Goffstown is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. In 2020, about 18,577 people lived there. The main part of town, called the Goffstown census-designated place, is where about 3,366 people lived in 2020. It's located where New Hampshire routes 114 and 13 meet.

Goffstown also includes the villages of Grasmere and Pinardville. The town is home to Saint Anselm College and its New Hampshire Institute of Politics. It also hosts the fun Goffstown Giant Pumpkin Regatta!

Discovering Goffstown's Past
Exploring Goffstown's Geography
- Neighboring Towns
Goffstown's Population Over Time
Arts and Fun in Goffstown
- The Goffstown Giant Pumpkin Regatta
Getting Around Goffstown
Learning in Goffstown
- Schools for Kids and Teens
- College Education
Famous People from Goffstown
See also

Discovering Goffstown's Past

Main Street in 1887

The Uncanoonuc Hotel in 1910

Long before English settlers arrived, Native American people lived in this area for thousands of years. They used the rivers for fishing and the land for hunting.

The town was first given as "Narragansett No. 4" in 1734. This was by the colonial governor, Jonathan Belcher. It was meant for soldiers who fought in a war in 1675. However, some people found the land too poor for settling.

The community was later called "Piscataquog Village" and "Shovestown." In 1748, it was given to new settlers. These included Rev. Thomas Parker and Colonel John Goffe. The town was named after Colonel Goffe. Goffstown officially became a town on June 16, 1761.

In the early days, much of the town was covered with valuable trees. Cutting timber and fishing were the main jobs for the first settlers. The village of Grasmere was named after a village in England. This English village was home to famous poets like William Wordsworth.

Early Churches and Leaders

A Congregational church was started around 1771. The town helped pay for preaching. Most people were Congregationalists. Some people in the south were Scots-Irish and were Presbyterian. A meeting house was built in 1768.

In 1781, the Congregationalists and Presbyterians formed separate groups. Later, in 1802, David L. Morril became a minister for both groups. Morril was also a very important leader. He was elected to the state house, then as a U.S. senator, and in 1824, he became the governor of New Hampshire.

Industry and Rivers

The Piscataquog River flows through the main village of Goffstown. This river provided water power for many businesses. By 1817, Goffstown had 20 sawmills, seven grain mills, and other factories. These included textile mills that made cloth.

In 1859, Goffstown was described as having mostly flat land. The Uncanoonuck Mountains were the only notable hills. The Piscataquog River was important for mills. Large amounts of timber were sent down this river. The forests also provided masts for the English navy.

The New Hampshire Central Railroad also passed through Goffstown. There were three villages: Goffstown, Goffstown Centre, and Parker's Mills. The town had churches, schools, stores, and mills.

The Uncanoonuc Incline Railway

Incline Railway around 1914

The Uncanoonuc Mountains in Goffstown once had a special train called the Uncanoonuc Incline Railway. It started in 1903. In 1907, it began carrying tourists to the top of the south peak. A hotel, the Uncanoonuc Hotel, was built there. It had many rooms and a dining area. Guests could see amazing views of the valley, including Manchester. An electric trolley connected Manchester to the railway's base.

The hotel burned down in 1923. Later, the train was used to take skiers to the top. The railway was most popular in the 1930s and 1940s. It was stopped by the 1950s. Today, the south peak summit has many television and radio towers.

Railroad History

Grasmere Village is located on the Piscataquog River in eastern Goffstown. The Hillsborough County Railroad Station was in Grasmere. This station received goods by train in the late 1800s and early 1900s. There were two other train stations in Goffstown: one near the town center and Parker's Station further west.

The railroad line through Goffstown was built by the New Hampshire Central Railroad. It later became part of the Boston & Maine Railroad. In 1937, part of the track was closed due to flood damage and fewer passengers.

The remaining track from Goffstown to Manchester was used for freight. Businesses like Homgas, New Hampshire Doors Co., and Merrimack Farmers Exchange used this line. In 1976, the town's famous railroad covered bridge burned down. This stopped train service to the town center. The last freight train left Goffstown in 1980. The tracks were removed in the following years.

In the early 2000s, the old rail lines were turned into trails for biking and walking. This is part of a "rails-to-trails" effort.

The County Farm and Prison

Goffstown was the home of the New Hampshire State Prison for Women until 2018.

On a ridge overlooking the Piscataquog River, there was once a place called the Poor Farm. In 1849, it became the Hillsborough County Farm. This was a home for people who were poor, sick, or unable to care for themselves. It served as a residence for people needing help until 1924. There is a cemetery there today with numbered headstones.

The County Farm grounds were later used for the New Hampshire State Prison for Women. This prison was located at 317 Mast Road until 2018.

Exploring Goffstown's Geography

Goffstown is in southern New Hampshire, in the eastern part of Hillsborough County. It is directly west of Manchester, which is New Hampshire's largest city. Concord, the state capital, is about 16 miles north.

The town center is on the Piscataquog River. This is near where New Hampshire Route 13 and 114 meet. The village of Grasmere is in the east-central part of town. The neighborhood of Pinardville is in the southeast. It connects with the city of Manchester.

Westlawn Cemetery

Goffstown covers about 97.4 square kilometers (37.6 square miles). Most of this is land, with about 1.5 square kilometers (0.6 square miles) of water. The Uncanoonuc Mountains are twin peaks in the southwest. The north peak is the highest point in Goffstown, at about 1,324 feet (404 meters) above sea level.

The Piscataquog River and Black Brook flow through Goffstown. All of the town's water flows into the Merrimack River watershed.

Neighboring Towns

Goffstown shares borders with several other towns:

Dunbarton (north)
Hooksett (northeast)
Manchester (east)
Bedford (south)
New Boston (west)
Weare (northwest)

Goffstown's Population Over Time

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	1,275	—
1800	1,612	26.4%
1810	2,000	24.1%
1820	2,173	8.7%
1830	2,218	2.1%
1840	2,366	6.7%
1850	2,270	−4.1%
1860	1,740	−23.3%
1870	1,656	−4.8%
1880	1,690	2.1%
1890	1,981	17.2%
1900	2,528	27.6%
1910	2,579	2.0%
1920	2,391	−7.3%
1930	3,839	60.6%
1940	4,247	10.6%
1950	5,638	32.8%
1960	7,230	28.2%
1970	9,284	28.4%
1980	11,315	21.9%
1990	14,621	29.2%
2000	16,929	15.8%
2010	17,651	4.3%
2020	18,577	5.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2010, there were 17,651 people living in Goffstown. There were 6,068 households, which are groups of people living together. About 32.5% of households had children under 18. Most households (57.9%) were married couples.

The average household had 2.56 people. The average family had 3.00 people. About 19.8% of the population was under 18. About 12.8% was 65 or older. The average age in town was 39.0 years.

From 2011 to 2015, the average yearly income for a household was about $70,870. For a family, it was about $86,061.

Arts and Fun in Goffstown

Goffstown has a place called Apotheca Flower & Tea. It's a cafe, art gallery, and flower shop. It's located in the old Goffstown Village Train Depot. Local and global artists show their work here. It's also a popular spot for politicians to visit.

The Goffstown Historical Society teaches about the town's past. It's in the former Parker Depot Store. You can visit it on Saturdays.

Recycled Percussion is a band from Goffstown. They came in third place on America's Got Talent. The band often helps with community events in Goffstown. YouTuber and animated film director Griffin “The” Hansen is also from Goffstown. He filmed his shows Cartoons VS Cancer and Cartoons VS COVID in his bedroom.

The Goffstown Giant Pumpkin Regatta

Participants in the 2014 Goffstown Giant Pumpkin Regatta.

Every October, Goffstown hosts a special event called the Goffstown Giant Pumpkin Regatta. It's also known as the Giant Pumpkin Weigh-Off and Regatta. This event lasts for two days.

On Saturday, farmers from all over New England bring their giant pumpkins to be weighed. The person with the biggest pumpkin can win $10,000! After the weigh-off, the pumpkins are hollowed out. Local businesses buy them to use in the regatta.

On Sunday, the hollowed-out pumpkins are put into the Piscataquog River. They are raced up and down the river. People from local businesses ride inside the pumpkins. They often wear costumes and decorate their pumpkins. This fun event started in 2000. It even inspired a similar event in Damariscotta, Maine.

Getting Around Goffstown

Three main New Hampshire State Routes pass through Goffstown:

NH 13 connects to New Boston in the west. It joins NH 114 at Main Street. They stay together through the center of town. NH 13 then continues north on High Street to Dunbarton.
NH 114 connects to New Boston and Weare in the west. It follows North Mast Road. It joins NH 13 at the intersection of Mast, Elm, Main, and High streets. It then leaves NH 13 on South Mast Road. At the edge of Pinardville, NH 114 turns south.
NH 114A is the main road through Pinardville. It continues along Mast Road from where NH 114 turns south. It connects to Manchester in the east.

Learning in Goffstown

Main entrance to Maple Avenue Elementary School

Alumni Hall at Saint Anselm College

Goffstown is part of the Goffstown School District. This district also works with the New Boston school district.

Schools for Kids and Teens

Glen Lake School is for kindergarten students.
Bartlett and Maple Avenue are elementary schools for grades one through four.
Mountain View Middle School serves students from Goffstown in grades five through eight. It also serves seventh and eighth graders from New Boston.
Students in grades nine through twelve from Goffstown and New Boston go to Goffstown High School.
The Villa Augustina School was a private Catholic school in Goffstown. It was open from 1918 to 2014. It taught children from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade.

College Education

Saint Anselm College is a Benedictine, Catholic college. It focuses on liberal arts. The college has become well-known recently. Its New Hampshire Institute of Politics brings many important people to Goffstown every year. This is especially true for the New Hampshire primary presidential debates, which have been held there since 2004.

Famous People from Goffstown

Jacob M. Appel (born 1973), a writer.
Eben Bartlett (1912–1983), a state representative.
Joseph A. Favazza, the 11th president of Saint Anselm College.
Gordon Hall Gerould (1877–1953), a scholar who studied languages and folklore.
Jennifer Militello, a poet.
Rev. David L. Morril (1772–1849), a U.S. senator and governor of New Hampshire.
Mary Gove Nichols (1810–1884), an activist.
Sandeep Parikh (born 1980), a writer, actor, director, and comedian.
David Pattee (1778–1851), a politician and judge.
William Carey Poland (1846–1929), a classical scholar and educator.
Francis Regis St. John (1908–1971), a library director.

Goffstown, New Hampshire facts for kids

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