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Bennington, New Hampshire
Town
Great Falls, Contoocook River, c. 1905
Great Falls, Contoocook River, c. 1905
Location in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
Country United States
State New Hampshire
County Hillsborough
Incorporated 1842
Area
 • Total 11.6 sq mi (30.0 km2)
 • Land 11.4 sq mi (29.4 km2)
 • Water 0.2 sq mi (0.6 km2)  1.94%
Elevation
659 ft (201 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,501
 • Density 132/sq mi (51.0/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code
03442
Area code(s) 603
FIPS code 33-04900
GNIS feature ID 0873543

Bennington is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,501 at the 2020 census.

The main village of the town, where 338 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined as the Bennington census-designated place (CDP) and is located on the Contoocook River at the intersection of New Hampshire routes 31 and 47.

History

Situated in an area once called Society Land, the town was formed from parts of Deering, Francestown, Greenfield and Hancock. It was named to commemorate the 1777 Battle of Bennington, an American Revolutionary War battle fought in New York near Bennington, Vermont. Bennington, Vermont in turn derived its name from New Hampshire governor Benning Wentworth. The town was incorporated in 1842. The first census, taken in 1850, recorded 541 residents.

Located at the Great Falls of the Contoocook River, which drop 70 feet (21 m) over 1.2 miles (1.9 km), Bennington provided water power for mills. The first gristmill was built in 1782, with a cotton mill in 1810. A tannery and tool manufacturing industry would follow. A factory with paper-making machinery was established in 1835, located at or near the site of the present-day Monadnock Paper Mill. In 1858, the town's industries included a cutlery manufacturer, a gristmill, 2 paper mills and a sawmill. Bennington also had quite a number of farms.

In 1874, plans were underway to build the Peterborough and Hillsborough railroad through Bennington.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 11.3 square miles (29 km2), of which 11.1 sq mi (29 km2) is land and 0.3 sq mi (0.78 km2) is water, comprising 2.30% of the town. Bennington is drained by the Contoocook River, which forms Powder Mill Pond on the southern boundary. The highest point in Bennington is 2,020 feet (620 m) above sea level on Crotched Mountain, whose 2,066-foot (630 m) summit lies just east in Francestown. Bennington lies fully within the Merrimack River watershed.

Transportation

The town is crossed by U. S. Route 202 and state routes 31 and 47. It borders the towns of Deering to the northeast, Francestown to the east, Greenfield to the south, Hancock to the southwest, and Antrim to the west and north.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1850 541
1860 450 −16.8%
1870 401 −10.9%
1880 443 10.5%
1890 542 22.3%
1900 667 23.1%
1910 690 3.4%
1920 568 −17.7%
1930 552 −2.8%
1940 655 18.7%
1950 593 −9.5%
1960 591 −0.3%
1970 639 8.1%
1980 890 39.3%
1990 1,236 38.9%
2000 1,401 13.3%
2010 1,476 5.4%
2020 1,501 1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
BenningtonNH TownHall
Town Hall
Monadnock Paper Mill, Bennington, NH
Monadnock Paper Mill c. 1910

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,476 people, 564 households, and 386 families residing in the town. There were 666 housing units, of which 102, or 15.3%, were vacant. 43 of the vacant units were for seasonal or recreational use. The racial makeup of the town was 97.4% white, 0.4% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.4% some other race, and 1.1% from two or more races. 0.9% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 564 households, 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were headed by married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62, and the average family size was 3.08.

In the town, 25.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.6% were from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.0 males.

For the period 2011–2015, the estimated median annual income for a household was $65,481, and the median income for a family was $75,278. Male full-time workers had a median income of $47,000 versus $39,659 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,071. 4.5% of the population and 4.5% of families were below the poverty line. 2.0% of the population under the age of 18 and 2.4% of those 65 or older were living in poverty.

Economy

Bennington is the home of the Monadnock Paper Mills as well as Crotched Mountain Ski & Ride, a medium-sized ski resort on the Francestown line.

Education

Bennington is part of SAU (School Administrative Unit) #1, which is a school district that includes 9 towns, better known as the Contoocook Valley Regional School District. Students from Bennington attend the following schools:

  • Elementary: Pierce School, located in Bennington
  • Middle: Great Brook School, located in Antrim
  • High: ConVal Regional High School, located in Peterborough

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Bennington (Nuevo Hampshire) para niños

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