Chester, New Hampshire Facts for Kids

Chester is a town located in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, in the United States. It's a part of the beautiful New England region. In 2020, about 5,232 people lived here. Chester was once home to Chester College, which is no longer open.

History of Chester
Geography of Chester
Population and People
- Population Growth
Education in Chester
Transportation in Chester
Notable People from Chester
See also

History of Chester

Early Settlement (1719-1722)

Chester is known as one of New Hampshire's older towns. In 1719, about 80 people, mostly from Portsmouth and Hampton, decided to claim land in an area called "Chesnut Country." They sent three men to stay on the land to hold it until they could get a legal right to own it.

After some challenges, they received a grant for a large area of land, about 10 miles (16 km) square. Soon after, new settlers from Rye and Hampton began to build homes. Some of these early settlers included Samuel Ingalls, Jonathan Goodhue, and Jacob Sargent. They helped the new settlement grow and succeed.

Becoming a Town

On May 8, 1722, the area, which had been called Cheshire, officially became a town and was named Chester. At that time, it was very large, covering over 120 square miles (310 km²). The name "Chester" might come from Chester, a county town in Cheshire, England. The Prince of Wales even holds a special title called "Earl of Chester."

Changes Over Time

Over the years, parts of Chester became separate towns. For example, Candia was set off from Chester in 1763. In 1822, a small part of Hooksett was taken from Chester. Later, in 1845, a section of Chester known as Long Meadows became its own town called Auburn.

The Common around 1910
Town Hall in 1913
Blacksmith Shop in 1909
Chester Street around 1910

Geography of Chester

Chester is located in the southeastern part of New Hampshire, within Rockingham County. The highest point in town is a hill west of Bell Hill, reaching at least 467 feet (142 meters) high.

The town covers a total area of about 26.2 square miles (67.7 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with only a small part being water. The Exeter River starts in Chester. Water from Chester flows into two main river systems: the Piscataqua River watershed and the Merrimack River watershed. A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains into a common river or lake.

Population and People

Population Growth

Chester has seen its population grow quite a bit over the years. Here's a look at how many people have lived in Chester during different census years:

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	1,902	—
1800	2,046	7.6%
1810	2,030	−0.8%
1820	2,262	11.4%
1830	2,039	−9.9%
1840	1,304	−36.0%
1850	1,301	−0.2%
1860	1,275	−2.0%
1870	1,153	−9.6%
1880	1,136	−1.5%
1890	958	−15.7%
1900	861	−10.1%
1910	818	−5.0%
1920	652	−20.3%
1930	653	0.2%
1940	702	7.5%
1950	807	15.0%
1960	1,053	30.5%
1970	1,382	31.2%
1980	2,006	45.2%
1990	2,691	34.1%
2000	3,792	40.9%
2010	4,768	25.7%
2020	5,232	9.7%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2000, there were 3,792 people living in Chester. Many families lived there, with about 45% of households having children under 18. The average household had about three people. The median age in town was 36 years old.

Education in Chester

Students in elementary and middle school attend Chester Academy, which is a public school. For high school, students from Chester go to Pinkerton Academy in Derry. Pinkerton Academy is a private school that serves students from several nearby towns, including Chester, Derry, Auburn, Candia, Hooksett, and Hampstead.

Transportation in Chester

Chester has several important roads that help people travel in and out of town.

NH 102 runs through Chester, connecting it to Derry in the southwest and Raymond in the northeast.
NH 121 goes through Chester, linking Auburn in the west to Hampstead in the southeast.
NH 121A starts in Chester and heads east into Sandown.

Notable People from Chester

Many interesting people have come from Chester, New Hampshire:

Charles H. Bell (1823–1893) was a governor of New Hampshire.
John Bell (1765–1836) was also a governor of New Hampshire.
Samuel Bell (1770–1850) was another governor of New Hampshire and John Bell's brother.
Samuel Newell Bell (1829–1889) was a congressman.
Timothy Dexter (1747–1806) was a unique businessman and writer.
Daniel Chester French (1850–1931) was a famous sculptor.
George Cochrane Hazelton (1832–1922) and Gerry Whiting Hazelton (1829–1920) were brothers who both became congressmen from Wisconsin.
Arthur Livermore (1766–1853) was a congressman.

Chester, New Hampshire facts for kids

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