Wakefield, New Hampshire | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location inCarroll County,New Hampshire | |
| Coordinates:43°34′06″N71°01′47″W / 43.56833°N 71.02972°W /43.56833; -71.02972 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Hampshire |
| County | Carroll |
| Incorporated | 1774 |
| Villages |
|
| Government | |
| • Board of Selectmen |
|
| • Town Administrator | Dino A. Scala |
| Area | |
• Total | 44.9 sq mi (116.3 km2) |
| • Land | 39.6 sq mi (102.6 km2) |
| • Water | 5.3 sq mi (13.6 km2) 11.71% |
| Elevation | 680 ft (210 m) |
| Population (2020)[2] | |
• Total | 5,201 |
| • Density | 131/sq mi (50.7/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP codes | |
| Area code | 603 |
| FIPS code | 33-78180 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0873743 |
| Website | www |
Wakefield is atown inCarroll County,New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,201 at the2020 census.[2] The town includes the villages of Wakefield Corner (the original town center),East Wakefield, North Wakefield,Sanbornville,Union, Woodman and Province Lake. Wakefield Corner, popular with tourists, is a picturesque hilltop village of antique buildings. The state of Maine forms the eastern border of Wakefield.
Initially anative settlement, Wakefield was attacked byJohn Lovewell duringFather Rale's War. Settled later by colonists fromDover andSomersworth, the town was granted in 1749 byJohn Mason. It was called "East Town" before being incorporated as Wakefield in 1774 by GovernorJohn Wentworth.Wakefield, inYorkshire, England, is nearWentworth Castle, the home of the Wentworth ancestors.
The New Hampshire town developed as an importantsledge andstage stop between theseacoast and theWhite Mountains. The Wakefield Inn, built in 1804 beside the principaltrade route through Wakefield Corner, remains operating today.[3]
Although the soil was considered "stubborn",farmers made it productive.Lumber became a chief product, and by 1859 there were fivesawmills, fivegristmills, and tenshingle,clapboard andplaning mills.Shoemaking was another local industry.[3] When thePortsmouth, Great Falls and Conway Railroad arrived in 1871,[4] the center of Wakefield shifted from Wakefield Corner to Sanbornville, which today remains the retail district of town.[5]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 44.9 square miles (116.3 km2), of which 39.6 square miles (102.6 km2) are land and 5.3 square miles (13.6 km2) are water, comprising 11.71% of the town.[1]
Wakefield is at the head of several river systems. The northwestern part of the town is drained by thePine River, a northwestward-flowing tributary ofOssipee Lake, which flows out to the east as theOssipee River.Pine River Pond in Wakefield serves as the river's headwaters. The northernmost corner of town is inProvince Lake, which drains north into theSouth River, a tributary of the Ossipee River. Belleau Lake andBalch Pond drain the northeastern part of the town, flowing east into theLittle Ossipee River in Maine, another tributary of the Ossipee River. Via the Ossipee, the north half of Wakefield is part of theSaco River watershed.Great East Lake is in the southeastern part of Wakefield, extending into Maine. The lake's outlet is the headwaters of theSalmon Falls River, forming the New Hampshire-Maine boundary, and flowing south into Horn Pond.Lovell Lake, in the south-central part of the town, flows out to the west via theBranch River through Sanbornville. The river then turns south through Union Meadows in the southernmost part of the town, on its way to join the Salmon Falls River inMilton. Via the Salmon Falls, the southern half of Wakefield is part of thePiscataqua River watershed, reaching the Atlantic Ocean atPortsmouth. Of Wakefield's lakes, Province, Balch, Great East, and Horn Pond span theMaine border. The highest point in Wakefield is the summit of Long Mountain, at 1,110 feet (340 m) abovesea level, along the town's western border.
Five named villages are within the town limits: Sanbornville, Wakefield village proper ("Wakefield Corner"), East Wakefield, North Wakefield and Union. Sanbornville, the primary settlement in the town, lies at the west end of Lovell Lake, next to the lake's outlet. The village is at the intersection of New Hampshire Routes109 and153.Route 16 bypasses the village to the west. Wakefield village occupies a hill just north of Sanbornville on Route 153. The village of Union occupies the southernmost corner of the town, at the intersection of Route 153 and Route 16 (at the northern end of theSpaulding Turnpike). East Wakefield is on Route 153, containing the land east of Pine River Pond and north to theEffingham town line. North Wakefield lies along Route 16 on the west side of Pine River Pond near the town line withOssipee.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 646 | — | |
| 1800 | 835 | 29.3% | |
| 1810 | 1,166 | 39.6% | |
| 1820 | 1,518 | 30.2% | |
| 1830 | 1,470 | −3.2% | |
| 1840 | 1,596 | 8.6% | |
| 1850 | 1,405 | −12.0% | |
| 1860 | 1,478 | 5.2% | |
| 1870 | 1,185 | −19.8% | |
| 1880 | 1,392 | 17.5% | |
| 1890 | 1,528 | 9.8% | |
| 1900 | 1,645 | 7.7% | |
| 1910 | 1,543 | −6.2% | |
| 1920 | 1,335 | −13.5% | |
| 1930 | 1,186 | −11.2% | |
| 1940 | 1,158 | −2.4% | |
| 1950 | 1,267 | 9.4% | |
| 1960 | 1,223 | −3.5% | |
| 1970 | 1,420 | 16.1% | |
| 1980 | 2,237 | 57.5% | |
| 1990 | 3,057 | 36.7% | |
| 2000 | 4,252 | 39.1% | |
| 2010 | 5,078 | 19.4% | |
| 2020 | 5,201 | 2.4% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[2][6] | |||
As of thecensus[7] of 2000, there were 4,252 people, 1,685 households, and 1,213 families residing in the town. The population density was 108.1 inhabitants per square mile (41.7/km2). There were 3,331 housing units at an average density of 84.7 per square mile (32.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.21%White, 0.09%African American, 0.45%Native American, 0.19%Asian, 0.19% fromother races, and 0.87% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.56% of the population.
There were 1,685 households, out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% weremarried couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $42,500, and the median income for a family was $45,774. Males had a median income of $35,804 versus $24,898 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $21,507. About 5.1% of families and 7.1% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859.
Places adjacent to Wakefield, New Hampshire | |
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Municipalities and communities ofCarroll County, New Hampshire,United States | ||
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| Other villages | ||
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