Pelham, New Hampshire

Pelham, New Hampshire
Town

The Congregational church in the town center

Seal

Location in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
Coordinates: 42°44′04″N 71°19′28″W / 42.73444°N 71.32444°W / 42.73444; -71.32444Coordinates: 42°44′04″N 71°19′28″W / 42.73444°N 71.32444°W / 42.73444; -71.32444
Country United States
State New Hampshire
County Hillsborough
Incorporated 1746
Government
  Board of Selectmen Douglas Viger, Chair
Harold Lynde
William McDevitt
Paul Leonard
Amy Spencer
  Town Administrator Brian McCarthy
Area
  Total 27.0 sq mi (69.8 km2)
  Land 26.4 sq mi (68.5 km2)
  Water 0.5 sq mi (1.3 km2)  1.93%
Elevation 154 ft (47 m)
Population (2010)
  Total 12,897
  Density 480/sq mi (180/km2)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
  Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 03076
Area code(s) 603
FIPS code 33-59940
GNIS feature ID 0873695
Website www.pelhamweb.com

Pelham /ˈpɛləm/ is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 12,897 at the 2010 census.[1]

History

Pelham was split from Old Dunstable in 1741, when the border between Massachusetts and New Hampshire was settled. It was incorporated in 1746. The town is named after Thomas Pelham-Holles, 1st Duke of Newcastle.[2]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 27.0 square miles (69.9 km2), of which 26.4 sq mi (68.4 km2) is land and 0.5 sq mi (1.3 km2) is water, comprising 1.93% of the town. The highest point in Pelham is Jeremy Hill, at 577 feet (176 m) above sea level. The town contains the southernmost point in the state of New Hampshire, at 42°41′49″N 71°17′40″W / 42.69694°N 71.29444°W / 42.69694; -71.29444, a location known as the "Old Boundary Pine", named for a pine tree that marked the difference in definition of the northern boundary of Massachusetts. This point is 3 miles due north of Pawtucket Falls, and marks the point where the straight-line border to the west meets the 3 mile buffer defined by the Merrimack River.[3]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1790791
180091816.1%
18109988.7%
18201,0404.2%
18301,0702.9%
18401,003−6.3%
18501,0716.8%
1860944−11.9%
1870861−8.8%
1880848−1.5%
1890791−6.7%
190087510.6%
1910826−5.6%
192097417.9%
1930814−16.4%
194097920.3%
19501,31734.5%
19602,60597.8%
19705,408107.6%
19808,09049.6%
19909,40816.3%
200010,91416.0%
201012,89718.2%
Est. 201513,303[4]3.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[5]

The earliest census data shows the town of Pelham having a population of 543 residents in 1767.[6]

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 10,914 people, 3,606 households, and 2,982 families residing in the town. The population density was 412.9 people per square mile (159.4/km²). There were 3,740 housing units at an average density of 141.5 per square mile (54.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was:

Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.96% of the population. (U.S. average: 12.5%)

In 2000, there were 3,606 households, with an average household size of 3.03 and an average family size of 3.33.

In 2000, the town's population had a median age of 36 years (U.S. average: 35.3).

For every 100 females there were 98.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $68,608. (U.S. average: $41,994). The median income for a family was $73,365. (U.S. average: $50,046). Males had a median income of $47,685 versus $33,375 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,158. About 1.6% of families (U.S. average: 9.2%) and 3.0% of the population (U.S. average: 12.4%) were below the poverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

School system

The Pelham Library and Memorial Building, now home to the local historical society

Transportation

Pelham is crossed by three New Hampshire state routes:

Pelham has no air or rail transport within the town limits. The nearest commercial airport is Manchester–Boston Regional Airport along the border of Londonderry and Manchester. The nearest rail service is the Lowell Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail which can be accessed at the Charles A. Gallagher Transit Terminal in Lowell, Massachusetts. The nearest Amtrak stations are Boston's North Station or South Station.

Parks

Muldoon Park

The park is located northwest of the center of Pelham at 305 Mammoth Road (NH 128), just north of Nashua Road. The park's land area is surrounded by NH 128, two roads that branch off it, and a minor road which intersects NH 111A.

Muldoon Park offers many short walking trails, four variously sized baseball fields (ranging from t-ball to official), a soccer field, and a play area. Most of the trails lead to the park's two ponds, local roads and houses or to Beaver Brook, a small river. The town of Pelham completed an 18-hole disc golf course here, stretching over a quarter-mile, in September 2007.[8]

The Pelham Parks and Recreation department has recently added two non-official sized baseball fields to the southwest corner of the park. Construction is complete on one field with the exception of dugouts, and the other field is still under construction, as of September 2013.

There is now an 18-hole disc golf course at this park. Many players from surrounding towns enjoy a round of disc golf set in the woods adjacent to the sport fields.

Notable people

See also

References

  1. United States Census Bureau, American FactFinder, 2010 Census figures. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
  2. "Profile for Pelham, New Hampshire". ePodunk. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
  3. U.S. Geological Survey. "Lowell, Massachusetts—New Hampshire" 7.5 x 15 minute quadrangle. 1987.
  4. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  5. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  6. http://www.nh.gov/oep/programs/DataCenter/Population/1767-820.htm#hillsborough
  7. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  8. The Eagle-Tribune, October 15, 2007
  9. The twentieth century biographical dictionary of notable Americans ... edited by Rossiter Johnson, John Ho
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