Warner 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 Merrimack 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 2,937 at the 2020 census. The town is home to

Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts (formerly Northeast Catholic College, The College of Saint Mary Magdalen, and simply Magdalen College), is a private Catholic liberal arts college in Warner, New Hampshire. It is recognized as a Catholic ...

, Rollins State Park and Mount Kearsarge State Forest. The town's central village, where 453 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined as the Warner census-designated place (CDP) and is located along

New Hampshire Route 103 New Hampshire Route 103 (abbreviated NH 103) is a east–west highway in west-central New Hampshire, United States. The highway runs from Claremont, at the Vermont border on the Connecticut River, to Hopkinton, west of Concord. The western term ...

and the

Warner River The Warner River is a river located in central New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Contoocook River, part of the Merrimack River watershed. The Warner River begins at the outlet of Todd Lake in Bradford, New Hampshire, 3 ...

. The town also includes the communities of Davisville, Lower Village, Melvin Mills, and Waterloo.

History

The town was granted in 1735 as "Number One" by

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

Governor

Jonathan Belcher Jonathan Belcher (8 January 1681/8231 August 1757) was a merchant, politician, and slave trader from colonial Massachusetts who served as both governor of Massachusetts Bay and governor of New Hampshire from 1730 to 1741 and governor of New J ...

to petitioners largely from

Amesbury, Massachusetts Amesbury is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the left bank of the Merrimack River near its mouth, upstream from Salisbury and across the river from Newburyport and West Newbury. The population was 17,366 at the 2020 ...

. Called "New Amesbury", it was part of a line of settlements running between the Merrimack and

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 ...

rivers intended to help defend Massachusetts against

New France New France (french: Nouvelle-France) was the area colonized by France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spai ...

's predations. It was regranted by the Masonian Proprietors in 1749, when it was settled with four houses and a

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

. Called "Jennesstown", it was abandoned and destroyed during the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...

. The town was granted again in 1767 to Jonathan Barnard and others, who called it "Amesbury". But on September 3, 1774, it was incorporated as "Warner", named after Jonathan Warner, a leading

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

citizen, namesake of the Warner House and relative of Governor John Wentworth. It was one of the last towns established under

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 ...

provincial rule prior to the

Revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...

. Warner developed into a prosperous farming community which produced meats, dairy goods, vegetables, hay and apples. The

and its tributaries provided

water power Hydropower (from el, ὕδωρ, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kinetic energy of a wa ...

for

mills Mills is the plural form of mill, but may also refer to: As a name *Mills (surname), a common family name of English or Gaelic origin * Mills (given name) *Mills, a fictional British secret agent in a trilogy by writer Manning O'Brine Places Unit ...

, which in 1832 included twelve

s, six

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

s, a

paper mill A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt, ...

and two clothing factories. By 1858, there was also a

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

manufacturer and bottle manufacturer. In 1885, industries included a bedstead factory, chain factory, woolen cloth factory, iron

foundry A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...

tannery Tanning may refer to: *Tanning (leather), treating animal skins to produce leather *Sun tanning, using the sun to darken pale skin **Indoor tanning, the use of artificial light in place of the sun **Sunless tanning, application of a stain or dye t ...

, and glove manufacturer. On September 9, 1821, the town was hit by a

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, altho ...

. It leveled houses and forests in a swath of destruction beginning west of

Lake Sunapee Lake Sunapee is located within Sullivan County and Merrimack County in western New Hampshire, the United States. It is the fifth-largest lake located entirely in New Hampshire. The lake is approximately long (north-south) and from wide (east ...

, through

New London New London may refer to: Places United States *New London, Alabama *New London, Connecticut *New London, Indiana *New London, Iowa * New London, Maryland *New London, Minnesota *New London, Missouri *New London, New Hampshire, a New England town * ...

and

Sutton Sutton (''south settlement'' or ''south town'' in Old English) may refer to: Places United Kingdom England In alphabetical order by county: * Sutton, Bedfordshire * Sutton, Berkshire, a List of United Kingdom locations: Stu-Sz#Su, location * S ...

, over the southwest spur of Mount Kearsarge and ending at the

Webster Webster may refer to: People *Webster (surname), including a list of people with the surname *Webster (given name), including a list of people with the given name Places Canada *Webster, Alberta *Webster's Falls, Hamilton, Ontario United State ...

line. The storm killed four people in Warner, seriously injured others and destroyed considerable property. Each October, on

Columbus Day Columbus Day is a national holiday in many countries of the Americas and elsewhere, and a federal holiday in the United States, which officially celebrates the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492. ...

weekend, Warner hosts the annual Fall Foliage Festival, attracting thousands of people from all over

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

and beyond. File:Pillsbury Free Library, Warner, NH.jpg, Pillsbury Free Library File:Main Street, Warner, NH.jpg, Main Street File:Boston & Maine Railroad Depot, Warner, NH.jpg,

Boston & Maine Railroad 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 ...

depot in 1909 File:Old Mill, Warner, NH.jpg, Old Mill in 1907 File:LowerWarner.jpg, Lower Warner Meetinghouse File:WaterlooHD.jpg, Waterloo Historic District File:Warner River October 2007 New Hampshire.jpg,

File:Waterloo Covered Bridge over Warner River in Warner, New Hampshire.jpg,

Waterloo Covered Bridge The Waterloo Covered Bridge carries Newmarket Road over the Warner River near the Waterloo Falls in Warner, New Hampshire. The Town lattice truss bridge was built in 1859–60, replacing an earlier span at the same location, and is one of New Ha ...

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 0.45% of the town. The majority of Warner is drained by the

, which flows past the center of town. Two

covered bridges A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered woo ...

span the river: the Dalton Bridge and the

Waterloo Bridge Waterloo Bridge () is a road and foot traffic bridge crossing the River Thames in London, between Blackfriars Bridge and Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges. Its name commemorates the victory of the British, Dutch and Prussians at the ...

. The southwest part of town is drained by Amey Brook and its tributary Warner Brook, and the northernmost end of town, on the slopes of Mount Kearsarge, drains both east and west to the

Blackwater River A blackwater river is a type of river with a slow-moving channel flowing through forested swamps or wetlands. As vegetation decays, tannins leach into the water, making a transparent, acidic water that is darkly stained, resembling black te ...

. The Warner River, Blackwater River, and Amey Brook are all tributaries of the

Contoocook River The Contoocook River () is a river in New Hampshire. It flows from Contoocook Lake on the Jaffrey/ Rindge border to Penacook (just north of Concord), where it empties into the Merrimack River. It is one of only a few rivers in New Hampshire that ...

, part of the

Merrimack River The Merrimack River (or Merrimac River, an occasional earlier spelling) is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Mas ...

watershed. Mount Kearsarge, elevation 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 ...

, located in the extreme north of the town, is the highest point in Warner and in Merrimack County. Two state parks are located on the mountain: Rollins State Park in Warner and

Winslow State Park Winslow State Park is a public recreation area located on the northwest slope of Mount Kearsarge in Wilmot, New Hampshire. The state park features a picnic area on an plateau with views of the White Mountains to the north. A foot trail (the ...

Wilmot Wilmot may refer to: Places Australia *Division of Wilmot, an abolished Australian Electoral Division in Tasmania *Wilmot, Tasmania, a locality in the North-West Region Canada *Wilmot, Nova Scotia, an unincorporated rural community and former to ...

. Mount Kearsarge is a popular hiking destination, due both to its bare, rocky summit, and to the fact that a paved road climbs from Rollins State Park to within a half mile of the summit. The peak is the highest point along the Sunapee- Ragged-Kearsarge Greenway, a hiking trail which links ten towns and encircles the

region of western New Hampshire. The town is served by

Interstate 89 Interstate 89 (I-89) is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States traveling from Bow, New Hampshire, to the Canadian border between Highgate Springs, Vermont, and Saint-Armand, Quebec. As with all odd-numbered ...

and

. State routes 114 and 127 cross the extreme southwestern and southeastern corners of the town, respectively.

Adjacent municipalities

Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia * Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Ando ...

(north) *

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...

(northeast) *

(east) * Hopkinton (southeast) * Henniker (south) *

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

(west) *

(northwest) *

(north-northwest)

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 incl ...

of 2010, there were 2,833 people, 1,116 households, and 752 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 51.0 people per square mile (19.7/km). There were 1,228 housing units at an average density of 24.4 per square mile (8.5/km). The racial makeup of the town was 97.9%

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 ...

, 0.4%

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, 0.2%

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 ...

, 0.3% some other race, and 0.8% 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 ...

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 1.8% of the population. There were 1,116 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were headed by

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44, and the average family size was 2.92. In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.6% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 22.1% from 25 to 44, 34.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.3 males. For the period 2007–2011, the estimated median annual income for a household in the town was $58,221, and the median income for a family was $65,167. Male full-time workers had a median income of $51,404 versus $34,154 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 $28,159. About 4.3% 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 ...

. The Warner Area Farmers' Market, held on Saturday mornings on Main Street, serves as a community gathering place.

Government

In the

New Hampshire Senate The New Hampshire Senate has been meeting since 1784. It is the upper house of the New Hampshire General Court, alongside the lower New Hampshire House of Representatives. It consists of 24 members representing Senate districts based on population ...

, Warner is in the 15th District, represented by

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Becky Whitley. On the

New Hampshire Executive Council The Executive Council of the State of New Hampshire (commonly known as the Governor's Council) is the executive body of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The Executive Council advises the Governor on all matters and provides a check on the governor ...

, Warner is in the 2nd District, represented by Democrat

Cinde Warmington Cinde Warmington is an American attorney and politician serving as a member of the Executive Council of New Hampshire from the 2nd district. Elected in November 2020, she assumed office on January 6, 2021. Education Warmington earned a Bachelor ...

. In the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

, Warner is in

New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district covers the western, northern, and some southern parts of New Hampshire. It includes the state's second-largest city, Nashua, as well as the state capital, Concord. It is currently represented in the Unit ...

, represented by Democrat

Ann McLane Kuster Ann L. McLane Kuster (born September 5, 1956) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously worked as a lobbyist. Early life and education Kuster was b ...

Sites of interest

* New Hampshire Telephone Museum
Dalton Covered Bridge

Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum

The Little Nature Museum

Rollins State Park

Warner Historical Society & Museum

Kearsarge Mountain Community-Supported Agriculture

Notable people

* Caroline Gardner Bartlett (1868–1938), music educator, relief worker in World War I *

Adelaide George Bennett Adelaide George Bennett (, George; November 8, 1848 – October 10, 1911) was an American teacher, poet, and botanist of the long nineteenth century. She is remembered for her poems which described Native American life and the Red Pipestone Qua ...

(1848–1911), poet, botanist * David Carroll (born 1942), naturalist, author, MacArthur Foundation Fellow *

Rebecca Carroll Rebecca Anne Carroll (born 1969)"Rebecca Carroll." ''Contemporary Authors Online''. Gale, 2005. Retrieved via ''Biography In Context'' database, 16 December 2018. is an American writer, editor and radio producer. She is producer of special project ...

(born 1969), author, editor, radio producer at WNYC Studios *

H. Maria George Colby H. Maria George Colby (, George; pen names, Clinton Montague, H. M. G., and H. Maria George; October 1, 1844 – March 29, 1910) was an American writer, newspaper editor, and social leader of the long nineteenth century. Her articles appeared i ...

(1844–1910), author, fashion editor *

William C. Dowling William Courtney Dowling (; born April 5, 1944, in Warner, New Hampshire) is University Distinguished Professor of English and American Literature emeritus at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, specializing in 18th-century English l ...

(born 1944), scholar, author,

Guggenheim Fellow Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...

* David Elliott (born 1947), children's author * Gordon Enoch Gates (1897–1987), zoologist,

Henry Gilmore Henry H. Gilmore (August 31, 1832 – December 24, 1891) was a Massachusetts businessman and politician who served on the Board of Selectmen of the Town of Medford, Massachusetts, and as the Mayor of The City of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Early ...

(1832–1891), businessman, state senator for

* Walter Harriman (1817–1884), 31st

governor of New Hampshire The governor of New Hampshire is the head of government of New Hampshire. The governor is elected during the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Verm ...

Amanda Bartlett Harris Amanda Bartlett Harris (August 15, 1824 – January 13, 1917) was an American author and literary critic best known for her work in children's, educational, and nature literature. Early life and family Amanda Bartlett Harris was born in Warne ...

(1824–1917), author, literary critic *

Maxine Kumin Maxine Kumin (June 6, 1925 – February 6, 2014) was an American poet and author. She was appointed Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1981–1982. Biography Early years Maxine Kumin was born Maxine Winokur on June ...

(1925–2014), poet * Nehemiah G. Ordway (1828–1907), seventh governor of Dakota Territory * Jacob Osgood (1777–1844), leader of sectarian religious group *

Charles Alfred Pillsbury Charles Alfred Pillsbury (December 3, 1842 – September 17, 1899) was an American businessman, flour industrialist, and politician. He was a co-founder of the Pillsbury Company. Education and early business career Pillsbury was born December ...

(1842–1899), businessman, flour industrialist, politician; a co-founder of the

Pillsbury Company The Pillsbury Company is a Minneapolis, Minnesota-based company that was one of the world's largest producers of cereal, grain and other foodstuffs until it was bought by General Mills in 2001. General Mills brands consist of Annie's, Betty Croc ...

* John Sargent Pillsbury (1827–1901), businessman, eighth

governor of Minnesota The governor of Minnesota is the head of government of the U.S. state of Minnesota, leading the state's executive branch. Forty people have been governor of Minnesota, though historically there were also three governors of Minnesota Territory. ...

Charles Stuart Pratt Charles Stuart Pratt (1854–1921), who sometimes wrote under the pen names of C. P. Stewart and C. P. Stuart, was an American writer of children's literature, best known for being the art editor of '' Wide Awake'' magazine for 16 years, startin ...

(1854–1921), editor, writer * Eliza Anna Farman Pratt (1837–1907), editor, writer * Nellie George Stearns (1855–1936), artist, art teacher

References

External links

*
Pillsbury Free Library

Warner Fall Foliage Festival

{{authority control Towns in Merrimack County, New Hampshire Towns in New Hampshire