Hampstead, New Hampshire Facts for Kids

Hampstead is a town located in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. In 2020, about 8,998 people lived here. The town includes the small area known as East Hampstead. A part of the Rockingham Recreational Trail, which is a popular path for walking and biking, also runs through Hampstead.

History of Hampstead
Geography and Natural Features
- Ponds and Waterways
- Neighboring Towns
Population and Demographics
Transportation Routes
Education in Hampstead
Notable People from Hampstead
See also

History of Hampstead

Main Street in 1914, East Hampstead

Hampstead was first settled in 1640. It used to be part of two towns in Massachusetts: Haverhill and Amesbury. The border between Massachusetts and New Hampshire was officially set in 1739. This decision helped create the town of Hampstead.

The area was first called "Timberlane Parish." This name came from the many tall, native trees that grew there. In 1749, the colonial governor, Benning Wentworth, officially made it a town. He renamed it Hampstead after a place in England. This English Hampstead was where William Pitt, a close friend of the governor, lived.

The Hampstead Meetinghouse was built between 1749 and 1768. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Hampstead was also home to the first honey factory in the United States, which opened in 1816.

Geography and Natural Features

Hampstead covers a total area of about 36.5 square kilometers (14.1 square miles). Most of this area is land, about 34.8 square kilometers (13.4 square miles). The rest, about 1.7 square kilometers (0.7 square miles), is water. This means water makes up about 4.72% of the town's total area.

Ponds and Waterways

Several ponds are located in Hampstead. Island Pond is in the southwest part of town. Wash Pond is closer to the center, and Angle Pond is on the northern border. The highest point in Hampstead is over 460 feet (140 meters) above sea level. This spot is in the northwestern corner of town, near Butman Hill.

Most of Hampstead's water flows into the Merrimack River. However, some areas, like those east of Butman Hill, drain into the Piscataqua River. Hampstead is also home to Camp Tel Noar, a summer camp located on Wash Pond, also known as Sunset Lake.

Neighboring Towns

Hampstead shares its borders with several other towns:

Sandown (to the north)
Danville (to the northeast)
Kingston (to the east)
Plaistow (to the southeast)
Atkinson (to the south)
Derry (to the west)

Population and Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	724	—
1800	790	9.1%
1810	738	−6.6%
1820	751	1.8%
1830	913	21.6%
1840	890	−2.5%
1850	789	−11.3%
1860	930	17.9%
1870	935	0.5%
1880	950	1.6%
1890	860	−9.5%
1900	823	−4.3%
1910	796	−3.3%
1920	670	−15.8%
1930	775	15.7%
1940	823	6.2%
1950	902	9.6%
1960	1,261	39.8%
1970	2,401	90.4%
1980	3,785	57.6%
1990	6,732	77.9%
2000	8,297	23.2%
2010	8,523	2.7%
2020	8,998	5.6%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2000, there were 8,297 people living in Hampstead. These people lived in 3,044 households, with 2,279 of them being families. The population density was about 240 people per square kilometer (623 people per square mile).

Many households, about 41.1%, had children under 18 living with them. Most households, 66.2%, were married couples. The average household had 2.72 people, and the average family had 3.19 people.

The median age in Hampstead was 38 years old. About 28.9% of the population was under 18. About 9.3% of the population was 65 or older.

Transportation Routes

Three main New Hampshire state routes pass through Hampstead, making it easy to travel to and from the town.

NH 111 goes from the southwest to the northeast part of town. It connects Hampstead to Atkinson in the southwest and Danville in the northeast.
NH 121 runs through the western side of town from north to south. Locally, it's known as Main Street and Stage Road. This route connects Hampstead to Chester in the north and Atkinson in the south.
NH 121A crosses the northeastern corner of town, passing through the village of East Hampstead. It connects Danville in the north and Plaistow in the south. People in town know it as Sandown Road and East Main Street.

The closest major airport for air travel is Manchester–Boston Regional Airport. It is located near the towns of Londonderry and Manchester.

Education in Hampstead

Hampstead has several local public schools for younger students:

Hampstead Central School
Hampstead Middle School

For high school, the town of Hampstead pays for its students to attend Pinkerton Academy. This high school is located in Derry. Pinkerton Academy serves as the public high school for Hampstead students.

There is also a private school in Hampstead called Hampstead Academy.

Notable People from Hampstead

Lauren Chooljian (born 1987), a radio journalist.
Andy Seuss (born 1987), a professional NASCAR driver.

Hampstead, New Hampshire facts for kids

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