Ossipee, New Hampshire | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Center Ossipeec. 1909 | |
 Seal | |
 Location inCarroll County,New Hampshire | |
| Coordinates:43°41′05″N71°07′02″W / 43.68472°N 71.11722°W /43.68472; -71.11722 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Hampshire |
| County | Carroll |
| Incorporated | 1785 |
| Villages |
|
| Government | |
| • Board of Selectmen |
|
| • Town Administrator | Matthew T. Sawyer Jr. |
| Area | |
• Total | 75.3 sq mi (195.0 km2) |
| • Land | 70.5 sq mi (182.5 km2) |
| • Water | 4.8 sq mi (12.4 km2) 6.38% |
| Elevation | 682 ft (208 m) |
| Population (2020)[2] | |
• Total | 4,372 |
| • Density | 62/sq mi (24/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP codes | |
| Area code | 603 |
| FIPS code | 33-58740 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0873694 |
| Website | www |
Ossipee is atown inCarroll County,New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,372 at the2020 census.[2] It is thecounty seat of Carroll County.[3] Ossipee, which includes several villages, is a resort area and home to part of Pine River State Forest.
Originally known as "Wigwam Village", and then "New Garden", the town was named for the OssipeeIndians, one of the twelveAlgonquian tribes. It was once the site of an Indianstockade fort, designed to protect the tribe from theMohawks in the west. In 1725, the Indian stockade was destroyed, and then rebuilt by CaptainJohn Lovewell. The new fort was one of the largest inNew England. The fort was located where the second green of Indian Mound Golf now is. Wood, ramrods and the brass bolt used for the gate were discovered when the course was built. On February 22, 1785, thelegislature incorporated Ossipee as a town.[4]
Although the surface of the town is "rough and uneven, and in some parts rocky and mountainous," farmers found it suitable forpasturage, as well as for cultivatingwheat andpotatoes. Principal goods wereproduce,lumber andcattle. In 1859, when the population was 2,123, Ossipee contained twelvesawmills, fivegristmills, twelveclapboard and shingle mills, onebedstead factory, one door factory, asash andblind factory, onepaper mill and fourtanneries.[5] ThePortsmouth, Great Falls & Conway Railroad in 1871 reached Ossipee Corner, with service extended in 1875 toCenter Ossipee. The trains brought commerce and tourists, helping the town develop as a summer resort.Railroad service, however, would be discontinued in 1961 for passengers, and in 1972 for freight.[6]
The town shares its name with theOssipee Mountains, a circular mountain range marking the location of an ancient volcanicring dike, which borders it on the west. Ossipee is a major source ofsand andgravel, transported byrailroad toBoston.
Ossipee claims to be the home of the firstsnowmobile. In 1917, Virgil D. White set up to create a patent for his conversion kit that changed theFord Model T into a "snowmobile". He also copyrighted the term "snowmobile". At the time, the conversion kit was expensive, costing about $395. Virgil White applied his patent in 1918 and created his own snowmobile. In 1922, his conversion kit was on the markets and available only through Ford dealerships.[7]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 75.3 square miles (195.0 km2), of which 70.5 square miles (182.5 km2) are land and 4.8 square miles (12.4 km2) are water, comprising 6.38% of the town.[1] Ossipee is drained by theOssipee River and its tributaries.Ossipee Lake, in the northeastern part of the town, is the source of the Ossipee River and receives its tributaries thePine,Beech,Bearcamp andLovell rivers. The highest point in Ossipee is 2,080 feet (630 m) abovesea level on an unnamed ridge in the Ossipee Mountains in the western part of town.
The town is crossed by state routes16,25,28 and171.
The two primary settlements in town areCenter Ossipee, located near the southern junction of routes 16 and 25, and Ossipee Corner (shown as "Ossipee" on topographic maps), located 5 miles (8 km) south of Center Ossipee at the junction of routes 28 and 171 and close to Route 16. Other villages includeWest Ossipee, at the northern junction of routes 16 and 25 near the border with Tamworth; Moultonville, directly west of Center Ossipee; and Water Village, along Route 171 near the border with Tuftonboro.
According to theKöppen climate classification, Ossipee has awarm-summer humid continental climate (abbreviatedDfb).
| Climate data for Ossipee, 1991–2020 simulated normals (476 ft elevation) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 30.0 (−1.1) | 33.3 (0.7) | 41.5 (5.3) | 54.7 (12.6) | 67.1 (19.5) | 75.7 (24.3) | 80.8 (27.1) | 79.5 (26.4) | 71.6 (22.0) | 58.5 (14.7) | 46.0 (7.8) | 35.4 (1.9) | 56.2 (13.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 19.6 (−6.9) | 21.4 (−5.9) | 30.4 (−0.9) | 43.0 (6.1) | 54.9 (12.7) | 63.9 (17.7) | 69.1 (20.6) | 67.3 (19.6) | 59.5 (15.3) | 47.5 (8.6) | 36.5 (2.5) | 26.2 (−3.2) | 44.9 (7.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 9.0 (−12.8) | 9.7 (−12.4) | 19.4 (−7.0) | 31.1 (−0.5) | 42.6 (5.9) | 52.2 (11.2) | 57.2 (14.0) | 55.2 (12.9) | 47.3 (8.5) | 36.3 (2.4) | 27.0 (−2.8) | 17.1 (−8.3) | 33.7 (0.9) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.38 (85.76) | 3.17 (80.61) | 3.72 (94.44) | 4.11 (104.49) | 3.65 (92.73) | 4.34 (110.30) | 4.21 (106.88) | 3.79 (96.28) | 3.77 (95.74) | 5.22 (132.67) | 4.11 (104.41) | 4.39 (111.48) | 47.86 (1,215.79) |
| Averagedew point °F (°C) | 11.7 (−11.3) | 12.0 (−11.1) | 19.0 (−7.2) | 29.1 (−1.6) | 41.9 (5.5) | 53.1 (11.7) | 58.8 (14.9) | 57.9 (14.4) | 51.4 (10.8) | 39.2 (4.0) | 28.0 (−2.2) | 19.0 (−7.2) | 35.1 (1.7) |
| Source: PRISM Climate Group[8] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 339 | — | |
| 1800 | 1,143 | 237.2% | |
| 1810 | 1,330 | 16.4% | |
| 1820 | 1,988 | 49.5% | |
| 1830 | 1,935 | −2.7% | |
| 1840 | 2,170 | 12.1% | |
| 1850 | 2,123 | −2.2% | |
| 1860 | 1,997 | −5.9% | |
| 1870 | 1,822 | −8.8% | |
| 1880 | 1,782 | −2.2% | |
| 1890 | 1,630 | −8.5% | |
| 1900 | 1,479 | −9.3% | |
| 1910 | 1,354 | −8.5% | |
| 1920 | 1,122 | −17.1% | |
| 1930 | 1,230 | 9.6% | |
| 1940 | 1,498 | 21.8% | |
| 1950 | 1,412 | −5.7% | |
| 1960 | 1,409 | −0.2% | |
| 1970 | 1,647 | 16.9% | |
| 1980 | 2,465 | 49.7% | |
| 1990 | 3,309 | 34.2% | |
| 2000 | 4,211 | 27.3% | |
| 2010 | 4,345 | 3.2% | |
| 2020 | 4,372 | 0.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] | |||
As of thecensus of 2010, there were 4,345 people, 1,826 households, and 1,165 families residing in the town. There were 3,057 housing units, of which 1,231, or 40.3%, were vacant. 1,045 of the vacant units were for seasonal or recreational use. The racial makeup of the town was 97.1%white, 0.4%African American, 0.3%Native American, 0.6%Asian, 0.0%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.1% some other race, and 1.5% from two or more races. 1.0% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.[10]
Of the 1,826 households, 25.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were headed bymarried couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28, and the average family size was 2.76.[10]
In the town, 19.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.7% were from 18 to 24, 20.6% from 25 to 44, 34.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.4% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.3 males.[10]
For the period 2011–2015, the estimated median annual income for a household was $46,203, and the median income for a family was $60,758. Male full-time workers had a median income of $43,009 versus $37,468 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $24,443. 17.9% of the population and 14.7% of families were below the poverty line. 16.8% of the population under the age of 18 and 12.7% of those 65 or older were living in poverty.[11]
The largest employers are Carroll County Government, Hannaford, Affinity, and Ossipee Aggregates.[12]
Ossipee has alow-power community radio station, 102.3 FM WGGG-LP, which began in 2024.[citation needed]
Places adjacent to Ossipee, New Hampshire | |
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Municipalities and communities ofCarroll County, New Hampshire,United States | ||
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| Towns |  | |
| Township | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other villages | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
