Grafton is a
town
A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world.
Origin and use
The word "town" shares an ori ...
in
Grafton County,
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
, United States. The population was 1,385 at the 2020 census.
History
Originally granted in 1761, and re-granted in 1769, Grafton, like the county it resides in, takes its name from
Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton, a relative of colonial governor
Benning Wentworth
Benning Wentworth (July 24, 1696 – October 14, 1770) was an American merchant and colonial administrator who served as the governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766. While serving as governor, Wentworth is best known for issuing several l ...
. Grafton was incorporated in 1778.
Historically, Grafton's economic base consisted of subsistence farming, small-scale industry, and mining. Several mica mines and granite quarries once dotted the town's landscape, most notably
Ruggles Mine
Ruggles Mine is an open-pit mine that was turned into a tourist attraction but is now closed and was recently sold. The mine is located northwest of Concord, New Hampshire, in the town of Grafton, a short distance from Route 4 at the village g ...
.
File:United Mica Company Mill, Grafton Center.jpg, The United Mica Company operated this mill between 1909 and 1916. Image
File:Barney's Store, Grafton Village.jpg, In continuous operation since the 1840s, this store is now known as the Grafton Country Store. Image .
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the town has a total area of , of which are land and are water, comprising 2.20% of the town.
The majority of the town is drained to the east by the
Smith River, a tributary of the
Pemigewasset River
The Pemigewasset River , known locally as "The Pemi", is a river in the state of New Hampshire, the United States. It is in length and (with its tributaries) drains approximately . The name "Pemigewasset" comes from the Abenaki word ''bemijijoase ...
, while the western side of the town drains by several brooks toward the
Mascoma River
The Mascoma River is a river in western New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Connecticut River, which flows to Long Island Sound. The Mascoma comprises two sections which are split by Mascoma Lake in the communities of Enf ...
, a tributary of the
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
.
The highest point in Grafton is the summit of Melvin Mountain, at above
sea level
Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...
in the northeast part of town.
Grafton Pond is in the western part of town.
Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,340 people, 564 households, and 372 families residing in the town. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 32.1 people per square mile (12.4/km
2). There were 839 housing units at an average density of 20.1 per square mile (7.8/km
2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.7%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.3%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.2%
Native American, 0.4%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.1%
some other race, and 2.2% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 1.5% of the population.
There were 564 households, out of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were headed by
married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.4% consisted of someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38, and the average family size was 2.84.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 18.8% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 36.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.1 males.
At the 2000 census, the median income for a household in the town was $38,654, and the median income for a family was $41,875. Males had a median income of $30,074 versus $23,750 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the town was $16,944. About 4.2% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 10.0% of those under age 18 and 4.1% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Grafton is governed by a three-person
select board.
Politics
Grafton County, within which the town of Grafton resides, ranks number 100 in terms of highest property taxes levied in the United States. As of 2019, Grafton itself has the 16th highest property tax rate in the state of New Hampshire.
Grafton is an active hub for
Libertarians
Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's enc ...
as part of the Free Town Project, an offshoot of the
Free State Project
The Free State Project (FSP) is an American political migration movement founded in 2001 to recruit at least 20,000 libertarians to move to a single low-population state (New Hampshire was selected in 2003) in order to make the state a stronghold ...
. Grafton's appeal as a favorable destination was due to its absence of
zoning
Zoning is a method of urban planning in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into areas called zones, each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for a si ...
laws and a very low
property tax
A property tax or millage rate is an ad valorem tax on the value of a property.In the OECD classification scheme, tax on property includes "taxes on immovable property or net wealth, taxes on the change of ownership of property through inheri ...
rate. Grafton was the focus of a movement begun by members of the Free State Project that sought to encourage libertarians to move to the town.
Notable people
*
Monroe Heath
Monroe Heath (March 27, 1827October 21, 1894) was a U.S. politician. He served as Mayor of Chicago, Illinois (1876–1879) for the Republican Party, after winning the 1876 election. He was subsequently reelected the following year, defeating ...
(1827–1894), mayor of Chicago from 1876–1879
*
Myra Belle Martin
Myra Belle Martin (October 6, 1861 – died ) was an American teacher, writer, and financier. Having taught one year in Pennsylvania, six years in Connecticut, and one year in Massachusetts, she was the first woman elected president of the Eastern ...
(1861–?), teacher, writer, financier in late 19th century and early 20th century
*
Cyrus A. Sulloway (1839–1917),
congressman
Sites of interest
*
Ruggles Mine
Ruggles Mine is an open-pit mine that was turned into a tourist attraction but is now closed and was recently sold. The mine is located northwest of Concord, New Hampshire, in the town of Grafton, a short distance from Route 4 at the village g ...
(closed)
References
External links
*
*
New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile
{{Authority control
Towns in Grafton County, New Hampshire
Populated places established in 1778
Towns in New Hampshire