Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Peterborough, New Hampshire
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Peterborough, New Hampshire | |||
|
|||
 |
|||
| Coordinates: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Country | United States | ||
| State | New Hampshire | ||
| County | Hillsborough | ||
| Incorporated | 1760 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Board of Selectmen | Joe Byk, Chairman Elizabeth Thomas Barbara Miller |
||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 38.1 sq mi (98.7 km²) | ||
| - Land | 37.7 sq mi (97.7 km²) | ||
| - Water | 0.4 sq mi (1.1 km²) 1.08% | ||
| Elevation | 718 ft (219 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - Total | 5,883 | ||
| - Density | 156.0/sq mi (60.2/km²) | ||
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP code | 03458 | ||
| Area code(s) | 603 | ||
| FIPS code | 33-60580 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0873697 | ||
| Website: www.townofpeterborough.com | |||
Peterborough is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, USA. The population was 5,883 at the 2000 census. (The estimated population in 2005 was 6,134.[1])
Contents |
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 38.1 square miles (98.7 km²), of which, 37.7 square miles (97.7 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.1 km²) of it is water, comprising 1.08% of the town. The highest point in Peterborough is South Pack Monadnock Mountain (2,290 feet / 698 meters above sea level), in Miller State Park.
This article describes the town of Peterborough as a whole. Additional demographic detail is available which describes only the central settlement or village within the town, although that detail is included in the aggregate values reported here. See: Peterborough (CDP), New Hampshire.
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 5,883 people, 2,346 households, and 1,531 families residing in the town. The population density 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 American, 0.15% Native American, 1.29% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population.[2]
There were 2,346 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples 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 income 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.
See also: Peterborough (CDP), New Hampshire
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, built in 1970[3], serves approximately 1200 students.
- South Meadow School, founded in 1989[4], 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[5], serves approximately 200 students, grades K-12.
A rural area of Peterborough has been the location, since its creation in 1907, of the MacDowell art colony.
The town features an institution it calls "First Friday". This tradition has been awarded "Best Community Tradition"[citation needed], 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 the traditional Giant Puppet Parade, as well as the rubber duck race, which goes to benefit local charities. There are also many other activities, including concerts, dancing, and an international food court. On 19 May 2007, Peterborough will host its fourteenth annual festival.
The Peterborough Town Library is the oldest free library in the United States. It was founded in 1833.
The Moses Cheney house in Peterborough served as a stop on the Underground Railroad in the mid 1800s, and Frederick Douglass stayed at the home. Moses' son Oren B. Cheney founded Bates College in 1855, and his son Person C. Cheney was a U.S. Senator.
The Peterborough Players puts on 6 plays every summer, employing such renowned actors as James Whitmore. In the 2005 season, they performed many outstanding plays such as Grace and Glorie and Little Women.
The town was the model for the play Our Town, written by Thornton Wilder while in residence at the MacDowell Colony.
The film "The Sensation of Sight" was shot entirely in Peterborough.
Club Cannon puts on local rock shows, as well as an annual Battle of the Bands. Its house band is called Your Favorite Color.
During Enron's initial ramping-up, Peterborough was used as its poster child for proof-of-concept; a full-page New York Times ad, as well as a 30-second Super Bowl spot, were both devoted to Enron's ideas, by way of Peterborough.
Peterborough, for some time, was a powerhouse of computer magazine publishing. It was home to such well-known magazines as Byte, AmigaWorld, and A+. Carl Helmers, co-founder of Byte, also launched several vertical-market magazines under the aegis of Helmers Publishing: Supply Chain Manufacturing & Logistics (formerly ID Systems Magazine), Sensors Magazine, Desktop Engineering Magazine, SetiQuest Magazine. The substantial majority of these magazines are now out of print, but Peterborough still retains a heritage of literacy and publishing know-how.
Peterborough is home to one of the oldest basket manufacturers in the country, Peterboro Basket Company, which has been in business since 1854.
- ^ "2005 Population Estimates of New Hampshire Cities and Towns", NH Office of Energy and Planning, July 2006
- ^ NH Office of State Planning, "Race and Hispanic Data", compiled from U.S. Census 2000
- ^ "About ConVal High School", ConVal School District, <http://www.conval.edu/Schools/CVHS/general/about.html>. Retrieved on 2007-11-04
- ^ "South Meadow School Handbook", ConVal School District, <http://www.conval.edu/Schools/sms/www/Handbook/Handbook.html#history>. Retrieved on 2007-11-04
- ^ "History of The Well School", The Well School, <http://www.wellschool.org/podium/default.aspx?t=45518>. Retrieved on 2007-11-04
- Peterborough, NH Official Website
- New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile
- Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce
- Peterborough, New Hampshire is at coordinates Coordinates:
