Deerfield is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

Rockingham County, New Hampshire Rockingham County is a county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2020 census, the population was 314,176, making it New Hampshire's second-most populous county. The county seat is Brentwood. Rockingham County is part of the Boston ...

, United States. The population was 4,855 at the 2020 census, up from 4,280 in

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

. Deerfield is the location of the annual Deerfield Fair.

Public Safety

Deerfield is served by a full-time police department and volunteer fire department. Deerfield's ambulance service is provided Raymond Ambulance, Inc. out of Raymond. The town's emergency services are dispatched by the Rockingham County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center. Deerfield falls within Troop A of the New Hampshire State Police.

History

Deerfield was originally part of

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...

. In 1756, residents petitioned for organization of a separate parish, but were denied. In 1765, while a second petition was pending, two local hunters presented colonial governor

Benning Wentworth Benning Wentworth (July 24, 1696 – October 14, 1770) was an American merchant, landowner and colonial administrator who served as the List of colonial governors of New Hampshire, governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766. He is best known ...

with a

deer A deer (: deer) or true deer is a hoofed ruminant ungulate of the family Cervidae (informally the deer family). Cervidae is divided into subfamilies Cervinae (which includes, among others, muntjac, elk (wapiti), red deer, and fallow deer) ...

. Permission was granted, and "Deerfield" was incorporated in 1766. The incorporation act for Deerfield was signed by three members of the Leavitt family, including Capt. Samuel Leavitt who later was one of the town's first selectmen. Leavitts Hill in Deerfield was named for the family, who had first settled in nearby

Exeter Exeter ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and the county town of Devon in South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol. In Roman Britain, Exeter w ...

. "Deerfield Parade", a hilltop district first settled ''circa'' 1740, was located on the early postal route between

Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other words Arts and media * ''Concord'' (video game), a defunct 2024 first-person sh ...

and

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

. Here, the

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

of the

Revolutionary A revolutionary is a person who either participates in, or advocates for, a revolution. The term ''revolutionary'' can also be used as an adjective to describe something producing a major and sudden impact on society. Definition The term—bot ...

and

Civil Civil may refer to: *Civility, orderly behavior and politeness *Civic virtue, the cultivation of habits important for the success of a society *Civil (journalism) ''The Colorado Sun'' is an online news outlet based in Denver, Colorado. It lau ...

wars trained and "paraded" on the village

common Common may refer to: As an Irish surname, it is anglicised from Irish Gaelic surname Ó Comáin. Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Com ...

. The "Parade" was then a professional, cultural and trade center. About 1798, citizens founded Deerfield Academy, a high school. It burned in 1842. Once a thriving farm community which was disappointed when bypassed by

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

s, the town in 1876 established the Deerfield Fair. Now billed as "New England's Oldest Family Fair", the four-day event draws huge crowds each autumn to admire animals, produce and crafts, or to enjoy

amusement park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...

rides.

Geography

Deerfield is in southeastern

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

, on the western side of Rockingham County. The town's western border is the

Merrimack County Merrimack County is a county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 153,808, making it the third most populous county in New Hampshire. Its county seat is Concord, the state capital. The county was orga ...

line. The highest point in Deerfield as well as in Rockingham County is the summit of Nottingham Mountain, at above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...

, near the town's western border. Portions of the Pawtuckaway Mountains, including a small portion of

Pawtuckaway State Park Pawtuckaway State Park is a preserve in New Hampshire, United States. It is one of the largest state parks in southeastern New HampshireBear Brook State Park Bear Brook State Park is a preserve in Allenstown, New Hampshire, and neighboring towns. It is one of New Hampshire's largest state parks. Description The park takes its name from Bear Brook, a stream which runs through the park. Its envi ...

, including the campground area at Spruce Pond and Beaver Pond, is in the southwestern corner of the town. According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the town has a total area of , of which are land and are water, comprising 2.57% of the town. Deerfield is primarily drained by the

Lamprey River The Lamprey River is a river in southeastern New Hampshire, the United States. It rises in Meadow Lake in Northwood, and flows south, then generally east through Raymond, Epping, Lee, Durham and finally Newmarket. Here, it meets Great Ba ...

and its tributary the

North Branch River The North Branch River is an river in southeastern New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Lamprey River, part of the Great Bay and Piscataqua River watershed leading to the Atlantic Ocean. The river begins in Bear Brook S ...

, within the

Piscataqua River The Piscataqua River (Abenaki language, Abenaki: ''Pskehtekwis'') is a tidal river forming the boundary of the U.S. states of New Hampshire and Maine from its origin at the confluence of the Salmon Falls River and Cochecho River to the Atlant ...

(Coastal)

watershed Watershed may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, an area of land where surface water converges (North American usage) Music * Watershed Music Festival, an annual country ...

, while the western edge and northernmost section of town is in 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.

Adjacent municipalities

* Northwood, New Hampshire (north) *

, New Hampshire (east) *

Raymond Raymond is a male given name of Germanic origin. It was borrowed into English from French (older French spellings were Reimund and Raimund, whereas the modern English and French spellings are identical). It originated as the Germanic ᚱᚨᚷ� ...

, New Hampshire (southeast) *

Candia The name Candia can refer to: People * The House of Candia, a noble family from Savoy (14th-16th) * Alfredo Ovando Candía, 56th president of Bolivia * Antoinette Candia-Bailey, American academic administrator * Cecilia Maria de Candia, British-It ...

, New Hampshire (south) * Allenstown, New Hampshire (west) *

Epsom Epsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England, about south of central London. The town is first recorded as ''Ebesham'' in the 10th century and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain ...

, New Hampshire (northwest)

Demographics

At the 2000

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

, there were 3,678 people, 1,225 households and 986 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

was . There were 1,406 housing units at an average density of . The racial make-up was 98.53%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.16%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.14% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.22% from other races and 0.82% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.30% of the population. There were 1,225 households, of which 43.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 5.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.5% were non-families. 12.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.27. Age distribution was 30.0% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males. The

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of und ...

was $61,367 and the median family income was $64,737. Males had a median income of $40,568 and females $30,682. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

was $24,160. About 1.3% of families and 3.2% 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 1.0% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over. In 2022, the

was $119,375.00.

Transportation

Two New Hampshire state routes cross Deerfield. * NH 43 connects Candia in the south and Northwood in the north. It follows Old Candia Road, South Road, Stage Road, Raymond Road, North Road, and Mountain View Road, and has a concurrency with NH 107 along Raymond and North Roads. * NH 107 connects Raymond in the south and Epsom in the north. It follows Raymond Road and North Road, and has a concurrency with NH 43 through the central part of town.

Education

There is one public school in Deerfield, the Deerfield Community School on North Road, which serves students in grades Pre-K–8. The current principal is Kristen Withee. Deerfield Community School was opened in 1990 and replaced the George B. White School. The George B. White Building is now commercial space and houses, among other things, the town offices and the police department. Deerfield students have attended various local high schools over the years, as there is no high school in the town. Starting with the DCS graduating class of 1995, the town has sent students graduating from Deerfield Community School to Concord High School. Other options have included

Coe-Brown Northwood Academy Coe-Brown Northwood Academy is a comprehensive secondary institution in Northwood, New Hampshire, United States. It serves all students from the towns of Strafford, Nottingham and Northwood. History Coe-Brown Northwood Academy was founded ...

in Northwood, Central High School in Manchester, West High School in Manchester, Pembroke Academy in Pembroke, and Oyster River High School in Durham. The students graduating from Deerfield community school still continue to go to Concord high unless given opportunities to go to other schools.

Notable organizations

* Troop 138 of the

Boy Scouts of America Scouting America is the largest scouting organization and one of the largest List of youth organizations, youth organizations in the United States, with over 1 million youth, including nearly 200,000 female participants. Founded as the Boy Sco ...

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...

Notable people

Benjamin Franklin Butler Benjamin Franklin Butler (November 5, 1818 – January 11, 1893) was an American major general of the Union Army, politician, lawyer, and businessman from Massachusetts. Born in New Hampshire and raised in Lowell, Massachusetts, Butler was a ...

(1818–1893), Civil War era general; U.S. congressman and 33rd

governor of Massachusetts The governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the head of government of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The governor is the chief executive, head of the state cabinet and the commander-in-chief of the commonw ...

Josiah Butler Josiah Butler (December 4, 1779 – October 27, 1854) was an American politician and a United States representative from New Hampshire. Early life Born in Pelham, New Hampshire, Butler attended the Londonderry and Atkinson academies and was i ...

(1779–1854), U.S. congressman *

Julia Knowlton Dyer Julia Knowlton Dyer (, Knowlton; better known as, Mrs. Micah Dyer, Jr.; August 25, 1829 – June 27, 1907) was an American philanthropist of the long nineteenth century. She was associated for over 40 years with nearly every large philanthropic ...

(1829–1927), philanthropist * Lorenzo D. Harvey (1848–1922),

Superintendent of Public Instruction of Wisconsin The superintendent of public instruction, sometimes referred to as the state superintendent of schools, is a constitutional officer within the executive branch of the Wisconsin state government and head of the Department of Public Instruction.W ...

in the late 1880s and early 1900s *

Benning Wentworth Jenness Benning Wentworth Jenness (July 14, 1806November 16, 1879) was a United States senator from New Hampshire. Born in Deerfield, he attended Bradford Academy, Massachusetts and engaged in mercantile pursuits in Strafford, New Hampshire from 182 ...

(1806–1879), U.S. senator *

Mary Stuart James MacMurphy Mary Stuart MacMurphy ( James; after marriage, MacMurphy or McMurphy; September 1, 1846 – January 31, 1934) was an American teacher, lecturer, clubwoman, and author. She was the author of ''Only Glimpses'' (1887) and ''Ferns of Wisconsin''. Sh ...

(1846–1934), teacher, lecturer, clubwoman, author * Jon Schillaci (born 1971), convicted rapist, FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive * Major John Simpson (1748–1825), Revolutionary War soldier; considered one of several men to fire first at the

Battle of Bunker Hill The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. The battle is named after Bunker Hill in Charlestown, Boston, Charlestown, Massachusetts, which was peri ...

Nathaniel Upham Nathaniel Upham (June 9, 1774 – July 10, 1829) was an American politician and a United States representative from New Hampshire. Early life Upham was born in Deerfield, New Hampshire, Deerfield in the Province of New Hampshire on June 9, 177 ...

(1774–1829), U.S. congressman

References

External links

*
Deerfield Community School

Deerfield Fair

Philbrick-James Library

* ttp://www.forumhome.org ''The Forum'' all-volunteer local online newspaper {{Authority control Towns in Rockingham County, New Hampshire Towns in New Hampshire