Tuftonboro is a
townThe 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-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 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 population was 2,387 at the 2010 census. Bounded on the southwest by
Lake WinnipesaukeeLake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It is approximately long and from wide , covering — when Paugus Bay is included—with a maximum depth of ....
, Tuftonboro includes the villages of Tuftonboro Corner, Center Tuftonboro, Melvin Corner,
Melvin VillageMelvin Village is a census-designated place within the town of Tuftonboro in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. Its population at the 2010 census was 241....
and Mirror Lake.
History
Tuftonboro was the only incorporated place in
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...
owned by just one man, John Tufton Mason, for whom the town was named. Following the 1741 separation of New Hampshire from
MassachusettsThe Province of Massachusetts Bay was a crown colony in North America. It was chartered on October 7, 1691 by William and Mary, the joint monarchs of the kingdoms of England and Scotland...
, Mason was heir to the Masonian Claim, the undivided lands of northern New Hampshire. He sold them in 1746 to a group of
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...
merchantA merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
s, thereafter known as the Masonian Proprietors. They disposed of the land via grants to prospective settlers prior to the
RevolutionThe American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
.
The town was granted as Tuftonborough in 1750 by
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
Benning WentworthBenning 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...
, and first settled about 1780. It was incorporated by the legislature on December 17, 1795. By 1859, when the population was 1,305, the principal occupation was raising
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 sheep across the hilly terrain. Other industries included 2
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....
s, one sash,
blindA window shutter is a solid and stable window covering usually consisting of a frame of vertical stiles and horizontal rails...
and
doorA door is a movable structure used to open and close off an entrance, typically consisting of a panel that swings on hinges or that slides or rotates inside of a space....
factory, one
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,...
factory, and 2
gristmillThe terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
s.
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 50 square miles (129.5 km²), of which 41 square miles (106.2 km²) is land and 9 square miles (23.3 km²) is water, comprising 18.07% of the town. Tuftonboro is drained by the
Melvin RiverThe Melvin River is an river located in the Lakes Region of central New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of Lake Winnipesaukee, part of the Merrimack River watershed.The Melvin River lies entirely within the town of Tuftonboro, New Hampshire...
and
Beech RiverThe Beech River is a 13.1 mile long river located in eastern New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Pine River, part of the Ossipee Lake / Saco River watershed leading to the Atlantic Ocean....
.
Mirror LakeMirror Lake is a water body located in Carroll County in the Lakes Region of central New Hampshire, United States, in the town of Tuftonboro. The lake connects by a short outlet stream to Lake Winnipesaukee. The resort community of Mirror Lake, a village in the town of Tuftonboro, occupies the...
is in the south, and
Dan Hole PondDan Hole Pond is a water body located in Carroll County in eastern New Hampshire, United States, in the towns of Ossipee and Tuftonboro. The pond is situated on the south side of the Ossipee Mountains. Water exits Dan Hole Pond via the Dan Hole River, part of the Ossipee Lake watershed and...
is in the north. The highest point in Tuftonboro is the south peak of
Mount ShawMount Shaw is a mountain located within the Castle in the Clouds estate in Carroll County, New Hampshire. With a summit elevation of it is the highest of the Ossipee Mountains....
, elevation 2930 feet (893.1 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 the town's northwest boundary.
Tuftonboro has miles of winding back roads, rolling fields, old homesteads and beautiful scenic views of the
Ossipee MountainsThe Ossipee Mountains are located just south of the White Mountains of New Hampshire, United States. Mount Shaw, at , is the highest point in the range.-Geology and physiography:...
to the northeast. New Hampshire routes
171New Hampshire Route 171 is a long secondary east–west highway in the Lakes Region in east-central New Hampshire. The road runs from Ossipee to Moultonborough....
,
109New Hampshire Route 109 is a long north–south highway in Carroll County, New Hampshire. It runs southeast from Sandwich to the Maine border....
, and 109A cross the town, all generally in a northwest to southeast direction.
Melvin VillageMelvin Village is a census-designated place within the town of Tuftonboro in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. Its population at the 2010 census was 241....
, a village of Tuftonboro, is a summer vacation spot on Melvin Bay of
Lake WinnipesaukeeLake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It is approximately long and from wide , covering — when Paugus Bay is included—with a maximum depth of ....
. It has a marina and many lakeside homes and cottages that are for rent. It is also a popular spot for antique shopping. Melvin Village is in the western part of Tuftonboro, near the town of
MoultonboroughMoultonborough is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,044 at the 2010 census. Moultonborough is bounded in part by Lake Winnipesaukee in the southwest and Squam Lake in the northwest corner...
.
Also part of Tuftonboro are several islands in Lake Winnipesaukee including Little Bear Island and Cow Island among others.
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 2,148 people, 926 households, and 665 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 52.2 people per square mile (20.2/km²). There were 2,019 housing units at an average density of 49.1 per square mile (19.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.32% White, 0.23% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.05% 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 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.42% of the population.
There were 926 households out of which 23.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% 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, 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.1% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.6% 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 2.68.
In the town the population was spread out with 19.8% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 31.8% from 45 to 64, and 22.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $45,729, and the median income for a family was $51,875. Males had a median income of $36,181 versus $27,109 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 $25,070. About 4.4% of families and 6.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.1% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.
Site of interest
Notable residents
- Edward H. Brooks
Edward Hale Brooks was a decorated officer in the United States Army and a veteran of World War I, World War II and the Korean War...
, lieutenant general in U.S. Army
- Charles D. Griffin
Admiral Charles Donald Griffin was a four-star admiral in the United States Navy who served as commander in chief of United States Naval Forces Europe from 1963 to 1965 and as commander in chief of Allied Forces Southern Europe from 1965 to 1968.-Early career:Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to...
, admiral in U.S. Navy
External links