Wilmot 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 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 1,407 at the 2020 census. The town includes the communities of Wilmot, Wilmot Flat, and North Wilmot.

History

Incorporated in 1807 from part of

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 ** ...

, the Kearsarge gore, and a small piece of New Chester (later renamed

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 ...

), the town took its name from Dr. James Wilmot, an English clergyman who had spoken out against England's treatment of the American colonies. Dr. Wilmot was

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

at Barton-on-the-Heath in

Warwickshire Warwickshire (; abbreviated Warks) is a county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, and the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare at Stratford-upon-Av ...

, England.

Geography

Wilmot is in northwestern Merrimack County, in the Dartmouth–Lake Sunapee Region of New Hampshire. 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 town has a total area of , of which are land and , or 0.70%, are water. Wilmot is drained by Cascade Brook (two branches), Kimpton Brook, and Frazier Brook, all of which flow 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 tea ...

in neighboring Andover. The entire town is 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 M ...

watershed. Wilmot is dotted with several large ponds, including Eagle, Butterfield, Piper, White, Tannery, and Chase ponds. The Sunapee–Ragged–Kearsarge (SRK) Greenway traverses the town, crossing Bog Mountain in the northern part of town and climbing Mount Kearsarge in the south. The village of Wilmot is near the center of the town, along New Hampshire Route 4A. Wilmot Flat is a village in the southern part of the town, served by New Hampshire Route 11. North Wilmot is a rural community centered on the junction of North Wilmot Road and Breezy Hill Road, north of White Pond. 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 standardise ...

, on the southern border, is the highest point in town and in Merrimack County. Winslow State Park, at the northern foot of the mountain, provides access by two hiking trails to the summit. The state park and the Winslow Trail are named after Captain John Winslow, the commander of the USS ''Kearsarge'', which in June 1864 sank the CSS ''Alabama'' in the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...

in a famous

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

sea battle. The town is the home of Camps Kenwood and Evergreen on Eagle Pond.

Adjacent municipalities

* Grafton (north) * Danbury (northeast) * Andover (east) * Warner (south) *

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 location * Sutton-in-the-Isle, Ely, Cambridgeshire * ...

(southwest) *

(west) * Springfield (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 in ...

of 2000, there were 1,144 people, 459 households, and 329 families residing in the town. 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 38.7 people per square mile (15.0/km). There were 530 housing units at an average density of 17.9 per square mile (6.9/km). The racial makeup of the town was 98.25%

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 ...

, 0.09%

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 ...

, 0.09% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.09%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, and 0.87% 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 ...

or Latino of any race were 0.26% of the population. There were 459 households, out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.93. Blackwater River, Wilmot Flat, NH

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $49,605, and the median income for a family was $57,143. Males had a median income of $37,857 versus $30,278 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 $25,629. About 1.8% of families and 4.4% 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 5.8% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Donald Hall Donald Andrew Hall Jr. (September 20, 1928 – June 23, 2018) was an American poet, writer, editor and literary critic. He was the author of over 50 books across several genres from children's literature, biography, memoir, essays, and includin ...

(1928–2018), United States Poet Laureate (2006) *

Jane Kenyon Jane Kenyon (May 23, 1947 – April 22, 1995) was an American poet and translator. Her work is often characterized as simple, spare, and emotionally resonant. Kenyon was the second wife of poet, editor, and critic Donald Hall who made her the subj ...

(1947–1995), poet, translator

References

External links

*
Wilmot Historical Society

* ttp://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/winslow-state-park Winslow State Park {{authority control Towns in Merrimack County, New Hampshire Towns in New Hampshire Populated places established in 1807 1807 establishments in the United States