North Conway is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the count ...

(CDP) and

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

in eastern Carroll County,

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a 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 to the nor ...

, United States. The population was 2,116 at the 2020 census. A year-round resort area, North Conway is the second-largest village within the town of Conway, after the village of Conway proper. The

White Mountain National Forest The White Mountain National Forest (WMNF) is a federally managed forest contained within the White Mountains in the northeastern United States. It was established in 1918 as a result of the Weeks Act of 1911; federal acquisition of land had alre ...

is to the west and north. Conway is home to Cathedral Ledge (popular with climbers),

Echo Lake State Park Echo Lake State Park is a public recreation area in North Conway, New Hampshire, that features Echo Lake and two rock ledges with scenic views, Cathedral Ledge and White Horse Ledge. Activities include swimming, hiking, non-motorized boating, p ...

, and

Cranmore Mountain Resort Cranmore Mountain Resort, operating in the summer as Cranmore Mountain Adventure Park, is a ski area located in North Conway, New Hampshire, United States. It began operations in 1937, and was owned until 1984 by the Schneider family. During th ...

. North Conway is known for its large number of outlet shops. North_Conway_Village,_New_Hampshire

History

Chartered in 1765 by 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 ...

, the town is named for

Henry Seymour Conway Field Marshal Henry Seymour Conway (1721 – 9 July 1795) was a British general and statesman. A brother of the 1st Marquess of Hertford, and cousin of Horace Walpole, he began his military career in the War of the Austrian Succession. He ...

, ambitious son of a prominent

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

family, who was elected to the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...

at age 20, fought at Culloden, and became Secretary of State. Early settlers called the area

Pequawket The Pequawket (also Pigwacket and many other spelling variants, from Eastern Abenaki ''apíkwahki'', "land of hollows") are a Native American subdivision of the Abenaki people who formerly lived near the headwaters of the Saco River in Carroll ...

(known colloquially as "Pigwacket"), adopting the name of the

Abenaki The Abenaki ( Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are an Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian-speaking people and part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Eastern Abenaki language was pre ...

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

village which stretched down the

Saco River The Saco River (Abenaki: ''Sαkóhki'') is a river in northeastern New Hampshire and southwestern Maine in the United States. It drains a rural area of of forests and farmlands west and southwest of Portland, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean ...

to its stockaded center at

Fryeburg, Maine Fryeburg is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,369 at the 2020 census. Fryeburg is home to Fryeburg Academy, a semi-private preparatory school, and the International Musical Arts Institute. The town is also s ...

. North Conway is in the White Mountains, with

Mount Washington Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at and the most topographically prominent mountain east of the Mississippi River. The mountain is notorious for its erratic weather. On the afternoon of April 12, 1934 ...

to the northwest. The rugged terrain became popular in the 19th century with artists. Their paintings were known collectively as

White Mountain art White Mountain art is the body of work created during the 19th century by over four hundred artists who painted landscape scenes of the White Mountains of New Hampshire in order to promote the region and, consequently, sell their works of art. I ...

, which in turn attracted tourists to the area, particularly after the Portsmouth, Great Falls & Conway Railroad extended service in 1872 to North Conway. In 1874, the line built a

Second Empire Second Empire may refer to: * Second British Empire, used by some historians to describe the British Empire after 1783 * Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1396) * Second French Empire (1852–1870) ** Second Empire architecture, an architectural styl ...

depot Depot ( or ) may refer to: Places * Depot, Poland, a village * Depot Island, Kemp Land, Antarctica * Depot Island, Victoria Land, Antarctica * Depot Island Formation, Greenland Brands and enterprises * Maxwell Street Depot, a restaurant in ...

, designed by Nathaniel J. Bradlee. In 1932, "snow trains" began carrying enthusiasts to "the birthplace of American

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ( ...

", as North Conway is known. Increasing automobile travel brought the decline of trains. The railroad, then part of the

Boston & Maine The Boston and Maine Railroad was a U.S. Class I railroad in northern New England. Originally chartered in 1835, it became part of what was the Pan Am Railways network in 1983 (most of which was purchased by CSX in 2022). At the end of 1970, B ...

, abandoned passenger service to the area in 1961 and freight service in 1972. Subsequently, the

Conway Scenic Railroad The Conway Scenic Railroad is a heritage railroad in North Conway, New Hampshire, United States, owned by Profile Mountain Holdings Corp. The railroad operates over two historic railway routes: a line from North Conway to Conway that was f ...

was established. Today, the line offers visitors a tour of the region, including

Crawford Notch Crawford Notch is a major pass through the White Mountains of New Hampshire, located in Hart's Location. Roughly half of that town is contained in Crawford Notch State Park. The high point of the notch, at approximately above sea level, is at ...

. The station is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. In the late 1980s, the White Mountain Airport closed and was redeveloped as a large outlet mall called Settlers' Green Outlet Village. Continued growth through the 1990s and 2000s in North Conway and the villages nearby made Conway the most populous community in Carroll County. Traffic congestion led to an overhaul of the road system, including widening Route 16 through North Conway village and constructing a road parallel to Route 16 to allow traffic to move between Redstone and Intervale uninterrupted. A plan for a bypass of the area was developed but not implemented. North Conway remains a popular destination due to its shopping, recreation, and attractions.

Recreation

North Conway and its surrounding towns offer

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

in the

. The area is a major rock climbing destination in the northeastern United States, particularly Cathedral Ledge in

. The cliff overlooks Echo Lake and North Conway from the west. Unlike nearby White Horse Ledge, another rock climbing site, Cathedral Ledge has an automobile road to the summit, which provides fine views of the Saco River Valley. In late September through early October, tourists arrive to see the

autumn foliage Autumn leaf color is a phenomenon that affects the normal green leaves of many deciduous trees and shrubs by which they take on, during a few weeks in the autumn season, various shades of yellow, orange, red, purple, and brown. The phenomenon i ...

on the surrounding mountains and forests. The

features train rides that leave from the village's Victorian station. In the winter, the village is the nighttime destination for

skiers Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...

visiting the area resorts, including North Conway's own Cranmore Mountain as well as nearby

Attitash Mountain Resort Attitash Mountain Resort is a ski area located on U.S. Route 302 in Bartlett, New Hampshire, near North Conway. Constructed in 1938 by the Works Progress Administration, as of October 2019, Attitash is operated by Vail Resorts (after being p ...

, Black Mountain and Wildcat Mountain. North Conway is home to the Green Hills Preserve. The preserve encompasses several mountains in the Mt. Washington Valley, and is a low north-south running mountain ridge flanking the east side of Route 16. The preserve includes Rattlesnake Mountain,

Middle Mountain Middle Mountain is a mountain in the Sierra Nevada mountain range to the west of Lake Tahoe in the Desolation Wilderness The Desolation Wilderness is a federally protected wilderness area in the Eldorado National Forest and Lake Tahoe Basi ...

, Peaked Mountain, and

Black Cap mountain Black Cap Mountain is a mountain in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The mountain is southeast of Eddington, Maine, and the Penobscot River. It is accessible from Maine Route 46, near its intersection with The Airline (State Route 9 ...

Geography

North Conway is located at (44.051534, -71.122752), in the northern part of the town of Conway. 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 t ...

, the North Conway census-designated place (CDP) includes the village of North Conway plus the Conway portion of the neighboring community of Kearsarge. The CDP has a total area of , of which are land and , or 2.04%, are water. The

forms the western edge of the North Conway CDP.

Climate

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 2,349 people, 1,105 households, and 547 families residing in the CDP. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...

was 546.3 people per square mile (211.9/km²). There were 1,804 housing units, of which 699, or 38.7%, were vacant. 551 of the vacant units were seasonal or vacation properties. The racial makeup of the CDP was 94.7%

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 o ...

, 0.5%

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 ...

, 0.4% Native American, 2.0%

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% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 0.6% some other race, and 1.7% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...

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 1.6% of the population. There were 1,105 households, out of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.1% were headed by married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.5% were non-families. 39.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07, and the average family size was 2.73. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 18.6% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.1 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males. For the period 2007–11, the estimated median annual income for a household in the CDP was $40,804, and the median income for a family was $46,832. Male full-time workers had a median income of $31,764 versus $23,859 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 CDP was $21,664. About 12.1% of families and 21.9% 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 ...

Notable people

* Ed Ashnault, college football and basketball coach; grew up in North Conway. *

Benjamin Champney Benjamin Champney (November 20, 1817Champney (1900) – December 11, 1907) was a painter known for his role in White Mountain art of the 19th century. He began his training as a lithographer under celebrated marine artist Fitz Henry Lane at ...

, artist *

Gordon Clapp Gordon Clapp (born September 24, 1948) is an American actor best known for playing Det. Greg Medavoy for all 12 seasons of the television series ''NYPD Blue'', winning an Emmy Award in 1998. Early life and education Clapp was born in North Con ...

, actor *

E. E. Cummings Edward Estlin Cummings, who was also known as E. E. Cummings, e. e. cummings and e e cummings (October 14, 1894 - September 3, 1962), was an American poet, painter, essayist, author and playwright. He wrote approximately 2,900 poems, two autobi ...

, 20th century poet; summer resident; died (of a stroke) in North Conway, on September 3, 1962 *

Jigger Johnson Albert Lewis Johnson (18711935), better known as Jigger Johnson (also nicknamed Wildcat Johnson, Jigger Jones, or simply The Jigger), was a legendary lumberjack, logging foreman, trapper, and fire warden for the U.S. Forest Service who was known t ...

, logger * Jeff Locke, Major League Baseball player, born in North Conway and raised in neighboring Redstone *

Helen Bigelow Merriman Helen Bigelow Merriman (July 14, 1844MERRIMAN, Helen Bigelow
in ''

, 19th century artist and philanthropist born in North Conway; she helped found Memorial Hospital, and served as president of the public library *

Nathan W. Pease Nathan W. Pease (1836–1918) was an American photographer in North Conway, New Hampshire, North Conway, New Hampshire, United States. Works He produced many dozens of stereoscopic images with scenes from his home state. He also produced o ...

, photographer who lived and worked capturing images of area sites * Carroll Reed, ski instructor and promoter of the sport. Founder of Carroll Reed Sportswear * Johann "Hannes" Schneider, Austrian ski instructor of the first half of the twentieth century and founder of the Arlberg Technique for teaching skiing; ran ski school in North Conway *

John Shea John Victor Shea III ( ; born April 14, 1949) is an American actor, film producer and stage director. His career began on Broadway theatre, Broadway where he starred in ''Yentl (play), Yentl,'' subsequently winning his first major award, the 1975 ...

, actor, producer and director * David A. Shirley, chemist *

Leanne Smith Leanne Smith (born May 28, 1987) is a World Cup alpine ski racer from the United States, and specializes in the speed events. Early life Born in North Conway, New Hampshire, Smith attended A. Crosby Kennett High School. She spent her skiing t ...

, two-time Olympian and World Cup alpine ski racer *

Martha Pearson Smith Martha Pearson Smith (pen names, Mattie May, May, Mattie; September 29, 1836 - 1912) was an American poet and musician of the long nineteenth century. She made significant contributions in secular and sacred verse. One of her best songs was "Jenn ...

(1836-?), poet, musician, temperance activist *

Julia Ruth Stevens George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

, daughter of Babe Ruth Quote: "Years of living in North Conway, NH, and watching the Red Sox on local TV have made her a true Boston fan."

Sites of interest

Mount Washington Valley Children's Museum

Mount Washington Valley Theatre Company
* Cranmore Mountain Sites on the

: *

North Conway 5 and 10 Cent Store The North Conway 5 and 10 Cent Store is a historic general store at 2683 Main Street in North Conway, New Hampshire. Built about 1840 and significantly modified in 1900, it is one of a small number of surviving dime stores in New Hampshire, and ...

Eastern Slope Inn The Eastern Slope Inn is a historic hotel at 2760 White Mountain Highway (U.S. Route 302) in North Conway, Carroll County, New Hampshire. Built in 1926, it is one of the community's most prominent examples of large-scale Colonial Revival archite ...

References

External links

Town of Conway official website

Conway Historical Society

Conway Public Library

''The Conway Daily Sun''
local newspaper
Mount Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau
{{authority control Census-designated places in Carroll County, New Hampshire Census-designated places in New Hampshire