Chesterfield, New Hampshire

Town in New Hampshire, United States

Chesterfield, New Hampshire
Town
Main Street in 1909
Location in Cheshire County, New Hampshire
Coordinates: 42°53′14″N 72°28′13″W / 42.88722°N 72.47028°W / 42.88722; -72.47028Coordinates: 42°53′14″N 72°28′13″W / 42.88722°N 72.47028°W / 42.88722; -72.47028
Country	United States
State	New Hampshire
County	Cheshire
Incorporated	1752
Villages	Chesterfield Spofford West Chesterfield
Government
• Board of Selectmen	Jon McKeon, Chairman Jeanny Aldrich Norman VanCor
Area
• Total	47.6 sq mi (123.2 km2)
• Land	45.6 sq mi (118.0 km2)
• Water	2.0 sq mi (5.2 km2)  4.21%
Elevation	853 ft (260 m)
Population (2010)
• Total	3,604
• Density	76/sq mi (29/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP codes	03443 (Chesterfield) 03462 (Spofford) 03466 (West Chesterfield)
Area code(s)	603
FIPS code	33-12260
GNIS feature ID	0873565
Website	www.nhchesterfield.com

Chesterfield is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,604 at the 2010 census.^[1] It includes the villages of Spofford and West Chesterfield. Chesterfield is home to Spofford Lake, Chesterfield Gorge Natural Area, and parts of Pisgah State Park and Wantastiquet Mountain State Forest.

Contents

• 
  1 History
  


• 
  2 Geography
  


• 
  3 Demographics
  


• 
  4 Sites of interest
  


• 
  5 Notable people
  


• 
  6 References
  


• 
  7 External links
  

History

Granted in 1735 by Governor Jonathan Belcher of Massachusetts, this town was the site of Fort Number 1, first in the line of forts bordering the Connecticut River. After the border between Massachusetts and New Hampshire was fixed, the town was incorporated on 11 February 1752^[2] by Governor Benning Wentworth as Chesterfield, named for Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield. The first settlers were Moses Smith and William Thomas, who, with their families, came up the Connecticut in canoes, in the fall of 1761. Their chief subsistence through the winter and spring of their first year in the wilderness consisted of salmon and shad, of which there was a great abundance in the river, and deer, which were numerous in the forests.^[2] The town contains some of the finest farmland in Cheshire County, yet once was home to small manufacturing, notably spinning wheel parts and handtools.^[3]

In 1772, Philip Embury conducted the first Methodist religious services in New Hampshire at the James Robertson farm in Chesterfield, and in 1803, Francis Asbury preached here. Asbury Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is recognized for its historic puritan design. Asbury Church is considered the "Mother Church of Methodism" in New Hampshire, and is the oldest Methodist church in New Hampshire. The town has had continual Methodist Sunday services for over 225 years.^[4]

Chesterfield Academy, established in 1794, was for decades one of the most celebrated in the state.^[5]Spofford Lake is one of the region's largest and oldest resorts.

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  Granite Cottage in 1907, Spofford Lake
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Summer cottages on Spofford Lake in 1917
  

  
  

  
  


• 
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Pine Grove Springs Hotel, Spofford Lake in 1913
  

  
  

  
  

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 47.6 square miles (123 km²), of which 45.6 sq mi (118 km²) is land and 2.0 sq mi (5.2 km²) (4.21%) is water. Chesterfield is bounded on the west by the Connecticut River. The highest point in the town is near its southern border, atop Davis Hill, at 1,427 feet (435 m) above sea level. Chesterfield lies fully within the Connecticut River watershed.^[6]

The town is served by state routes 9 and 63.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1790	1,905		—
1800	2,161		13.4%
1810	1,839		−14.9%
1820	2,110		14.7%
1830	2,040		−3.3%
1840	1,765		−13.5%
1850	1,680		−4.8%
1860	1,434		−14.6%
1870	1,289		−10.1%
1880	1,173		−9.0%
1890	1,046		−10.8%
1900	981		−6.2%
1910	770		−21.5%
1920	601		−21.9%
1930	704		17.1%
1940	591		−16.1%
1950	970		64.1%
1960	1,405		44.8%
1970	1,817		29.3%
1980	2,561		40.9%
1990	3,112		21.5%
2000	3,542		13.8%
2010	3,604		1.8%
Est. 2017	3,566	[7]	−1.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]

As of the census^[9] of 2000, there were 3,542 people, 1,366 households, and 1,005 families residing in the town. The population density was 77.7 people per square mile (30.0/km²). There were 1,632 housing units at an average density of 35.8 per square mile (13.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.80% White, 0.23% African American, 0.56% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.08% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.56% of the population.

There were 1,366 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.5% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.4% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the town, the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 30.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $51,351, and the median income for a family was $58,516. Males had a median income of $44,087 versus $26,547 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,051. About 4.9% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

Sites of interest

• Asbury Church (1844)


• Chesterfield Gorge Natural Area


• Pisgah State Park


• Madam Sherri Forest

Notable people

• 
  Theodore Davis, merchant, surveyor and politician


• 
  William H. Haile, businessman and politician


• 
  Broughton Harris, Vermont newspaper editor and businessman who was one of the Runaway Officials of 1851 as Secretary of the Utah Territory
  


• 
  Larkin Goldsmith Mead, sculptor


• 
  John Davis Pierce, educator


• 
  Harlan Fiske Stone, 52nd Attorney General and 12th chief justice U.S. Supreme Court


• 
  Winthrop E. Stone, professor and college president


• 
  Charles Tazewell, children's author


• 
  Hoyt Henry Wheeler, judge

References

1. 
   ^ United States Census Bureau, American FactFinder, 2010 Census figures. Retrieved March 23, 2011.
   


2. 
   ^ ^ab Article in Statistics and Gazetteer of New-Hampshire (1875)
   


3. 
   ^ Coolidge, Austin J.; John B. Mansfield (1859). A History and Description of New England. Boston, Massachusetts. pp. 444–445..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/12px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#33aa33;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
   


4. 
   ^ History of Asbury United Methodist Church Archived January 13, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
   


5. 
   ^ History of Chesterfield, Cheshire County, New Hampshire
   


6. 
   ^ Foster, Debra H.; Batorfalvy, Tatianna N.; Medalie, Laura (1995). Water Use in New Hampshire: An Activities Guide for Teachers. U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Geological Survey.
   


7. 
   ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2017 (PEPANNRES): Minor Civil Divisions – New Hampshire". Retrieved November 14, 2018.
   


8. 
   ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
   


9. 
   ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
   

External links

• Town of Chesterfield official website


• Chesterfield Public Library


• Chesterfield Historical Society


• New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile

Places adjacent to Chesterfield, New Hampshire
Dummerston, Vermont Westmoreland Keene Chesterfield Swanzey Brattleboro, Vermont Hinsdale and Winchester Winchester

v t e Municipalities and communities of Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States
County seat: Keene
City	Keene
Towns	Alstead Chesterfield Dublin Fitzwilliam Gilsum Harrisville Hinsdale Jaffrey Marlborough Marlow Nelson Richmond Rindge Roxbury Stoddard Sullivan Surry Swanzey Troy Walpole Westmoreland Winchester
CDPs	Hinsdale Jaffrey Marlborough North Walpole Troy Walpole West Swanzey Winchester
Other villages	Ashuelot Chesham Drewsville East Swanzey Munsonville Poocham Spofford West Chesterfield

v t e Connecticut River watershed
Tributaries	Connecticut Blackledge River Coginchaug River Connecticut River Duck River Eightmile River Falls River Farmington River Hockanum River Hubbard River Jeremy River Lieutenant River Mattabesset River Nepaug River Pameacha Creek Park River Pequabuck River Salmon River Scantic River Massachusetts Burnshirt River Chapel Brook Chicopee River Connecticut River Cranberry River Deerfield River East Brookfield River Farmington River Fall River Five Mile River Green River Hubbard River Manhan River Mill River (Northampton) Mill River (Springfield) Millers River Mirey Brook North Branch Millers River North Branch Westfield River North River Otter River Quaboag River Scantic River Seven Mile River Tarbell Brook Ware River Westfield River New Hampshire Ammonoosuc River Ashuelot River Blow-me-down Brook The Branch Cold River Connecticut River East Branch Mohawk River Gale River Great Brook Halls Stream Ham Branch Indian River Indian Stream Israel River Johns River Knox River Little River Little Sugar River Mascoma River Millers River Mink Brook Mirey Brook Mohawk River Nash Stream North Branch Gale River North Branch Millers River North Branch Sugar River North Branch Upper Ammonoosuc River Oliverian Brook Otter Brook Partridge Brook Perry Stream Phillips Brook Simms Stream South Branch Ashuelot River South Branch Gale River South Branch Israel River South Branch Sugar River Stocker Brook Sugar River Tarbell Brook Upper Ammonoosuc River West Branch Mohawk River West Branch Upper Ammonoosuc River Wild Ammonoosuc River Zealand River Vermont Black River Connecticut River Deerfield River Fall River Green River Halls Stream Leach Creek Moose River Nulhegan River Ompompanoosuc River Ottauquechee River Passumpsic River Rock River Saxtons River Utley Brook Waits River Wells River West River Whetstone Brook White River Williams River Winhall River
Lakes	Connecticut Barkhamsted Reservoir Lake Beseck Lake Hayward Lake Pocotopaug Massachusetts Brooks Pond Browning Pond Lake Monomonac Lake Wyola Quabbin Reservoir New Hampshire Ashuelot Pond Back Lake Canaan Street Lake Cedar Pond Christine Lake Comerford Reservoir Connecticut Lakes Crystal Lake Dublin Pond Eastman Pond Echo Lake Goose Pond Grafton Pond Granite Lake Lake Francis (Murphy Dam) Lake Monomonac Lake Sunapee Lake Tarleton Lakes of the Clouds Little Sunapee Lake Mascoma Lake McIndoes Reservoir Moore Reservoir Pearly Lake Silver Lake Spofford Lake Surry Mountain Lake Vermont Ball Mountain Lake Comerford Reservoir Harriman Reservoir Harvey's Lake Lake Rescue McIndoes Reservoir Moore Reservoir North Hartland Lake Townshend Lake
Towns	Connecticut Chester Cromwell Deep River East Haddam East Hampton East Hartford East Windsor Enfield Essex Glastonbury Haddam Hartford Higganum Lyme Middletown Moodus Old Lyme Old Saybrook Portland Rocky Hill South Windsor Suffield Thompsonville Wethersfield Windsor Windsor Locks Massachusetts Agawam Chicopee Deerfield Easthampton Gill Greenfield Hadley Hatfield Holyoke Longmeadow Millers Falls Montague Northampton Northfield South Hadley Springfield Sunderland Turners Falls West Springfield Whately New Hampshire Bath Charlestown Chesterfield Claremont Clarksville Colebrook Columbia Cornish Dalton Groveton Hanover Haverhill Hinsdale Lancaster Lebanon Littleton Lyme Monroe Northumberland Orford Piermont Pittsburg Plainfield Stewartstown Stratford Walpole West Lebanon Westmoreland Woodsville Quebec East Hereford Vermont Ascutney Barnet Beecher Falls Bellows Falls Bloomfield Bradford Brattleboro Brunswick Canaan Concord Dummerston Fairlee Gilman Guildhall Hartford Hartland Lemington Lunenburg Maidstone Newbury Norwich Putney Rockingham Ryegate Springfield Thetford Vernon Waterford Weathersfield Wells River Westminster White River Junction Wilder Windsor
Crossings	Amtrak Old Saybrook – Old Lyme Bridge Arch Bridge Bulkeley Bridge Calvin Coolidge Bridge Canalside Rail Trail Bridge Cheshire Bridge Columbia Bridge Cornish–Windsor Covered Bridge Dexter Coffin Bridge French King Bridge Gill–Montague Bridge Janice Peaslee Bridge Ledyard Bridge Morey Memorial Bridge Mount Orne Covered Bridge Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge Piermont Bridge Pittsburg–Clarksville Covered Bridge Ranger Bridge Raymond E. Baldwin Bridge Sunderland Bridge Wells River Bridge

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