Stoddard, New Hampshire | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Stone Arch Bridge | |
 Seal | |
 Location inCheshire County, New Hampshire | |
| Coordinates:43°04′43″N72°06′52″W / 43.07861°N 72.11444°W /43.07861; -72.11444 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Hampshire |
| County | Cheshire |
| Incorporated | 1774 |
| Villages |
|
| Government | |
| • Board of Selectmen |
|
| • Town Administrator | Michelle L. Pong |
| Area | |
• Total | 53.1 sq mi (137.4 km2) |
| • Land | 50.9 sq mi (131.9 km2) |
| • Water | 2.1 sq mi (5.5 km2) 3.99% |
| Elevation | 1,427 ft (435 m) |
| Population (2020)[2] | |
• Total | 1,374 |
| • Density | 27/sq mi (10.4/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP codes | 03464 (Stoddard) 03457 (Nelson) |
| Area code | 603 |
| FIPS code | 33-73700 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0873725 |
| Website | www |
Stoddard is atown inCheshire County,New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,374 at the2020 census,[2] up from 1,232 at the2010 census.[3]
Between 1842 and 1873, the town was home to four glass manufacturers. The glass produced by these works, now known asStoddard glass, is noted for its deep amber colors and design. Stoddard glass products are highly prized by collectors.[4]
This territory was first granted in 1752 to Colonel Sampson Stoddard ofChelmsford, Massachusetts, and others as "Monadnock Number 7". It was known locally as "Limerick" before being incorporated as Stoddard in 1774, in honor of Colonel Stoddard.[5]
Colonel Stoddard was appointed to survey southwestern New Hampshire by the colonial government, receiving several land grants for the service. One of his surveying assistants wasBenjamin Pierce, father of U.S. PresidentFranklin Pierce. Colonel Stoddard never lived in the town of Stoddard.[6]
The town was first settled in 1768 by John and Martha Taggart, immigrants fromDerry, Ireland. Three years later, the Richardson family joined the Taggarts in Stoddard. By 1774, the town had 24 residents.[7]
The first census taken in Stoddard, in 1790, reported 701 residents.[8] The town's first schoolhouses were built in 1792.[9] The first post office was established in 1822; Isaac Duncan was the first Postmaster.[9]
In 1800, Stoddard's 1,148 residents outnumbered those of the nearby county seat ofKeene. During Stoddard's glass-manufacturing years, 800 people were employed by the industry.[10] After the Stoddard glass industry ended in the early 1870s, the town's population declined; by 1960, the census recorded 146 residents.[11] As of 2010[update], the town had 1,232 residents.[3]
Between 1840 and 1873, Stoddard was a center of glass manufacturing, home to four glass factories whose products are prized by collectors today. The town's abundant forests fed the industry's need for the 1,200 °F (650 °C) temperatures necessary to melt sand into glass. Stoddard also had plenty of clear, fine sand. The sand's trace minerals gave Stoddard glass its unique hues:manganese produced the olive green and amber colors most closely associated with Stoddard glass, andoxide of gold created a red-amber glass.[10]
The glass houses were located in two settlements within Stoddard: Joseph Foster's and the South Stoddard Glass Company were located in South Stoddard, which was located near the present-day intersection of state Routes 9 and 123. The Granite Glass Company and the New Granite Glass Works were located in Mill Village, near the present town center.[12]
Among the wide variety of glass pieces turned out by the glass houses wereMasonic flasks, containers for liquor andpatent medicines, and bottles formineral water bottled inSaratoga Springs, New York.[13] However, the fame of Stoddard glass does not come primarily from these commercial items, but from the "off-blown" pieces made byglassblowers at the end of the workday using leftover glass. These items, sometimes called "whimseys", could be anything desired by the glassblower, and were the property of the glassblower.[14]
Several factors led to the demise of Stoddard's glass industry in the early 1870s. Other manufacturers had mastered the chemistry needed to create clear glass in quantity; gas and coal were now viable fuels for glassworks, eliminating the need for nearby forests; and improvements in mechanical manufacturing techniques made hand-blown glass economically unviable.[15] Thesilica in Stoddard's sand prevented its use in making clear glass, which was in high demand after it became viable for bottles and glassware following theCivil War.[16]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 53.1 square miles (137.4 km2), of which 50.9 square miles (131.9 km2) are land and 2.1 square miles (5.5 km2) are water, comprising 3.99% of the town.[1] The western portion of the town is drained by tributaries of theAshuelot River, which flows to theConnecticut River. The central and eastern portions of town drain to theNorth Branch of theContoocook River and eventually to theMerrimack River. Major water bodies in the town includeHighland Lake andIsland Pond in the northeast andGranite Lake on the southern border.
TheMonadnock-Sunapee Greenway passes through the western side of the town (near Center Pond) and continues onward toward the highest point in Stoddard, the summit ofPitcher Mountain (at 2,162 feet (659 m) above sea level).
The town is crossed byNew Hampshire Route 9 from northeast to southwest, and byNew Hampshire Route 123, which passes through the town center, from southeast to northwest.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 701 | — | |
| 1800 | 1,148 | 63.8% | |
| 1810 | 1,132 | −1.4% | |
| 1820 | 1,203 | 6.3% | |
| 1830 | 1,159 | −3.7% | |
| 1840 | 1,006 | −13.2% | |
| 1850 | 1,105 | 9.8% | |
| 1860 | 944 | −14.6% | |
| 1870 | 667 | −29.3% | |
| 1880 | 553 | −17.1% | |
| 1890 | 400 | −27.7% | |
| 1900 | 367 | −8.2% | |
| 1910 | 257 | −30.0% | |
| 1920 | 213 | −17.1% | |
| 1930 | 113 | −46.9% | |
| 1940 | 218 | 92.9% | |
| 1950 | 200 | −8.3% | |
| 1960 | 146 | −27.0% | |
| 1970 | 242 | 65.8% | |
| 1980 | 482 | 99.2% | |
| 1990 | 622 | 29.0% | |
| 2000 | 928 | 49.2% | |
| 2010 | 1,232 | 32.8% | |
| 2020 | 1,374 | 11.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[2][17] | |||
As of the census[18] of 2000, there were 928 people, 400 households, and 268 families residing in the town. The population density was 18.2 people per square mile (7.0/km2). There were 939 housing units at an average density of 18.5 per square mile (7.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.88%White, 0.32%African American, 1.29%Native American, 0.43%Asian, 0.11%Pacific Islander, 0.22% fromother races, and 0.75% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.54% of the population.
There were 400 households, out of which 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% were married couples living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.76.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.2% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 30.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,639, and the median income for a family was $48,125. Males had a median income of $31,343 versus $25,227 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,617. About 5.3% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.3% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.
Residents of Stoddard attending public high and middle schools go toKeene High School andKeene Middle School, respectively, inKeene. Public elementary school students attend James M. Faulkner Elementary School in Stoddard.
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Places adjacent to Stoddard, New Hampshire | |
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Municipalities and communities ofCheshire County, New Hampshire,United States | ||
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| City |  | |
| Towns | ||
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| Other villages | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
