Littleton, New Hampshire Facts for Kids

Littleton is a town located in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. It's home to about 6,005 people, according to the 2020 census. Littleton sits at the northern edge of the beautiful White Mountains. The Connecticut River forms its northwest border.

The main part of town, where most people live, is called the Littleton census-designated place (CDP). This area is centered around the crossing of U.S. Route 302 and New Hampshire Route 116, right by the Ammonoosuc River.

Discovering Littleton's Past: A Journey Through History
- How Littleton Got Its Name
- Historic Buildings and Inventions
Exploring Littleton's Landscape: Geography and Nature
- Rivers and Mountains
Littleton's People: Understanding Demographics
- Community Life
Places to Visit: Sites of Interest in Littleton
- Historic Places on the National Register
Getting Around: Transportation in Littleton
Learning in Littleton: Education
Famous Faces: Notable People from Littleton
Images for kids
See also

Discovering Littleton's Past: A Journey Through History

Littleton has a rich history that dates back centuries. In 1764, this area was first called "Chiswick." This old name came from a Saxon word meaning "Cheese Farm." Settlers began to arrive in 1769, making it a new home.

How Littleton Got Its Name

Before it was Littleton, the town was part of Lisbon. In 1770, it was given the name "Apthorp." This was to honor George Apthorp, who owned one of the biggest trading businesses in Boston, Massachusetts. Later, the land went to friends of the Apthorp family from Newburyport, Massachusetts. Colonel Moses Little led this group. He was in charge of surveying the King's Woods. The town was named after him when it officially became a town in 1784. This was also the same year New Hampshire became a state!

Historic Buildings and Inventions

Along the Ammonoosuc River, you can find the Littleton Grist Mill. This historic mill first opened in 1798. It has been fully restored to look just as it did long ago. From 1867 to 1909, a local factory called Kilburn Brothers was famous. They published photographs and special "stereoviews." They also sold stereoscopes, which were popular devices in the Victorian age for viewing 3D pictures.

Exploring Littleton's Landscape: Geography and Nature

Littleton covers a total area of about 139.9 square kilometers (54.0 square miles). Most of this is land, about 129.4 square kilometers (50.0 square miles). The rest, about 10.5 square kilometers (4.1 square miles), is water. This means water makes up about 7.48% of the town.

Rivers and Mountains

The town is watered by the Connecticut River and its smaller river, the Ammonoosuc River. The Connecticut River forms the border between New Hampshire and Vermont. In the northern part of town, the Moore Dam on the Connecticut River creates the Moore Reservoir. The highest point in Littleton is the top of Towns Mountain. It stands at about 2,203 feet (671 meters) above sea level.

Littleton's People: Understanding Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	96	—
1800	381	296.9%
1810	873	129.1%
1820	1,096	25.5%
1830	1,435	30.9%
1840	1,778	23.9%
1850	2,008	12.9%
1860	2,292	14.1%
1870	2,446	6.7%
1880	2,936	20.0%
1890	3,365	14.6%
1900	4,066	20.8%
1910	4,069	0.1%
1920	4,239	4.2%
1930	4,558	7.5%
1940	4,571	0.3%
1950	4,817	5.4%
1960	5,003	3.9%
1970	5,290	5.7%
1980	5,558	5.1%
1990	5,827	4.8%
2000	5,845	0.3%
2010	5,928	1.4%
2020	6,005	1.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the 2010 census, Littleton had 5,928 people living there. There were 2,673 households, which are groups of people living together. The town's population density was about 118.3 people per square mile.

Community Life

About 26.9% of households had children under 18 living with them. Many households, 43.5%, were married couples living together. About 13.5% of households had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. The average household had 2.21 people. The average family had 2.77 people.

The median age in town was 44.1 years. This means half the people were older and half were younger than 44.1.

Places to Visit: Sites of Interest in Littleton

Littleton has many interesting places to see and explore.

Littleton Town Building
Public library with statue of Pollyanna in front
Pollyanna Statue: You can find a bronze statue of Pollyanna downtown. Pollyanna is a famous character created by author Eleanor H. Porter. The statue was unveiled in 2002.
Kilburn Brothers Building: This is where special stereo view cards were made long ago.
The Riverwalk and Covered Bridge: Enjoy a walk along the river and see a charming covered bridge.
Downtown Historical Walk: Explore the town's history with plaques on or near various buildings along Main Street.
GG Allin's Grave Site: This is the burial place of punk musician GG Allin.

Historic Places on the National Register

Several buildings in Littleton are so important that they are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are protected for their historical value.

Littleton Opera House
United States Post Office and Courthouse–Littleton Main
Edward H. Lane House
Thayer's Hotel
Littleton Community House & Annex

Getting Around: Transportation in Littleton

Littleton is easy to reach! You can get to the center of town from three exits off Interstate 93. A fourth exit serves the western part of town, close to the Vermont border. U.S. Route 302 also runs through the town center as its Main Street. Since 2006, Littleton has also had a public bus route. This bus connects Littleton with nearby towns like Whitefield and Lancaster.

Learning in Littleton: Education

Littleton has its own school district, called the Littleton School District. This district operates Littleton High School, where students attend.

Famous Faces: Notable People from Littleton

Many interesting people have connections to Littleton.

Ann E. Bailie (born 1935), a mathematician who worked for NASA.
Michael Cryans, a member of the Executive Council of New Hampshire.
Rich Gale (born 1954), a baseball pitcher who played for five different MLB teams.
Hugh Gallen (1924–1982), the 74th governor of New Hampshire.
Geoffrey Hendricks (1931–2018), an artist known for his work with Fluxus.
Erin Hennessey (born 1976), a state senator.
Benjamin W. Kilburn (1827–1909), a machinist, veteran, photographer, and publisher of stereoscopic images.
Eleanor H. Porter (1868–1920), the author of the popular books Pollyanna and Pollyanna Grows Up.
Melinda Rankin (1811–1888), a missionary, teacher, and writer.
Tor Seidler (born 1952), a well-known children's author.
Elizabeth Rowell Thompson (1821–1899), a generous person who gave money to good causes.
Jack Tilton (1951–2017), an art dealer.