Lempster 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 ...
in
Sullivan County,
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 ...
, United States. The population was 1,118 at the
2020 census. Settlements include the town center (Lempster village) and the village of
East Lempster.
History
First granted by
colonial 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 ...
in 1735 as "Number 9" (ninth in a line of forts to guard against Indian attacks), it was regranted in 1753 as "Dupplin", after Scottish lord
Thomas Hay, Viscount Dupplin, by 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 ...
. The town was re-granted one final time in 1767 as Lempster, after
Sir Thomas Fermor, Second Baron
Leominster
Leominster ( ) is a market town in Herefordshire, England; it is located at the confluence of the River Lugg and its tributary the River Kenwater. The town is north of Hereford and south of Ludlow in Shropshire. With a population of almos ...
or "Lempster", and incorporated in 1772.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the town has a total area of , of which are land and is water, comprising 1.22% of the town.
The highest point in Lempster is the summit of Bean Mountain, in the eastern part of town 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 ...
. Lempster lies entirely within the
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States, flowing roughly southward for through four states. It rises 300 yards (270 m) south of the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges into Long Isl ...
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 ...
.
The northern section of town is drained by Giles Brook, which flows north to the
South Branch of the
Sugar River, reaching the Connecticut River at
Claremont Claremont may refer to:
Places Australia
*Claremont, Ipswich, a heritage-listed house in Queensland
* Claremont, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart
* Claremont, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth
* Town of Claremont, Perth
* Claremont Airbase, an ...
. The western side of town is drained by the
Cold River and its tributary, Dodge Brook, reaching the Connecticut in
Walpole. The southeastern part of town is drained by the
Ashuelot River
The Ashuelot River is a tributary of the Connecticut River, approximately long, in southwestern New Hampshire in the United States. It drains a mountainous area of , including much of the area known as the Monadnock Region. It is the longest tr ...
, which flows southwest and reaches the Connecticut River at
Hinsdale.
New Hampshire Route 10
New Hampshire Route 10 is a north–south state highway in western New Hampshire, United States. Its southern terminus is in Winchester at the Massachusetts state line, where it continues south as Massachusetts Route 10. Administratively, the ...
traverses the town, connecting it with
Goshen and
Newport to the north and with
Marlow,
Gilsum, and
Keene to the south. The village of
East Lempster is located at the intersection of Route 10 and Second New Hampshire Turnpike. The village of Lempster proper is located along Second New Hampshire Turnpike, to the west.
This town is home to large boulders that were likely moved by glaciers, such as those below:
File:Twin Boulders in Lempster, NH.jpg
File:Cube Shaped Boulder in Lempster, NH.jpg
File:Large Boulder in Lempster, NH.jpg
Adjacent municipalities
*
Unity
Unity is the state of being as one (either literally or figuratively). It may also refer to:
Buildings
* Unity Building, Oregon, Illinois, US; a historic building
* Unity Building (Chicago), Illinois, US; a skyscraper
* Unity Buildings, Liverpoo ...
(north)
*
Goshen (northeast)
*
Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
(east)
*
Marlow (south)
*
Acworth (west)
Demographics
As of the
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 ...
of 2000, there were 971 people, 387 households, and 275 families residing in the town. The 2003 census estimate for the town was 1,044 residents. The population density was . There were 577 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.22%
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 ...
, 0.10%
Native American, 0.10%
Asian, 0.10%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, and 2.47% 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 0.21% of the population.
There were 387 households, out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.9% 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, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.90.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $40,458, and the median income for a family was $45,385. Males had a median income of $31,484 versus $22,566 for females. 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 ...
for the town was $19,172. About 3.2% of families and 7.3% 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 ...
, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
Lempster wind farm
Lempster is home to New Hampshire's first
wind farm
A wind farm, also called a wind park or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundred wind turbines covering an exten ...
, providing a total of 24 MW from 12 turbines, which started operation in 2008. The turbines are located on Bean Mountain, a knob on the north–south ridge of Lempster Mountain ().
State's lone wind farm taking shape
/ref>
Notable people
* Martha Ann Honeywell (1786–1856), artistcongressman
A member of congress (MOC), also known as a congressman or congresswoman, is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The t ...
*Mary Elizabeth Perley
Mary Elizabeth Perley (July 2, 1863 – ?) was an American writer, professor, and poet. She taught at Tilden Ladies' Seminary, Tilton School, New Hampshire Conference Seminary, Tabor College (Iowa), Tabor College, Fargo College, and the University ...
(1863–?), 19th- and 20th-century educator, author
References
External links
*
New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile
{{authority control
Towns in Sullivan County, New Hampshire
Populated places established in 1772
Towns in New Hampshire
1772 establishments in New Hampshire