Meredith, New Hampshire | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Bird's-eye view of Meredith village | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location inBelknap County, New Hampshire | |
| Coordinates:43°39′28″N71°30′02″W / 43.65778°N 71.50056°W /43.65778; -71.50056 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Hampshire |
| County | Belknap |
| Incorporated | 1768 |
| Villages |
|
| Government | |
| • Selectboard |
|
| • Town Manager | Judie Milner |
| Area | |
• Total | 54.6 sq mi (141.3 km2) |
| • Land | 40.1 sq mi (103.8 km2) |
| • Water | 14.5 sq mi (37.5 km2) 26.56% |
| Elevation | 509 ft (155 m) |
| Population (2020)[2] | |
• Total | 6,662 |
| • Density | 166/sq mi (64.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP Code | 03253 |
| Area code | 603 |
| FIPS code | 33-47140 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0873662 |
| Website | www |
Meredith is atown inBelknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,662 at the2020 census.[2] Meredith is situated in the state'sLakes Region and serves as a majorresort town. Meredith Village, the commercial center of the town, lies along the shores ofLake Winnipesaukee, and several other large lakes lie partially or completely within the town borders. It is home to the Stonedam Island Natural Area and theWinnipesaukee Scenic Railroad, and it serves as one of the ports of call for theMS Mount Washington.
Meredith Village, where 2,527 people resided at the 2020 census,[3] is defined as theMeredith census-designated place, and is located at the junction ofU.S. Route 3 andNew Hampshire Route 25 at the head of Meredith Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee.
Meredith was first known as "Palmer's Town" in honor of Samuel Palmer, a teacher ofsurveying andnavigation who laid out much of the land surrounding Lake Winnipesaukee. In 1748, it was one of the first towns to have a charter granted by theMasonian Proprietors. Many grantees were fromSalem, Massachusetts, so Palmer's Town was renamed "New Salem". It was settled in 1766 by Jacob Eaton and Colonel Ebenezer Smith, then regranted in 1768 by GovernorJohn Wentworth and named afterSir William Meredith, 3rd Baronet, a member ofParliament who opposed taxation on thecolonies.
Farmers grewcorn, wheat, rye and potatoes, but the area became noted for apple orchards.
The water rights to the natural Measly Pond Brook (a.k.a. Corliss Brook) was purchased by John Jenness in 1795, and used to power agristmill andsawmill in Meredith Village, though it was not the best local waterpower source.[4][5] The brook drainedLake Waukewan into Lake Winnipesauke.
In 1800, John Bond Swasey inherited a 95-acre (38 ha) farm which covered most of what is now Meredith Village. After his marriage in 1809, he gradually purchased land on both sides of the Measly Pond Brook, related water rights, and several mills.[6]
From 1816 to 1818, Swasey constructed a 600-foot (180 m) rock-lined canal that redirected the flow from Lake Waukewan, and created a 30-foot (9.1 m) drop at a single rock-lined sluiceway at what is now the Mill Falls Marketplace. The new, more powerful waterfall ransawmills,gristmills,cotton mills, and in 1895, theMeredith Electric Light Company.[7][8]
By 1859 Meredith village had asawmill,gristmill,shingle mill,blacksmith shop,harness-maker's shop andtannery. Situated at the outlet ofWickwas Lake, Meredith Center had a sawmill, gristmill and blacksmith shop. Connected by theBoston, Concord & Montreal Railroad in March 1849, the town became a summer resort. Passengers also arrived from theAlton Bay depot aboardsteamboats, the most famous of which was the originalSSMount Washington, launched in 1872. Meredith remains a popular tourist destination.
In 1974, the Swasey family donated land to create Swasey Park on Lake Waukewan near the beginning of the canal.[7]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 54.6 square miles (141.3 km2), of which 40.1 square miles (103.8 km2) are land and 14.5 square miles (37.5 km2), or 26.37%, are water.[1] The highest point in Meredith is the summit of Leavitt Mountain, elevation 1,414 feet (431 m) abovesea level, in the southwestern part of town.
Meredith village is the commercial hub of the town, lying between the northern tip of Meredith Bay (one of several large arms ofLake Winnipesaukee) andLake Waukewan. A second village, Meredith Center, is located near the shores ofLake Wickwas closer to the geographic center of the town. Meredith Center has much less commercial development than Meredith Village, being located near several protected state forests and wildlife areas.
The town is crossed byU.S. Route 3,New Hampshire Route 25,New Hampshire Route 104, andNew Hampshire Route 106. It is bordered by the towns ofSanbornton to the southwest,New Hampton to the west,Center Harbor to the north,Moultonborough to the northeast across Lake Winnipesaukee,Gilford to the southeast, andLaconia to the south.
Like many other towns of theLakes Region, Meredith is dominated by several large bodies of water. About half of the town's southeastern boundary with its neighbor Laconia is occupied byLake Winnisquam, while the northern half of town lies within a peninsula, Meredith Neck, that separates Meredith Bay from the main body of Lake Winnipesaukee, giving Meredith an extensive coastline.Bear Island, the second largest on Winnipesaukee, andStonedam Island, along with dozens of smaller islands are also part of the town. Several smaller lakes lie between Winnipesaukee and Winnisquam, includingWickwas Lake andPemigewasset Lake.Lake Waukewan forms the western edge of the Meredith Village CDP and extends into neighboring New Hampton.
TheKöppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Dfb" (Humid Continental Climate).
| Climate data for Meredith, New Hampshire, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 2009–2020 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 60 (16) | 66 (19) | 82 (28) | 88 (31) | 92 (33) | 94 (34) | 96 (36) | 93 (34) | 92 (33) | 81 (27) | 70 (21) | 61 (16) | 96 (36) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 29.1 (−1.6) | 32.3 (0.2) | 41.2 (5.1) | 54.2 (12.3) | 67.1 (19.5) | 75.4 (24.1) | 80.6 (27.0) | 79.4 (26.3) | 71.4 (21.9) | 57.8 (14.3) | 44.9 (7.2) | 34.1 (1.2) | 55.6 (13.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 21.2 (−6.0) | 23.7 (−4.6) | 32.1 (0.1) | 44.3 (6.8) | 56.2 (13.4) | 65.4 (18.6) | 70.5 (21.4) | 69.1 (20.6) | 61.5 (16.4) | 48.8 (9.3) | 37.6 (3.1) | 27.4 (−2.6) | 46.5 (8.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 13.3 (−10.4) | 15.0 (−9.4) | 23.0 (−5.0) | 34.3 (1.3) | 45.3 (7.4) | 55.3 (12.9) | 60.3 (15.7) | 58.8 (14.9) | 51.6 (10.9) | 39.8 (4.3) | 30.2 (−1.0) | 20.6 (−6.3) | 37.3 (2.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −14 (−26) | −15 (−26) | −3 (−19) | 13 (−11) | 30 (−1) | 35 (2) | 48 (9) | 44 (7) | 34 (1) | 24 (−4) | 1 (−17) | −10 (−23) | −15 (−26) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.34 (85) | 2.84 (72) | 3.45 (88) | 3.89 (99) | 3.76 (96) | 4.53 (115) | 4.36 (111) | 3.99 (101) | 4.10 (104) | 4.92 (125) | 3.96 (101) | 4.23 (107) | 47.37 (1,204) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 18.1 (46) | 19.6 (50) | 15.4 (39) | 4.2 (11) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.8 (2.0) | 3.9 (9.9) | 17.7 (45) | 79.7 (202.9) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 10.3 | 8.6 | 10.3 | 10.9 | 12.4 | 12.7 | 10.6 | 10.0 | 9.8 | 11.0 | 10.4 | 11.5 | 128.5 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 7.5 | 6.8 | 5.8 | 2.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 6.7 | 31.6 |
| Source 1: NOAA[9] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[10] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 881 | — | |
| 1800 | 1,609 | 82.6% | |
| 1810 | 1,940 | 20.6% | |
| 1820 | 2,416 | 24.5% | |
| 1830 | 2,683 | 11.1% | |
| 1840 | 3,344 | 24.6% | |
| 1850 | 3,521 | 5.3% | |
| 1860 | 1,944 | −44.8% | |
| 1870 | 1,807 | −7.0% | |
| 1880 | 1,800 | −0.4% | |
| 1890 | 1,642 | −8.8% | |
| 1900 | 1,713 | 4.3% | |
| 1910 | 1,638 | −4.4% | |
| 1920 | 1,680 | 2.6% | |
| 1930 | 1,902 | 13.2% | |
| 1940 | 2,192 | 15.2% | |
| 1950 | 2,222 | 1.4% | |
| 1960 | 2,434 | 9.5% | |
| 1970 | 2,904 | 19.3% | |
| 1980 | 4,646 | 60.0% | |
| 1990 | 4,837 | 4.1% | |
| 2000 | 5,943 | 22.9% | |
| 2010 | 6,241 | 5.0% | |
| 2020 | 6,662 | 6.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[2][11] | |||
As of the2010 census, there were 6,241 people, 2,708 households, and 1,777 families residing in the town. There were 4,728 housing units, of which 2,020, or 42.7%, were vacant. Of the vacant units, 1,710 were for seasonal or recreational use. Theracial makeup of the town was 97.3% White, 0.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.3% some other race, and 1.0% from two or more races. Of the population, 1.1% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[12]
Of the 2,941 households, 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.4% were headed by married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. Of all households, 27.5% were made up of individuals, and 11.6% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27, and the average family size was 2.71.[12]
In the town, 18.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.8% were from 18 to 24, 19.7% from 25 to 44, 34.9% from 45 to 64, and 20.8% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.[12]
For the period 2011–2015, the estimated median annual income for a household was $63,028, and the median income for a family was $80,076. Male full-time workers had a median income of $62,944 versus $42,734 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $36,510; 12.4% of the population and 8.7% of families were below the poverty line. Of the population, 22.5% under the age of 18 and 7.1% of those 65 or older were living in poverty.[13]
In theNew Hampshire Senate, Meredith is in the 2nd district, represented byRepublicanBob Giuda. On theNew Hampshire Executive Council, Meredith is in the 1st district, represented by RepublicanJoseph Kenney. In theUnited States House of Representatives, Meredith is inNew Hampshire's 1st congressional district, represented byDemocratChris Pappas.
Meredith'sInter-Lakes Middle High School is home to the Inter-Lakes Community Auditorium, which plays host to the Summer Theatre in Meredith Village (formerly the Lakes Region Summer Theater) every summer. Inter-Lakes Elementary School serves children from Meredith and neighboring Center Harbor. The high school also includes students from the town ofSandwich.
Places adjacent to Meredith, New Hampshire | |
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Municipalities and communities ofBelknap County, New Hampshire,United States | ||
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| City |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other villages | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
