Boscawen, New Hampshire | |
|---|---|
 Hannah Duston statue | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location inMerrimack County and the state ofNew Hampshire. | |
| Coordinates:43°18′54″N71°37′15″W / 43.31500°N 71.62083°W /43.31500; -71.62083 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Hampshire |
| County | Merrimack |
| Incorporated | 1760 |
| Government | |
| • Select Board |
|
| • Town Administrator | Katie Phelps |
| Area | |
• Total | 25.53 sq mi (66.12 km2) |
| • Land | 24.89 sq mi (64.46 km2) |
| • Water | 0.64 sq mi (1.66 km2) 2.50% |
| Elevation | 319 ft (97 m) |
| Population (2020)[2] | |
• Total | 3,998 |
| • Density | 160/sq mi (62/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP code | 03303 |
| Area code | 603 |
| FIPS code | 33-06260 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0873547 |
| Website | www |
Boscawen is atown inMerrimack County,New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,998 at the2020 census.[2]
The nativePennacook people called the areaContoocook, meaning "place of the river near pines". In March 1697,Hannah Duston and her nurse, Mary Neff, were captured byAbenaki Indians and taken to a temporary village on an island at the confluence of theContoocook andMerrimack rivers, at the site of what is now Boscawen. In late April, Duston and two other captives killed ten of the Abenaki family members holding them hostage, including six children, and escaped by canoe toHaverhill, Massachusetts.[3]
On June 6, 1733, GovernorJonathan Belcher granted the land to John Coffin and 90 others, most fromNewbury, Massachusetts. Settled in 1734, the community soon had ameetinghouse,sawmill,gristmill andferry across theMerrimack River. Agarrison offered protection, but raiding parties during theFrench and Indian Wars left some dead or carried into captivity.[4]
On April 22, 1760, Contoocook Plantation was incorporated as a town by GovernorBenning Wentworth, who named it forEdward Boscawen, the Britishadmiral who distinguished himself at the 1758Siege of Louisbourg. With a generally level surface, the town provided goodfarmland, and became noted for itsapple,pear andcherryorchards. Bounded by the Merrimack andContoocook rivers, it had abundant sources ofwater power formills.
Industries soon included acotton mill, awoolen factory, nine sawmills, a gristmill, asaw manufacturer andmachine shop, and a chair andmatch factory. Amill town village developed at Fisherville (nowPenacook), which straddled the river border withConcord.[4] In 1846, theNorthern Railroad was built through Boscawen, opening the following winter.[5]
Sometime around 1846, the town's postmaster became one of about a dozen in the country to issue provisionalpostage stamps before the official issue came out in 1847. The stamps were an adaptation of apostmark, simply readingPAID / 5 / CENTS, typeset in blue on a yellowish paper. These are extremely rare; in 2003, the estimated price at auction was US$225,000.[6]
The 1915 Boscawen Public Library was designed by notedBoston architectGuy Lowell.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 25.5 square miles (66.1 km2), of which 24.9 square miles (64.5 km2) are land and 0.66 square miles (1.7 km2) are water, comprising 2.50% of the town.[1] The highest point in Boscawen is an unnamed summit at Raleigh Farm near the town's northern border, where the elevation reaches approximately 930 feet (280 m) abovesea level. The town is drained by theMerrimack River, which forms the town's eastern border, and by theContoocook River, a tributary.
The town is served byU.S. Route 3 andU.S. Route 4.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 1,108 | — | |
| 1800 | 1,414 | 27.6% | |
| 1810 | 1,829 | 29.3% | |
| 1820 | 2,113 | 15.5% | |
| 1830 | 2,093 | −0.9% | |
| 1840 | 1,965 | −6.1% | |
| 1850 | 2,063 | 5.0% | |
| 1860 | 2,274 | 10.2% | |
| 1870 | 1,637 | −28.0% | |
| 1880 | 1,381 | −15.6% | |
| 1890 | 1,487 | 7.7% | |
| 1900 | 1,455 | −2.2% | |
| 1910 | 1,240 | −14.8% | |
| 1920 | 1,260 | 1.6% | |
| 1930 | 1,359 | 7.9% | |
| 1940 | 1,663 | 22.4% | |
| 1950 | 1,857 | 11.7% | |
| 1960 | 2,181 | 17.4% | |
| 1970 | 3,162 | 45.0% | |
| 1980 | 3,435 | 8.6% | |
| 1990 | 3,586 | 4.4% | |
| 2000 | 3,672 | 2.4% | |
| 2010 | 3,965 | 8.0% | |
| 2020 | 3,998 | 0.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[2][7] | |||
According to the 2019–2023American Community Survey five-year estimates, Boscawen had 4,002 residents, 1,356 households, and approximately 854 families.[8] The population density was 160.8/sq mi (62.1/km2). There were 1,389 housing units at an average density of 55.8/sq mi (21.5/km2).
The racial makeup of the town was approximately 96.75%White, 0.55%African American, 1.05%Asian, 0.00%Native American, and 1.65% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were about 1.10% of the population.[9]
Of the 1,356 households, roughly 26.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.0% weremarried couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% were non-families. About 24.0% of all households consisted of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60, and the average family size was about 3.00.
In terms of age distribution, 18.0% of residents were under the age of 18, 7.0% were from 18 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 23.0% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.4 years. For every 100 females, there were about 96 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were about 94 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $80,724, and the median income for a family was $99,408.[10]
Elektrisola Incorporated is the largest source of employment for Boscawen-area residents.
coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859.
Places adjacent to Boscawen, New Hampshire | |
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Municipalities and communities ofMerrimack County, New Hampshire,United States | ||
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| Other communities | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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