Somersworth is a city located in Strafford County, New Hampshire, in the United States. In 2020, about 11,855 people lived here. Somersworth is the smallest city in New Hampshire by land area. It also has the third-lowest population among New Hampshire's 13 cities.

History of Somersworth
Geography of Somersworth
Population and People
Education in Somersworth
- School System Structure
- History of Schools
Notable People from Somersworth
Places to Visit in Somersworth
Images for kids
See also

History of Somersworth

Early Settlement and Name Change

Before Europeans arrived, the area of Somersworth was home to the Abenaki people. These Native Americans spoke Algonquian. They were part of the Wabanaki Confederacy and lived along the Newichwanook, which is now the Salmon Falls River.

Around the year 1700, colonists from Britain settled here. They named the area "Sligo" after a place in Ireland. It was part of Dover at first. In 1729, the community was called "Summersworth". This name meant "summer town" because ministers often preached there during the summer.

In 1754, colonial governor Benning Wentworth officially made it a separate town. Until 1849, it also included Rollinsford. A small mistake happened when the town was officially formed. The name was shortened to "Somersworth". In 1893, it became a city. Before that, it was also known as "Great Falls".

The Rise of Mill Towns

High Street, c. 1910

Somersworth is located where the Salmon Falls River drops about 100 feet (30 meters) over a mile. This made it a perfect spot for mill towns. Early mills included gristmills (for grinding grain) and sawmills (for cutting wood).

In 1822, two brothers from Boston, Isaac and Jacob Wendell, bought a gristmill and its water rights. They paid $5,000 for it. They started the Great Falls Manufacturing Company. This company made textiles, which are fabrics. They built three mills to spin thread and weave cotton and wool. They were known for making "drillings, shirtings, and sheetings".

Throughout the 1800s, more large brick mill buildings were built along the river. These included a bleachery and a dye works. The bleachery was the longest-running textile business in Somersworth. It turned the natural buff-colored fabric into sparkling white material. This white fabric could then be dyed or printed.

A gate house at the dam controlled the water flow. It sent water into the river or into a company canal. This canal had gates that sent water under the mills. The power of the water turned wheels and belts, which operated the mill machinery. The railroad came to Somersworth in the early 1840s. Before that, goods were transported to Dover by carts.

Workers and Decline

At first, people from nearby farms worked in the mills. Many were women, including some from Berwick, Maine, just across the bridge. As more workers were needed, immigrants came from Ireland and later Quebec. The company rented brick tenement row houses to employee families. Many children worked in the mills with their parents before child labor laws were created.

For fun, workers could go to the Opera House or Central Park. Central Park was an amusement park by Willand Pond. In the early 1870s, the Portsmouth, Great Falls & Conway Railroad offered trips to the White Mountains. In 1890, the Electric Street Railway arrived. This allowed people to take trolley rides to York Beach, Maine.

In 1922, the mills in Somersworth closed during the 1922 New England Textile Strike. This strike happened because of a planned wage cut and longer work hours.

Later in the 1900s, the textile industry in New England started to decline. New energy sources replaced water power. Cotton could be made where it grew, saving money on transportation. Labor was also cheaper in the South. The South did not have New Hampshire's inventory tax on things like coal and cotton.

The Great Depression caused many textile companies to go out of business. Some local buildings were then used for shoemaking. The Great Falls Manufacturing Company's main mill was updated for other uses in the 1980s. However, the bleachery had a huge fire in November 2003. Firefighters from 23 departments in New Hampshire and Maine helped put it out. Today, Aclara Technologies has a factory in Somersworth. It makes modern electric meters for the energy business.

Somersworth was at its busiest during the mill era. Even though it is often overshadowed by larger nearby cities like Dover and Rochester, Somersworth still has many beautiful Victorian buildings from its successful past. Some old homes, especially in the historic area called "The Hill", have been restored. Today, Somersworth is mostly a bedroom community. This means many people who live here travel to work in other cities or at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The upper part of High Street is still growing as a shopping area, with several large big-box chain stores.

One ship of the United States Navy was named after the city. The USS Somersworth (PCE(R)-849) was a patrol craft. It was put into service in April 1944. In February 1956, it was named after Somersworth. The ship stayed in service until September 1965. It was even present when Japan surrendered in Tokyo Bay at the end of World War II.

Geography of Somersworth

Location and Natural Features

Somersworth is located in the eastern part of Strafford County. It is at coordinates 43°15′14″N 70°52′32″W.

The city covers a total area of about 10.0 square miles (25.9 square kilometers). Of this, 9.8 square miles (25.4 square kilometers) is land, and 0.2 square miles (0.5 square kilometers) is water. Water makes up about 1.96% of the city's total area.

The Salmon Falls River forms the northeastern border of Somersworth. This river also marks the state line with Maine. The highest point in Somersworth is Prospect Hill. It is just west of the city center and has an elevation of about 310 feet (94 meters) above sea level. The city's reservoir is built on this hill.

Roads and Transportation

New Hampshire Route 9 (High Street) is the main road that goes through Somersworth. It leads north into Berwick, Maine, and south into Dover.

New Hampshire Route 108 passes through the western part of the city. It goes northwest to Rochester and south to Dover. New Hampshire Route 236 (West High Street) goes west from downtown to NH 108.

Public transportation in Somersworth is provided by the Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation.

Neighboring Towns and Cities

Somersworth shares borders with several other towns and cities:

Berwick, Maine (to the north)
Rollinsford (to the southeast)
Dover (to the southwest)
Rochester (to the northwest)

Population and People

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	943	—
1800	932	−1.2%
1810	878	−5.8%
1820	841	−4.2%
1830	3,090	267.4%
1840	3,283	6.2%
1850	4,943	50.6%
1860	4,787	−3.2%
1870	4,504	−5.9%
1880	5,586	24.0%
1890	6,207	11.1%
1900	7,023	13.1%
1910	6,704	−4.5%
1920	6,688	−0.2%
1930	5,680	−15.1%
1940	6,136	8.0%
1950	6,927	12.9%
1960	8,529	23.1%
1970	9,026	5.8%
1980	10,350	14.7%
1990	11,249	8.7%
2000	11,477	2.0%
2010	11,766	2.5%
2020	11,855	0.8%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2020, there were 11,855 people living in Somersworth. The city had 5,325 housing units.

In 2020, the population was mostly white (82.4%). Other groups included Asian (7.3%), African American (1.8%), and Native American (0.3%). About 6.1% of people were from two or more races. About 4.3% of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.

In 2010, there were 11,766 people living in the city. There were 4,862 households. About 31.6% of these households had children under 18 living with them. The average household size was 2.42 people.

About 23.2% of residents were under 18 years old. About 11.8% were 65 years or older. The average age in the city was 37.8 years.

Education in Somersworth

School System Structure

The Somersworth School District includes several schools:

Somersworth High School (for grades 9–12)
Somersworth Middle School (for grades 6–8)
Two elementary schools: Idlehurst Elementary School and Maple Wood Elementary School.

History of Schools

Somersworth's first high school opened in 1850. It was located at 17 Grand Street. Hilltop School was built in 1927 at the same spot. It replaced the original high school. Later, Hilltop School was changed into an elementary school.

In 1999, the Hilltop School had many fire safety problems. The city was given three years to fix them. But the school district did not fix the problems. In August 2007, the upper floors of the school were closed by the state fire marshal. This happened because the city still had not fixed the issues they were warned about in 2006.

The closure meant that students had to start school more than two weeks late. Three portable classrooms were brought in for "2 years" in 2007. However, students were still using these portable classrooms in 2010.

In 2007, the Somersworth School Board decided to build a new school to replace Hilltop. In February 2009, the Somersworth City Council approved $19.9 million to build the new elementary school. This new school was named Idlehurst. It opened for the 2011–2012 school year.

In May 2019, Somersworth Middle School was named the 2019 Middle School of the Year. This award came from the New Hampshire Department of Education. The middle school, led by Principal Dana Hilliard, won for its excellent education. It was praised for helping students learn and grow emotionally.

Notable People from Somersworth

Many interesting people have come from Somersworth:

Fred H. Brown (1879–1955) – A US senator and the 59th governor of New Hampshire.
Stuart Chase (1888–1985) – An economist and engineer.
John Alfred Hayes (1839–1913) – A Civil War surgeon and officer.
Edward H. Rollins (1824–1889) – A businessman and politician.
John Sullivan (1740–1795) – A Founding Father, major general in the Continental Army, and a delegate to the Continental Congress.
John Wentworth Jr. (1745–1787) – A Founding Father, lawyer, and New Hampshire delegate to the Continental Congress. He signed the Articles of Confederation.
Hopley Yeaton (1739–1812) – The first officer commissioned in the Revenue Cutter Service, which later became the United States Coast Guard.