DURHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE

'Durham' is a town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, USA. The population was 12,664 at the 2000 census. Durham is home to the University of New Hampshire.

Contents

History

Notable Inhabitants

Geography

Demographics

Sites of Interest

See also

Photo Gallery

References

External links

History

Situated beside Great Bay at the mouth of the Oyster River, Durham was originally called "Oyster River Plantation." It was settled in 1635 as a part of Dover.
During King William's War, on July 18, 1694 "Oyster River" was attacked in the ''Oyster River Massacre'' by French career soldier Sebastien de Villieu with about 250 Abenaki Indians under command of their sagamore, Bomazeen. In all, 45 inhabitants were killed and 49 taken captive, with half the dwellings, including 5 garrisons, burned to the ground. Crops were destroyed and livestock killed, causing famine and destitution for survivors. The community would rebuild, and by 1716 Durham was a separate parish, named after Durham, England. Incorporated in 1735, Durham once included portions of the present-day towns of Madbury, Lee and Newmarket.

A descendent of an early settler, Benjamin Thompson bequeathed his assets and family estate, "Warner Farm," to the state for the establishment of an agricultural college. Originally founded in 1866, at Hanover, the ''New Hampshire College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts'' moved to Durham in 1893, and became ''University of New Hampshire'' in 1923. "Thompson Hall," built in 1892 with an iconic clocktower, is named in his honor. Designed in the Romanesque Revival style by the Concord architectural firm of ''Dow & Randlett'', it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.

Notable Inhabitants

★ Daniel Ford, writer

★ Joyce Maynard, writer

★ Don Murray, journalist

★ Hercules Mooney, Revolutionary War officer

★ Deron Quint, NHL player

★ Alexander Scammel, Col. of the 3rd New Hampshire Regiment

★ John Sullivan, Revolutionary War general

★ Benjamin Thompson, farmer, businessman & benefactor of U.N.H.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 64.1 km² (24.8 mi²). 58.0 km² (22.4 mi²) of it is land and 6.1 km² (2.4 mi²) of it is water, comprising 9.57% of the town. The town is drained by the Oyster River. The highest point in Durham is ''Beech Hill'' (290 feet / 88 meters above sea level), located on the town's northern border. Durham lies fully within the Piscataqua River (Coastal) watershed. Water Use in New Hampshire: An Activities Guide for Teachers, , Debra H., Foster, U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Geological Survey, 1995,

Demographics

''This article describes the town of Durham as a whole. Additional demographic detail is available which describes only the more densely populated central settlement within the town, although those details are included in the aggregate values reported here. See: Durham (CDP), New Hampshire.''

As of the census of 2000, there were 12,664 people, 2,882 households, and 1,582 families residing in the town. The population density was 218.4/km² (565.5/mi²). There were 2,923 housing units at an average density of 50.4/km² (130.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 94.55% White, 0.77% African American, 0.21% Native American, 3.10% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. 1.24% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,882 households out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 4.8% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 45.1% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.03.

The age distribution, heavily influenced by the presence of UNH, is: 12.0% under the age of 18, 56.5% from 18 to 24, 13.3% from 25 to 44, 12.1% from 45 to 64, and 6.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 21 years, which is also typical for a college town. For every 100 females there are 82.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $51,697, and the median income for a family was $83,609. Males had a median income of $54,519 versus $31,548 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,210. 27.7% of the population and 2.8% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 5.5% are under the age of 18 and 1.1% are 65 or older.

Sites of Interest

★ Durham Historic Association

See also

★ Durham-UNH (Amtrak station)

Photo Gallery

References

External links

★ Durham, NH ''Official Website''

★ New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile

★ Thompson Hall Restoration Project