Lee, New Hampshire Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Lee, New Hampshire
Town
Lee Town Hall, listed on the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places
Location within Strafford County, New Hampshire
Country	United States
State	New Hampshire
County	Strafford
Settled	1657
Incorporated	1766
Area
• Total	20.2 sq mi (52.3 km²)
• Land	20.0 sq mi (51.8 km²)
• Water	0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²)
Elevation	190 ft (60 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	4,520
• Density	226/sq mi (87.3/km²)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	03861
Area code(s)	603
FIPS code	33-41460
GNIS feature ID	0873644

Lee is a small town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. In 2020, about 4,520 people lived there. It is a quiet, rural area with farms. Many people who live in Lee also work at the nearby University of New Hampshire.

History of Lee
- Early Battles
- Becoming a Town
Geography of Lee
- Rivers and Waterways
- Neighboring Towns
Population of Lee
Notable People from Lee
Places to Visit in Lee
Gallery
See also

History of Lee

Lee was first settled by European people in 1657. It was part of a larger area called Dover back then. The town includes a place called Wheelwright Pond, named after a founder of the town of Exeter, Reverend John Wheelwright.

Early Battles

Wheelwright Pond was the site of an important battle during King William's War. In 1690, Native American groups, encouraged by the French government, attacked Exeter. Soldiers from the Massachusetts Bay Colony chased them and caught up at Wheelwright Pond. A fierce fight happened on July 6, 1690. Many soldiers and Native Americans died during this battle.

Becoming a Town

In 1735, the area that included Lee separated from Dover and became part of Durham. Then, on January 16, 1766, Lee became its own separate town. This happened when Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth gave it a special paper called a charter. Lee was one of the last towns to get a charter from him. It was named after a British General, Charles Lee, who later joined the American Revolution.

Today, many professors and staff from the University of New Hampshire in Durham live in Lee. In 2007, Lee got its own ZIP code, which is 03861.

Geography of Lee

Lee covers about 52.3 square kilometers (20.2 square miles). Most of this area is land (51.8 square kilometers or 20.0 square miles), and a small part is water (0.5 square kilometers or 0.2 square miles).

Rivers and Waterways

Several rivers flow through Lee, including the Lamprey River, North River, and Oyster River. All the water in Lee eventually flows into the Piscataqua River system, which leads to the ocean. The highest point in Lee is a hill southwest of the town center, which is about 58 meters (190 feet) above sea level.

Neighboring Towns

Lee is surrounded by several other towns:

Madbury (to the north)
Durham (to the east)
Newmarket (to the southeast)
Epping (to the southwest)
Nottingham (to the west)
Barrington (to the northwest)

Population of Lee

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	1,029	—
1800	978	−5.0%
1810	1,329	35.9%
1820	1,224	−7.9%
1830	1,009	−17.6%
1840	906	−10.2%
1850	862	−4.9%
1860	871	1.0%
1870	776	−10.9%
1880	715	−7.9%
1890	606	−15.2%
1900	545	−10.1%
1910	479	−12.1%
1920	475	−0.8%
1930	376	−20.8%
1940	481	27.9%
1950	575	19.5%
1960	931	61.9%
1970	1,481	59.1%
1980	2,111	42.5%
1990	3,729	76.6%
2000	4,145	11.2%
2010	4,330	4.5%
2020	4,520	4.4%
U.S. Decennial Census

According to the census from 2000, there were 4,145 people living in Lee. There were 1,466 households, and 1,092 families. About 45.2% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had about 2.81 people.

The population was spread out in terms of age. About 30.9% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age in Lee was 35 years.

Notable People from Lee

Many interesting people have connections to Lee:

Julian Barry (1930-2023) was a writer who was nominated for an Academy Award for the movie Lenny.
Tom Bergeron (born 1955) is a well-known television personality.
Daniel Meserve Durell (1769–1841) was a US congressman who was born in Lee.
Robert Eggers (born 1983) is a director, known for the film The Witch (2015).
Ralph Fletcher (born 1953) is an author who currently lives in Lee.
Ethan Gilsdorf (born 1966) is a writer, poet, and journalist.
Robert Parker Parrott (1804–1877) was an American soldier and inventor of military cannons.
Charles L. Sawyer (1860-1918) was a lawyer and politician in Minnesota.
Henry Tufts (1748–1831) was a famous thief from the 18th century who grew up in Lee.

Places to Visit in Lee

There are several interesting places to visit in Lee:

Bedrock Gardens is a unique garden to explore.
DeMeritt Hill Farm is a farm that hosts Haunted Overload, which won a national Halloween contest in 2014.
Lee Historical Society & Museum is a great place to learn about the town's past.
Lee USA Speedway is a race track where you can watch exciting car races.