Peterborough is a town in
Hillsborough CountyHillsborough County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of 2000, the population was 380,841. Its county seats are Manchester and Nashua.-History :...
,
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 borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian province of...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 5,883 at the
2000 censusThe Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, with an estimated population of 6,100 in 2006.
The town center, where over 50% of the population resides, is defined as the Peterborough
census-designated placeA census-designated place is a type of place 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), and is located near the intersection of
U.S. Route 202U.S. Route 202 is a highway stretching from Delaware to Maine, also passing through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire....
and
New Hampshire Route 101New Hampshire Route 101 is a state-maintained highway in southern New Hampshire extending from Keene to Hampton Beach. It is the major east-west highway in the southern portion of the state....
along the
Contoocook RiverThe Contoocook River is a 71 mile long river in New Hampshire. It flows from Pool Pond and Contoocook Lake on the Jaffrey/Rindge border to Penacook , where it empties into the Merrimack River. It is one of only a few rivers in New Hampshire that flow in a predominantly northward direction...
.
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. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water, comprising 1.08% of the town.
Peterborough is a town in
Hillsborough CountyHillsborough County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of 2000, the population was 380,841. Its county seats are Manchester and Nashua.-History :...
,
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 borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian province of...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 5,883 at the
2000 censusThe Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, with an estimated population of 6,100 in 2006.
The town center, where over 50% of the population resides, is defined as the Peterborough
census-designated placeA census-designated place is a type of place 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), and is located near the intersection of
U.S. Route 202U.S. Route 202 is a highway stretching from Delaware to Maine, also passing through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire....
and
New Hampshire Route 101New Hampshire Route 101 is a state-maintained highway in southern New Hampshire extending from Keene to Hampton Beach. It is the major east-west highway in the southern portion of the state....
along the
Contoocook RiverThe Contoocook River is a 71 mile long river in New Hampshire. It flows from Pool Pond and Contoocook Lake on the Jaffrey/Rindge border to Penacook , where it empties into the Merrimack River. It is one of only a few rivers in New Hampshire that flow in a predominantly northward direction...
.
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. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water, comprising 1.08% of the town. The highest point in Peterborough is South Pack Monadnock Mountain ( above
sea levelMean sea level is the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation.- Measurement :...
), in
Miller State ParkMiller State Park is the oldest state-run park in New Hampshire, a state in the New England region of the United States. It is mostly located in Peterborough.The park is centered on Pack Monadnock, the 2,290 foot mountain...
.
The town center, or
census-designated placeA census-designated place is a type of place 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...
, has a total area of , of which is land and (0.42%) 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.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 5,883 people, 2,346 households, and 1,531 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. It is a key term used in geography....
was 156.0 people per square mile (60.2/km²). There were 2,509 housing units at an average density of 66.5/sq mi (25.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.97% White, 0.63% Black or
African AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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...
, 0.15% Native American, 1.29% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population.
There were 2,346 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.1% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 24.8% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 84.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $47,381, and the median income for a family was $54,375. Males had a median income of $42,178 versus $27,422 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the town was $26,154. About 6.4% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.0% of those under age 18 and 4.7% 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.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 2,944 people, 1,225 households, and 719 families residing in the central village, or
census-designated placeA census-designated place is a type of place 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). 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. It is a key term used in geography....
was 621.4 people per square mile (239.8/km²). There were 1,289 housing units at an average density of 272.1/sq mi (105.0/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 97.62% White, 0.41% Black or
African AmericanRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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...
, 0.24% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.78% of the population.
There were 1,225 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.3% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 24.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 79.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 72.0 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $45,313, and the median income for a family was $53,409. Males had a median income of $41,533 versus $28,333 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the CDP was $26,091. About 7.6% of families and 11.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.7% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The public schools are part of Contoocook Valley school district (SAU 1) which has a total of 11 schools and 1 applied technology center.
- Contoocook Valley Regional High School
ConVal Regional High School is a high school in Peterborough, New Hampshire that serves nine surrounding towns: Peterborough, Greenfield, Antrim, Dublin, Hancock, Sharon, Temple, Bennington and Francestown...
, built in 1970, serves approximately 1350 students.
- South Meadow School, founded in 1989, serves approximately 500 students. The school was originally named Peterborough Middle School.
- Peterborough Elementary School, locally known as PES, serves approximately 300 students.
- The town's only private school, The Well School, founded in 1967, serves approximately 200 students, grades Preschool-12.
Economy
Peterborough is home to one of the oldest basket manufacturers in the country,
Peterboro Basket CompanyThe Peterboro Basket Company has operated in Peterborough, New Hampshire, in the vicinity of Mount Monadnock, for more than 150 years.The company's history dates to 1841, when Amzi Childs came to Peterborough from Deerfield, Massachusetts, to work on the manufacture of lead pipe...
, which has been in business since 1854.
Culture
A rural area of Peterborough has been the location, since its creation in 1907, of the
MacDowellThe MacDowell Colony is an art colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire, founded in 1907 by Marian MacDowell, pianist and wife of composer Edward MacDowell. She established the institution and its endowment chiefly with donated funds...
art colonyAn art colony or artists' colony is a place where creative practitioners live and interact with one another. Artists are often invited or selected through a formal process, for a residency from a few weeks to over a year...
.
The town features an institution it calls "First Friday". This tradition has been awarded "Best Community Tradition", and is celebrated on the first Friday of each month.
In May of every year, Peterborough holds its annual "Children and the Arts Day" festival. The festival is a chance for local students, ranging in age from preschool to high school and beyond, to exhibit their artistic and creative talents. The celebration lasts all day and consists of a Giant Puppet Parade, as well as a
rubber duck raceA rubber duck, rubber duckie, or rubber ducky, is a toy shaped like a duck, and is generally yellow. It may be made of rubber or rubber-like material such as vinyl plastic ....
for the benefit of local charities. There are also many other activities, including concerts, dancing, and an international food court.
The Peterborough Town Library is the oldest free
libraryA library is a collection of sources, resources, and services, and the structure in which it is housed; it is organized for use and maintained by a public body, an institution, or a private individual. In the more traditional sense, a library is a collection of books. It can mean the collection,...
supported by
taxTo tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law.Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
ation in the United States. It was founded on April 9, 1833, by
UnitarianUnitarianism as a theology is the belief in the single personality of God, in contrast to the doctrine of the Trinity ....
minister Abiel Abbot. The original collection comprised 100 books and was housed in Smith and Thompson's General Store, along with the post office. It later moved to the town hall, and then was given its own building, constructed by local resident John Hopkins Morison, in 1893. The collection now includes over 50,000 volumes.
The Moses Cheney house in Peterborough served as a stop on the
Underground RailroadThe Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th century Black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists who aided the...
in the mid 1800s, and
Frederick DouglassFrederick Douglass Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass (born Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, (born circa 1818 February 20, 1895) was an American abolitionist, women's suffragist, editor, orator, author, statesman and reformer...
stayed at the home. Moses' son
Oren B. CheneyOren Burbank Cheney was the founder of Bates College, an abolitionist, and a Free Will Baptist clergyman.-Early life:He was born in Holderness, New Hampshire, to prominent abolitionist parents, Abigail and Moses Cheney...
founded
Bates CollegeBates College is a private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine, in the United States. The college was founded in 1855 by abolitionists. Bates confers Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degrees. Bates College is one of the first colleges to be coeducational from establishment...
in 1855, and his son Person C. Cheney was a U.S. Senator.
The Peterborough Players have performed since 1933, having employed such renowned actors as
James WhitmoreJames Whitmore was an American film actor.-Early life:Born as James Allen Whitmore, Jr. in White Plains, New York, to Florence Belle and James Allen Whitmore, Sr., a park commission official, Whitmore attended Amherst Central High School in Snyder, New York, and spent his senior year at the...
.
The town was the model for the play
Our TownOur Town is a three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder. The play is set in the fictional community of Grover's Corners, modeled upon several New Hampshire towns in the Mount Monadnock region: Jaffrey, Peterborough, Dublin, and others. Using metatheatrical devices, Wilder sets the play...
, written by
Thornton WilderThornton Niven Wilder was an American playwright and novelist. His best known work is his play Our Town.-Early years:...
while in residence at the MacDowell Colony.
The film
The Sensation of SightThe Sensation of Sight is a feature film produced by independent film company Either/Or Films. Shot in 2005 and completed in 2006, it was written and directed by Aaron Wiederspahn and stars David Strathairn, Ian Somerhalder, Daniel Gillies, Jane Adams, Ann Cusack, Elisabeth Waterston, Joseph...
was shot entirely in Peterborough.
External links