Litchfield, New Hampshire Facts for Kids

Originally known as Naticook, the name was changed to Brenton's Farm in 1729 when the land was granted to William Brenton, colonial governor of Rhode Island. The town was incorporated in 1734. After Brenton's death in 1749, the land was granted to another group of settlers and named Litchfield after George Henry Lee, Earl of Lichfield.

Wiseman Claget moved to his substantial estates here shortly before the Revolution. He was involved in the temporary government serving as the only Solicitor General, the post being abolished shortly before his death in 1784.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 15.4 square miles (40 km²), of which 15.1 sq mi (39 km²) is land and 0.3 sq mi (0.78 km²) is water, comprising 2.27% of the town. The highest point in Litchfield is the summit of Rocky Hill, at 357 feet (109 m) above sea level. The town is bordered to the north by Manchester, to the east by Londonderry in Rockingham County, to the south by Hudson, and to the west by Merrimack, with the Merrimack River separating the two towns. There is no bridge connecting Litchfield and Merrimack; the closest river crossings are to the south between Nashua and Hudson, and to the north between Manchester and Bedford.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	357	—
1800	372	4.2%
1810	382	2.7%
1820	465	21.7%
1830	505	8.6%
1840	481	−4.8%
1850	447	−7.1%
1860	352	−21.3%
1870	345	−2.0%
1880	291	−15.7%
1890	252	−13.4%
1900	243	−3.6%
1910	255	4.9%
1920	213	−16.5%
1930	286	34.3%
1940	341	19.2%
1950	427	25.2%
1960	721	68.9%
1970	1,420	96.9%
1980	4,150	192.3%
1990	5,516	32.9%
2000	7,360	33.4%
2010	8,271	12.4%
2020	8,478	2.5%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 7,360 people, 2,357 households, and 2,031 families residing in the town. The population density was 487.5 people per square mile (188.2/km²). There were 2,389 housing units at an average density of 158.3 per square mile (61.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.72% White, 0.53% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.15% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.83% of the population.

There were 2,357 households, out of which 53.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.3% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.8% were non-families. 9.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 1.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.12 and the average family size was 3.35.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 33.4% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 37.8% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 3.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $73,302, and the median income for a family was $76,931. Males had a median income of $46,809 versus $33,488 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,203. About 2.2% of families and 2.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Two New Hampshire state highways cross Litchfield:

New Hampshire Route 3A closely parallels the Merrimack River, entering the town from Hudson in the south, and leaving the town into Manchester in the north. It is known as the Charles Bancroft Highway through the town.
New Hampshire Route 102 (Derry Road) crosses the extreme southeast corner of town. It enters Hudson at both borders.

Though the town borders Merrimack on the west, it cannot be directly accessed as there are no bridges across the river. Access to Londonderry, to the east of Litchfield, is primarily via Hillcrest Road, which is the main east-west thoroughfare across central Litchfield.

Litchfield has no air or rail transport within the town limits. The nearest commercial airport is Manchester–Boston Regional Airport along the border of Londonderry and Manchester, which is close to the northern border of Litchfield. The nearest rail service is the Lowell Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, which can be accessed at the Charles A. Gallagher Transit Terminal in Lowell, Massachusetts. The nearest Amtrak stations are Boston's North Station or South Station. There was a trolley that ran through Litchfield in the early 20th century, but it was long since discontinued and fallen into disrepair. There are few remnants left, including a portion of rail trail and a dilapidated trolley bridge within Parker Park.

Education

There are three public schools in Litchfield:

Griffin Memorial School (K–4)
Litchfield Middle School (5–8)
Campbell High School (9–12)

Notable people

Clifton Clagett (1762–1829), US congressman
Jack McQuesten (1836–1909), Alaskan and Yukon pioneer and explorer
Jennifer Simard (born 1970), Tony Award nominated actress

Images for kids

Extent of Old Dunstable (dashed line), which included much of modern-day Litchfield

Litchfield, New Hampshire facts for kids

Contents

History