New London, New Hampshire | |
|---|---|
 Main Street | |
 Seal | |
 Location inMerrimack County and the state ofNew Hampshire | |
| Coordinates:43°24′50″N71°59′07″W / 43.41389°N 71.98528°W /43.41389; -71.98528 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Hampshire |
| County | Merrimack |
| Incorporated | 1779 |
| Villages |
|
| Government | |
| • Board of Selectmen |
|
| • Town Administrator | Kimberly A. Hallquist[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 25.42 sq mi (65.84 km2) |
| • Land | 22.34 sq mi (57.86 km2) |
| • Water | 3.08 sq mi (7.98 km2) 12.12% |
| Elevation | 1,291 ft (393 m) |
| Population (2020)[3] | |
• Total | 4,400 |
| • Density | 200/sq mi (76/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP codes | 03257 (New London) 03233 (Elkins) |
| Area code | 603 |
| FIPS code | 33-52100 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0873682 |
| Website | newlondon |
New London is atown inMerrimack County,New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,400 at the2020 census.[3] The town is the home ofColby–Sawyer College, site of theGordon Research Conferences since 1947.
The town center, where 1,266 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined as theNew London census-designated place (CDP), and is located on a hilltop alongNew Hampshire Route 114 north ofRoute 11 andInterstate 89.
In 1753, the Masonian Proprietors ofPortsmouth, New Hampshire, granted the area now called New London as "Heidelberg". Although it appears on some New Hampshire maps, the township was never settled, and the 1753 grant lapsed into default.
In 1773, roughly the same area was awarded as the "Alexandria Addition" to a new group of speculators, who had previously been granted the adjacent township ofAlexandria. These proprietors were led by Jonas Minot ofConcord, Massachusetts, but the others wereScotch-Irish immigrants living inLondonderry, New Hampshire. None built dwellings in the Alexandria Addition. Instead they recruited settlers to build roads, mills, schools, and a church—all increasing the value of their land holdings. Nearly all of the original settlers came from Massachusetts, either from theAmesbury area of the north shore or from theAttleboro area in the southeast. The township proprietors soon began a long, systematic process of subdividing and selling their properties at great profit.
By 1779, there were sixteen families recorded within the bounds of the Alexandria Addition, and they petitioned the General Court to incorporate as the town of "New London"—officially named afterLondon, England, but perhaps also an acknowledgement of the Londonderry-based proprietors. The first town meeting was held on August 3, 1779.
In 1807, the northern half of New London was annexed, merged with an area called "Kearsarge Gore", and then incorporated as the town ofWilmot, New Hampshire. In the early 19th century, there were three small additions to New London, including the village of Otterville in 1817.
In 1947,Colby–Sawyer College became the site of the annualGordon Research Conferences.[4]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 25.4 square miles (65.8 km2), of which 22.4 square miles (57.9 km2) are land and 0.3 square miles (0.8 km2) are water, comprising 12.12% of the town.[2] Several large lakes are in the town, includingLake Sunapee forming the western border,Little Sunapee Lake north of the center, andPleasant Lake in the east. The western side of town, including Lake Sunapee and Little Sunapee, is part of theConnecticut River watershed, via theSugar River. The center and eastern side of the town are part of theMerrimack River watershed, with the center draining south to theLane River inSutton and from there to theWarner River, and the eastern section draining to theBlackwater River. The Warner and the Blackwater are both tributaries of theContoocook River, which joins the Merrimack inPenacook. The highest point in town is Morgan Hill, approximately 1,770 feet (540 m) abovesea level.
The town is crossed byInterstate 89, which serves New London with two exits, and by New Hampshire Routes11,103A, and114.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 311 | — | |
| 1800 | 617 | 98.4% | |
| 1810 | 692 | 12.2% | |
| 1820 | 924 | 33.5% | |
| 1830 | 913 | −1.2% | |
| 1840 | 1,019 | 11.6% | |
| 1850 | 945 | −7.3% | |
| 1860 | 952 | 0.7% | |
| 1870 | 959 | 0.7% | |
| 1880 | 875 | −8.8% | |
| 1890 | 799 | −8.7% | |
| 1900 | 768 | −3.9% | |
| 1910 | 805 | 4.8% | |
| 1920 | 701 | −12.9% | |
| 1930 | 812 | 15.8% | |
| 1940 | 1,039 | 28.0% | |
| 1950 | 1,484 | 42.8% | |
| 1960 | 1,738 | 17.1% | |
| 1970 | 2,236 | 28.7% | |
| 1980 | 2,935 | 31.3% | |
| 1990 | 3,180 | 8.3% | |
| 2000 | 4,116 | 29.4% | |
| 2010 | 4,397 | 6.8% | |
| 2020 | 4,400 | 0.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[3][5] | |||
As of thecensus of 2010, there were 4,397 people, 1,666 households, and 1,037 families residing in the town. There were 2,303 housing units, of which 637, or 27.7%, were vacant. 521 of the vacant units were for seasonal or recreational use. The racial makeup of the town was 96.5%white, 1.1%African American, 0.05%Native American, 1.1%Asian, 0.05%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.1% some other race, and 1.2% from two or more races. 1.5% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.[6]
Of the 1,666 households, 18.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were headed bymarried couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 22.2% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09, and the average family size was 2.63. 912 town residents, or 20.7% of the population, lived in group quarters rather than households.[6]
In the town, 13.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 22.6% were from 18 to 24, 10.0% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 30.7% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 76.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 71.3 males.[6]
For the period 2011–2015, the estimated median annual income for a household was $68,981, and the median income for a family was $98,833. Male full-time workers had a median income of $57,237 versus $55,641 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $35,090. 9.9% of the population and 6.4% of families were below the poverty line. 8.7% of the population under the age of 18 and 2.0% of those 65 or older were living in poverty.[7]
Places adjacent to New London, New Hampshire | |
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Municipalities and communities ofMerrimack County, New Hampshire,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
