Bridgewater is a town in

Grafton County Grafton County is a county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2020 census, the population was 91,118. Its county seat is North Haverhill, a village within the town of Haverhill. Until 1972, the county courthouse and other office ...

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 1,160 at the 2020 census.

History

The land comprising Bridgewater was originally part of a town known as "New Chester", which was separated into Bridgewater,

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city, Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Glouces ...

Hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not a ...

Danbury Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut. Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City ...

, and

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 t ...

. The town name was chosen because many of the settlers were from

Bridgewater, Massachusetts Bridgewater is a town located in Plymouth County, in the state of Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the town's population was 28,633. Bridgewater is located approximately south of Boston and approximately 35 miles east ...

. Bridgewater originally included all of Bridgewater, Hill and Bristol. It was first settled in 1776, by Thomas Crawford. It was incorporated 12 February 1788. In 1874, the Bridgewater station was served by the Montreal railroad.Article in ''Statistics and Gazetteer of New-Hampshire'' (1875)
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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 th ...

, the town has a total area of , of which are land and are water, comprising 0.97% of the town. The highest point in Bridgewater is Peaked Hill, 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 standardis ...

. Bridgewater lies fully within 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 Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...

. The western town line follows the eastern shore of Newfound Lake.

Demographics

At the 2000 census there were 974 people, 414 households, and 289 families living in the town. The population density was 45.8 people per square mile (17.7/km). There were 850 housing units at an average density of 40.0 per square mile (15.4/km). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the town was 99.08% White, 0.10% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 0.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.62%. Of the 414 households 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.6% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 23.9% of households were one person and 12.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.78. The age distribution was 19.7% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 31.3% from 45 to 64, and 19.3% 65 or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males. The median household income was $50,662 and the median family income was $54,722. Males had a median income of $33,250 versus $26,250 for females. The per capita income for the town was $28,600. About 6.1% of families and 6.9% 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 ...

, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education

It is within the Newfound Area School District. Bridgewater-Hebron Village School is in Bridgewater. The district's secondary schools are Newfound Memorial Middle School, and Newfound Regional High School in

References

External links

*
New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile
{{authority control Towns in Grafton County, New Hampshire Towns in New Hampshire