Moultonborough 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 Carroll 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 4,918 at the 2020 census, up from 4,044 at the 2010 census. Moultonborough is bounded in large part by

Lake Winnipesaukee Lake Winnipesaukee () is the largest lake in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, located in the Lakes Region at the foothills of the White Mountains. It is approximately long (northwest-southeast) and from wide (northeast-southwest), covering & ...

in the southwest and to a lesser extent by

Squam Lake Squam Lake is a lake located in the Lakes Region (New Hampshire), Lakes Region of central New Hampshire, United States, south of the White Mountains (New Hampshire), White Mountains, straddling the borders of Grafton County, New Hampshire, Grafton ...

in the northwestern corner. The town includes the

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

of Suissevale and the community of Lees Mill.

History

The first European settlers were grantees from

Hampton, New Hampshire Hampton is a New England town, town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 16,214 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. On the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast, Hampton is ho ...

, among whom were at least sixteen Moultons, giving the town its name. The first recorded town meeting took place on March 31, 1777, at which

Jonathan Moulton Brigadier General Jonathan Moulton (; July 21, 1726 – September 18, 1787) played an important role in the early history of New Hampshire and many tales of his adventures would become legendary. He is the namesake of the town of Moultonborough i ...

was elected town clerk, among other officials elected that day. The town was incorporated on November 27, 1777. Colonel Moulton (later a brigadier general) was considered to be one of the richest men in the province at the start of the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

. Moultonborough was chartered in 1763 by 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 ...

, and at the time was described as being near the "Winnepisseoky Pond". It was officially incorporated in 1777. Moultonborough is home to the " Castle in the Clouds", an estate set in the Ossipee Mountains. Thomas Gustave Plant made a fortune manufacturing shoes, bought and hired the

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

architectural firm of J. Williams Beal & Sons to design "Lucknow", a stone mansion built between 1913 and 1914. The property, with sweeping views of Lake Winnipesaukee, is a popular tourist attraction. The town is also the location of the first known bear attack in Northern America. In August 1784, a heartbreaking incident occurred. An eight-year-old boy, son of a Mr. Leach, was attacked by a bear while tending to horses and cows in a pasture. His father, hearing his cries, rushed to the scene but was unable to save his child. The bear dragged the boy into the bushes, and the father's attempts to defend him were in vain. The family spent a distressing night, and the next morning, neighbors joined in the search, finding the child's hat and tracking his blood. Tragically, they discovered the boy's mangled corpse. As they mourned, the bear unexpectedly reappeared, prompting three individuals to shoot and kill it. A fire was then ignited to dispose of the bear's remains.

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 are water, comprising 20.50% of the town. A large portion of the town is located along

, the largest lake in New Hampshire. Moultonborough Bay, an arm of the lake, extends from the southern corner of the town towards the center of the town. Moultonborough Neck forms a peninsula between Moultonborough Bay and Center Harbor to the southwest. Long Island, the largest island in Lake Winnipesaukee, is connected to Moultonborough Neck by a bridge. The community of Suissevale, a

, occupies part of the northeastern shore of Moultonborough Bay. Inland from Winnipesaukee, Lake Kanasatka is in the western part of the town. Red Hill, elevation , is in the northwest. Mount Shaw, elevation , part of the Ossipee Mountains and the highest point in Moultonborough, is in the east. The town center of Moultonborough is located north of the head of Moultonborough Bay, at the intersection of New Hampshire Route 25 and Route 109. Route 25 is a major east-west highway in the state, connecting Meredith and

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

to the west with Ossipee, New Hampshire, and

Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...

to the east. Route 109, a local road, proceeds southeast towards Wolfeboro and northwest to Center Sandwich.

Adjacent municipalities

Sandwich A sandwich is a Dish (food), dish typically consisting variously of meat, cheese, sauces, and vegetables used as a filling between slices of bread, or placed atop a slice of bread; or, more generally, any dish in which bread serves as a ''co ...

(north) * Tamworth (northeast) * Ossipee (northeast) * Tuftonboro (east) * Gilford (southeast) * Meredith (south) * Center Harbor (west) *

Holderness Holderness is an area of the East Riding of Yorkshire, on the north-east coast of England. An area of rich agricultural land, Holderness was marshland until it was drained in the Middle Ages. Topographically, Holderness has more in common wit ...

(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 4,484 people, 1,884 households, and 1,377 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 4,523 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was: *98.48%

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 ...

*0.13%

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 ...

*0.22% Native American *0.56% Asian *0.02% from other races *0.58% 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 0.62% of the population. There were 1,884 households, out of which: *25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them *63.7% 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 *6.0% had a female householder “with no husband present” *26.9% were non-families *23.7% of all households were made up of individuals *9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.77. Age demographics: *21.1% under the age of 18 *4.1% from 18 to 24, *22.3% from 25 to 44 *32.6% from 45 to 64 *19.9% who were 65 years of age or older *The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $45,050, and the median income for a family was $51,729. Males had a median income of $34,236 versus $25,332 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 $25,733. About 3.2% of families and 4.0% 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 3.3% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Moultonborough School District serves the town of Moultonborough. The district consists of Moultonborough Academy and Moultonborough Central School. Moultonborough Academy is the middle and high school, educating students in grades six through twelve. The school is located off Blake Road just south of the village of Moultonborough. The Moultonborough Central School, which is located on NH Route 25 near the academy, serves grades K–5.

Sites of interest

* Castle in the Clouds * Geneva Point Center * Moultonborough Town House

Notable people

* Benning M. Bean (1782–1866), US congressman *

(1726–1787), Revolutionary War era colonel * Thomas Gustave Plant (1859–1941), industrialist *

Claude Rains William Claude Rains (10 November 188930 May 1967) was a British and American actor whose career spanned almost seven decades. He was the recipient of numerous accolades, including four Academy Award nominations for Academy Award for Best Supp ...

(1889–1967), actor; buried at Red Hill Cemetery * John M. True (1838–1921), Wisconsin politician *

John Greenleaf Whittier John Greenleaf Whittier (December 17, 1807 – September 7, 1892) was an American Quaker poet and advocate of the abolition of slavery in the United States. Frequently listed as one of the fireside poets, he was influenced by the Scottish poet ...

(1807–1892), poet (summer resident)

References

External links

*
Moultonborough Public Library

Moultonborough School District

{{authority control Towns in Carroll County, New Hampshire Populated places established in 1777 Populated places on Lake Winnipesaukee Towns in New Hampshire