Center Harbor, New Hampshire Facts for Kids

Center Harbor is a small town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. In 2020, about 1,040 people lived there. It's located right between two big lakes: Lake Winnipesaukee and Squam Lake.

History of Center Harbor
Geography and Nature
- Neighboring Towns
Population Changes
What Center Harbor Does
Schools in Center Harbor
Famous People from Center Harbor
Fun Things to Do
See also

History of Center Harbor

Center Harbor became its own town in 1797, separating from New Hampton. The town's name comes from two things. First, it's "centered" between the harbors of Meredith and Moultonborough. Second, a family named Senter owned a lot of land in the area.

Long ago, Center Harbor was a popular summer spot. People would arrive by steamers (boats) on the lake and by stagecoaches. A famous poet, John Greenleaf Whittier, loved visiting Center Harbor. It was also home to Dudley Leavitt, who wrote the very first Farmers' Almanac in 1797. Today, the large paddle steamer, MS Mount Washington, spends its winters in Center Harbor.

Senter House

Something really cool happened here in 1852! Center Harbor hosted the first ever sports competition between two colleges in the United States. Harvard and Yale battled it out in a boat race (called a regatta) on Lake Winnipesaukee. Harvard won that day!

Geography and Nature

Center Harbor covers about 42.1 square kilometers (16.3 square miles). Most of this is land (34.4 km²), but a good part is water (7.7 km²), making up about 18% of the town. It has many miles of shoreline along Squam Lake and also a mile along Lake Winnipesaukee, where its main "harbor" is.

The town center is located near the northeastern edge of Center Harbor. It gently rises from the lake shore where two main roads, Route 25 and Route 25B, meet. The highest point in town is Sunset Hill, which is about 342 meters (1,121 feet) above sea level.

View of the lake from Senter House by Nathan W. Pease

There are also some great natural areas in Center Harbor. The Proctor Wildlife Sanctuary is a 47-acre woodland owned by the Audubon Society. Right next to it is Center Harbor Woods, a 225-acre conservation area. These two areas, plus another nearby property, create almost 400 acres of protected woodlands for animals and plants to thrive.

Neighboring Towns

Center Harbor is next to these towns:

Moultonborough (east)
Meredith (south)
New Hampton (southwest)
Holderness (northwest)

Population Changes

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1800	263	—
1810	349	32.7%
1820	486	39.3%
1830	577	18.7%
1840	584	1.2%
1850	543	−7.0%
1860	484	−10.9%
1870	446	−7.9%
1880	521	16.8%
1890	479	−8.1%
1900	422	−11.9%
1910	420	−0.5%
1920	422	0.5%
1930	382	−9.5%
1940	355	−7.1%
1950	451	27.0%
1960	511	13.3%
1970	540	5.7%
1980	808	49.6%
1990	996	23.3%
2000	996	0.0%
2010	1,096	10.0%
2020	1,040	−5.1%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2000, Center Harbor had 996 people. The population has changed over the years, as you can see in the table. In 2020, the population was 1,040 people. About 21.5% of the people living in Center Harbor were under 18 years old in 2000.

What Center Harbor Does

The Moulton House, c. 1910

The main way Center Harbor makes money is through tourism. Many people visit the town, especially in the summer. You can find restaurants and motels along the shoreline. There's also a beach and a playground in the center of town that both locals and visitors enjoy.

Schools in Center Harbor

Nichols Memorial Library, 2007

Center Harbor used to have a one-room schoolhouse, but it closed in the 1970s. Now, students from Center Harbor go to school in the nearby town of Meredith. They attend Inter-Lakes Elementary School and Inter-Lakes Junior-Senior High School, joining students from Meredith and Sandwich.

From 1963 to 1973, a college called Belknap College was located in Center Harbor. It used old hotels for student dorms.

Steamer Landing, 1906

The town was also home to the Immaculate Conception Apostolic School, which was a boarding school for boys in grades 7 to 12.

Famous People from Center Harbor

Samuel Chamberlain (1829–1908), a general
Phoebe Foster (1896–1975), an actress
Harriet Lane Huntress (1860–1922), worked in public education in New Hampshire
Dudley Leavitt (1772–1851), a publisher
Brad Leighton (born 1962), a NASCAR driver
Maud Worcester Makemson (1891–1977), an astronomer
Penny Pitou (born 1938), an Olympic downhill skier

Fun Things to Do

Center Harbor has a big Fourth of July celebration every year! It includes a road race (even a special race for kids around the library), a parade, a band concert, and amazing fireworks over the lake. The Center Harbor Town Band, which started way back in 1878, plays free concerts on Fridays during the summer. In the winter, the town is a popular spot for snowmobile riders.

Center Harbor, New Hampshire facts for kids

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