularly Cathedral Ledge in Echo Lake State Park. The 500 feet (152.4 m) cliff overlooks Echo Lake
Echo Lake (North Conway)
Echo Lake is a water body located near North Conway in Carroll County, New Hampshire. It is part of Echo Lake State Park, which features a small swimming beach....

 and North Conway from the west. Unlike nearby White Horse Ledge, another rock climbing site, Cathedral Ledge has an automobile road to the summit, which provides fine views of the Saco River Valley.

In late September through early October, tourists arrive to see the autumn colors on the surrounding mountains and forests. The Conway Scenic Railroad
Conway Scenic Railroad
The Conway Scenic Railroad is a heritage railway in North Conway, New Hampshire. The railroad operates over two historic railway routes: a line from North Conway to Conway that was formerly part of the Conway Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad, and a line from North Conway through Crawford...

 features train rides that leave from the village's Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...

 station. In the winter, the village is the nighttime destination for skiers
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....

 visiting the area resorts, including North Conway's own Cranmore Mountain
Cranmore Mountain Resort
Cranmore Mountain Resort is located in North Conway, New Hampshire. Currently, it is one of New Hampshire's most successful ski resorts.It was founded in 1937 by a group of businessmen, led by Harvey Dow Gibson a native son of North Conway and president of the Manufacturers Trust Company, who...

 as well as nearby Attitash
Attitash
For the lake in Amesbury and Merrimac, Massachusetts, see Lake Attitash.Attitash is a ski area located on U.S. Route 302 in Bartlett, New Hampshire near North Conway. It is operated by Peak Resorts. Located in the heart of the White Mountains, Attitash is home to two mountains, Attitash and Bear...

 Resort, Black Mountain
Black Mountain Ski Area (New Hampshire)
Black Mountain is an alpine ski area located in Jackson, New Hampshire.Black Mountain offers terrain for all abilities, including slopes for novices, cruising trails for intermediates, and black diamond trails for experts...

 and Wildcat Mountain
Wildcat Mountain Ski Area
Wildcat Mountain Ski Area is a ski area located on Wildcat Mountain near Jackson, New Hampshire in the Mount Washington Valley. Its vertical drop of is the second largest in New Hampshire and the ninth largest in New England....

.

Geography

North Conway is located at 44°3′6"N 71°7′22"W (44.051534, -71.122752), in the northern part of the town of Conway
Conway, New Hampshire
Conway is a town, the largest in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 10,115 at the 2010 census. Parts of the White Mountain National Forest are in the west and north. Cathedral Ledge and Echo Lake State Park are in the west...

.

According to the United States Census Bureau
United 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 village, a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A 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 4.3 square miles (11.1 km²), of which 0.04 sq mi (0.1035995244 km²) (0.70%) is water. North Conway is drained by 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...

.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
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 2,069 people, 1,002 households, and 487 families residing in the CDP. 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 483.9 people per square mile (186.6/km²). There were 1,602 housing units at an average density of 374.7 per square mile (144.5/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.07% White, 0.39% African American, 0.29% Native American, 2.27% Asian, 0.72% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race 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 1.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.58% of the population.

There were 1,002 households out of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.2% 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, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 51.3% were non-families. 41.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.02 and the average family size was 2.75.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $31,406, and the median income for a family was $40,294. Males had a median income of $27,679 versus $23,017 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 CDP was $20,493. About 17.1% of families and 17.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.0% of those under age 18 and 24.0% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

  • Ed Ashnault
    Ed Ashnault
    Ed Ashnault was the head basketball coach for the Dickinson College Red Raiders , Colgate Raiders , and William & Mary Tribe He finished his two-year stint at W&M with a 10-12 Southern Conference record .-References:...

    , college football and basketball coach, grew up in North Conway.
  • Benjamin Champney
    Benjamin Champney
    Benjamin Champney was a painter whose name has become synonymous with White Mountain art of the 19th century. He began his training as a lithographer under celebrated marine artist Fitz Henry Lane at Pendleton's Lithography shop in Boston...

    , artist
  • Gordon Clapp
    Gordon Clapp
    Gordon Clapp is an American actor, best known for portraying the role of Det. Greg Medavoy for all 12 seasons on the television series NYPD Blue, winning an Emmy Award in 1998.-Early and personal life:...

    , actor
  • E. E. Cummings
    E. E. Cummings
    Edward Estlin Cummings , popularly known as E. E. Cummings, with the abbreviated form of his name often written by others in lowercase letters as e.e. cummings , was an American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright...

    , major 20th century poet, had a summer home nearby and died (of a stroke) in North Conway, on September 3, 1962
  • John Shea
    John Shea
    John Victor Shea III is an American actor and director who has starred on stage, television and in film. He is best known for his role as Lex Luthor in the 1990s TV series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and also starred in the short lived 1990s TV series WIOU as Hank Zaret...

    , actor
  • Julia Ruth Stevens, daughter of Babe Ruth

Sites of interest



Sites on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

:
  • North Conway 5 and 10 Cent Store
    North Conway 5 and 10 Cent Store
    North Conway 5 and 10 Cent Store is a historic general store at 2683 Main Street in North Conway, New Hampshire.It was built in 1900 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004....

  • Eastern Slope Inn
    Eastern Slope Inn
    Eastern Slope Inn is a historic inn on Main Street in North Conway, New Hampshire.The Colonial Revival building was built in 1926 by H.E. Mason and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982....


See also

North Conway is a village within the town of Conway
Conway, New Hampshire
Conway is a town, the largest in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 10,115 at the 2010 census. Parts of the White Mountain National Forest are in the west and north. Cathedral Ledge and Echo Lake State Park are in the west...

. The other villages within Conway are:
  • Conway village
    Conway (CDP), New Hampshire
    Conway is a census-designated place in the town of Conway in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,823 at the 2010 census, making it the second-largest settlement in the town of Conway, after the village of North Conway....

  • Center Conway
    Center Conway, New Hampshire
    Center Conway is a village within the town of Conway in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. From the late 19th century until the Second World War, Center Conway was known for its corn cannery. Today the homes are mostly residential, with many vacationers visiting the scenic Conway Lake...

  • East Conway
  • Kearsarge
    Kearsarge, New Hampshire
    Kearsarge is an unincorporated village in the town of Conway in Carroll County, New Hampshire, in the United States. It shares its name with Mount Kearsarge, a summit which overlooks the community from the north. Kearsarge is located along the northern boundary of the town of Conway, adjacent to...

  • Redstone
    Redstone, New Hampshire
    Redstone is a village within the town of Conway in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. It is located on the road from Center Conway to North Conway at the base of Rattlesnake Mountain...


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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